A few of my good friends know that I had my first ‘paid gig’ last night. My father is responsible for coordinating a Junior (high school level) ROTC detachment’s Military Ball each year. For the past several years, he has used someone else to shoot the event. But this year his usual photographer had a scheduling SNAFU and found himself double-booked. I guess the other job promised more revenue, because he canceled on my father just two days before the ball. So, my kind and loving father called me to be his second-choice photographer. *snicker* (I say that tongue-in-cheek, because I was happy to be considered at all, and my dad wasn’t aware of how much work I’ve been doing to improve my skills set, so he hired me on faith.)
So I spent a couple of days researching professional quality print labs to get an idea of pricing, planning an ordering system, getting lighting ideas, and otherwise preparing myself to do those staged shots like they do at senior prom. You know: the full-length shot of a couple or small group of friends to show off their finery and remember their night together. Having never done this kind of work before, I was a bit apprehensive. I generally use available light (no flash, thankyouverymuch) and natural surroundings, and focus on catching the subject being themselves. “Prom photos” are about the opposite of what I enjoy. But it turns out they bankroll equipment upgrades. *counts her earnings*
So I arrived at the venue around 6pm and scoped the place out (I tried to gain access a day or two in advance, but that was impossible as it’s locked up during the week and only opened when an event is scheduled), found a nice location for pictures, and set up my equipment. The equipment was the only familiar part of the process last night! I had to figure out a system for taking the photos, and take orders without a ridiculous wait for either part. I brought my laptop along, so I decided to just get everybody through, record the names and image numbers of each shot, and then invite the subjects to come back later in the evening, either during the dinner or at the end of the night when the dancing started, to review the shots (and do any retakes if necessary), and place orders. This opportunity to view before they buy, and to retake if needed seemed to please them–especially the girls, who were, as you can expect, rather concerned with how they looked. And since I was paid just to show up, once I was there I didn’t care how many retakes it took as long as the kids were happy with the shot. After all, digital is free for me, and it kept me busy. Oh, so busy. I didn’t have a dull moment last night!
I learned a few things during the course of the evening that reassured me that I was doing just fine: It seems the other photographer did not offer the view-before-you-buy service, so kids had to order without seeing what they were getting. And, his prices were considerably higher than mine. And, finally, I’ve only seen one example (my parents’ photo from a previous year), but many people said that my shots were better. The one example I saw would have me agree. It’s all about composition!
In the end, I made some money, had some fun, ate some delicious food, and got some promotion. Great promotion! One of the mothers didn’t know who I was at first, and actually approached my dad to tell him how much she preferred me over the other photographer. Later she asked about my experience, and I kind of stage-whispered that I was just launching myself and I only got the job because of my dad… she was surprised to learn I was his second choice. It was quite amusing. But she said she hopes I’m back next year.
The one thing I failed to do was prepare a release form, so I don’t feel comfortable sharing any of the photos I took last night. Sorry. Lawyer meets photographer. But I will include an optional release form when I send out the completed orders, and if I get any back, I’ll happily post some of the shots here.
Meanwhile, I’ve got some post-processing to do so I can send these to the print lab. I’m a real photographer! Yay! (*takes a deep breath and assumes her poker face* I mean, umm… *decorum*)
