Contact, Services, Pricing and Tips…

To contact me…

+61 423 469 539 | trav@thefitographer.me

What I do, and what it costs…

Tips to help you prep’ for a perfect shoot…

For general portraiture (location and studio)… These are suggestions only:

▪    Hair – If you’re getting a hair cut for your shoot, do so about two weeks beforehand, just in case it goes wrong (you never know). For the fella’s, a fresh cut a couple of days before the shoot should do the trick…

▪    Hair accessories – If we’re shooting outdoors, be ready to put your hair up and make it look nice in case of a windy day. Bring bobby pins, hair clips, headbands or any other favorite accessories. Try not to make it too ‘flamboyant’ as it will take attention away from your face!

▪    Glasses – If your fam’ and mates wouldn’t recognise you without glasses, you want to wear glasses in your shoot; however, the glare on glasses can detract from your eyes in photos. You can have your lenses removed from your frames for your shoot (don’t worry, it’s what Hollywood does to avoid glare in movies), ask your eye doc’ to loan you a pair of similar frames, or you may purchase some from a servo?!

▪    Red eyes – ‘Clear Eyes’ is your friend. Not getting drunk the night before your shoot helps, too…

▪    Lips – You will probably wipe or lick your lips during your shoot, so bring Paw-Paw ointment or lip gloss to do touch-ups as required. Use lip balm for a few days in advance of your shoot to make your ‘smoochers’ look their best.

▪    Teeth – If you want to brighten your smile, start your treatments about two weeks before your shoot.

▪    Breakouts – I have no magic remedy here… Do what works best for you and drink plenty of H2O… And, I have Photoshop!!!

▪    Make-up – A subtle application of make-up can really soften your skin and accentuate your facial features. But make sure you know what you’re doing, and make sure it matches your skin tone. Try low-sheen type make-up as it tends to end up looking oily in shots.

▪    Facial hair – I am ok with with beards and facial hair… After all, it’s your head…

▪    Moisturiser – Dry skin can really detract from a great photo shoot. Start moisturizing nightly a week in advance of your shoot. When you get out of the shower, dry off until lightly damp, and slather on moisturizer. Focus on your arms, shoulders, neck, face, hands, anywhere you’ll be exposed to the camera. This includes your legs if you’re shooting in shorts or a skirt. Fella’s, this is important for you too!

▪    Nails – A fresh coat of nail polish will make a world of difference in your photo shoot. Pick a neutral color that won’t distract in your shoot or clash with your outfits. Freshen the morning of the shoot, then be careful not to scuff it while prepping.

▪    Bloating – H2O, and stay away from salt/sodium in the days leading up to the shoot… Visit www.myfoodreligion.com for nutritional info.

▪    Underwear – My wife tells me bra straps won’t do anything to help your outfit look its best. Be sure you bring a set of bras and strap-adjusting accessories to work with any outfit you want to shoot in to keep those straps well hidden?

▪    Sun burns and tan lines – If your shoot is booked for Saturday, don’t go to the beach on Friday. If you plan to tan before your shoot, do so at least a week beforehand and don’t get sizzled… Be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglass tan lines, hat tan lines, etc.

▪    Ironing – If you iron, iron the night before and then hang the clothes for your shoot. If you’re wearing something that wrinkles easily, don’t wear it in the car on the way to the shoot – just change at the location.

▪    Shoes – Ladies, can’t go wrong in heels or wedges or Reebok Nanos! Fella’s, most of you will be wearing the latter, but if you happen to require dress shoes, make sure they are polished or clean! If you don’t know how, bring some parade gloss with you and I will give them a ‘once-over’ for you!

For maternity portraiture (location and studio)… These are suggestions only:

▪    Moisturise that belly!

▪    Gather your props to bring along – ultrasound printouts, alphabet blocks that spell your baby’s name, baby shoes, stuffed animals, flowers, whatever you’ve seen in other maternity photos that you like.

▪    Wear whatever you feel comfortable and pretty in – Long, flowy skirts, especially solids are nice, and strapless bras that coordinate with them. Tube dresses are great for showing off your shape. Bring a pair of regular jeans, not the belly panel ones. A button-up shirt also makes it easy to transition into showing your belly.

▪    Support – Do bring your significant other! They’ll make a great prop for your photos, and greatly expand on the number of different photos you can make during your shoot. They should bring outfits that coordinate with what you’ll be wearing, or a dark long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. The focus should always be on you, your expressions, your emotions, your personality, your joy and your connection!

For new-born / infant portraiture (location and studio)… These are suggestions only:

▪    Wipes – Bring a wash cloth to clean away flaky skin and eye / nose boogers.

▪    Timing – Book your shoot around your baby’s feeding and nap times, work with the natural rhythm of your baby. The perfect time to shoot is right when the baby would be laying down for a nap. If your baby normally falls asleep after a feeding, wait to feed the baby until you’re at the shoot. I allow plenty of time for this sort of thing to set up the best situation for great photos.

▪    Dress – Nothing is the best wardrobe for a newborn. However, if you want the best outfit for your bub, I can suggest visiting either Charlie and Boo, or JD Baby prior, to get that perfect little cosy!

For children’s portraiture (location and studio)… These are suggestions only:

▪    Cleanliness – clean nails, clean hair, wipe away eye boogers, clean feet (sandals or pluggers on kids = black feet!), wipe snotty noses, brush their teeth (basically hose them down with a gurney). The cleaner the kid, the better their photos will turn out!

▪    Consciousness – If your child is still of napping age, make sure they nap before the shoot.

▪    Bribes – It is perfectly okay to bring bribes to a photo shoot (for the child, although, I am partial to anything shiny). Some cereal or treats that won’t stain teeth can help a short photo shoot go by smoothly.

▪    Avoid – Colorful drinks or lollypops within 24 hours of your shoot, don’t let them eat or drink anything that will stain their face, teeth or mouths.

▪    Wardrobe – For girls, you can’t go wrong with cute dresses, rompers, and little hats or headbands. For boys, jeans and polos or a button-up shirt, or a T-shirt with a button-up can be pretty cute, as well as overalls on the right age and personality. For siblings, the children don’t have to match perfectly, just coordinate. You can’t go wrong with dark, rich monotones, which drive the attention in photos to expressive faces instead of loud prints or colors. If nothing else, pick a color that compliments your child’s eye color. I WILL accept Super Hero costumes too!

For the Animals (well, actually, this is for the Owners!)…

I don’t have dot points as such. There are, however, some key elements to making your pet shoot a great experience for your pet/s, you, and I! I have every faith in the fact you will present your pet clean and well groomed, so I am not going to drill down on those elements (and it is likely that they will end up filthy and wet by the end of the shoot, so you shouldn’t be too fussed about it!).

Pre Shoot Consult (no charge) – It is vitally important that I not only get to know you, but get to know your pet! What makes them tick, their unique quirks, their distinct personality traits, are they food driven, what are their favourite words, or prompts and toys, what are all the things they do that make you love and adore them, so that I can capture those moments for you to cherish long after they are gone. Prior to our shoot, I will always ask to meet you and your pet on mutual territory to acquire these answers and build some rapport with your pet.

Allow for a little extra time – I won’t be bringing out the camera straight away. It is important to make your pet feel comfortable around me and our environment, get them working to my (and your) commands, voice/noise prompts, gestures with toys, etc.  Once I think we can crack on, I will then produce the camera and again, go through a process of ensuring your pet is ‘OK’ with having a lens in their face! If your pet is a little fearful of the camera, we can work around that with a longer lens and more distance between them and I…

Location – Where does your pet love to hang out? Where is your pet most at ease, or in their element? Is it a park? Large, open paddock/s? The beach? At home? Keep in mind that ‘quieter’, solitary, open type environments are always best for capturing uncluttered images; however, your pet will be the decider in where we go… Along with weather and available light! And, I can work around anything, so long as your pet is happy as a pig in… mud?!

Weather & Light – I don’t have a cancellation fee, so if things become inclement, we can scratch the session and reconvene another day when the weather is better. I will always review the long and short-term forecast (in accordance with the BOM) whilst planning your shoot; however, we all know that sometimes it isn’t accurate. The time of day we shoot is also critical. Early to mid morning, then mid afternoon to dusk are always best, for both light and your pet’s welfare. Your pet’s health is my first and foremost priority whilst shooting, so I always like to do shoots in the most mild conditions and best light.

Patience – You will need this! Pet photography is unpredictable and organized chaos at the best of times. You and I both have to keep our cool and accept that animals will be animals… You and I need to work as a team to ensure your pet remains ‘partially’ obedient; however, I also understand that the attention span of most animals is very brief. So it usually works in short bursts, with many treats and positive reinforcement involved!

For the Automotive enthusiast / owner…

Well, I don’t really need to tell you lads and ladies much in preparation as I guarantee you will be polishing the clear coat off your machine/s, detailing and pampering your pride and joy with more vigour than you would a loved one??? The most important element in any automotive photography is location and light. We will always cover these two points in our pre shoot consult, so that was all rather easy, wasn’t it!

For everyone… General tips:

Have an idea of what you may like the finished product to look like and discuss this with me, show me examples, ‘Google’ images of a similar nature, look at media such as Pinterest, Instagram, or even Facebook (why not steal your best mates’, or a complete strangers’ ideas!)!  Provide me those and we can discuss them in our pre shoot consult. I will work my magic to try replicate (and better) the examples and ideas you provide me. If you are a ‘blank canvas’ when it comes to your expectations, that is OK too! So long as we both walk away with a plan to work towards…

Come prepared. Items such as touch-up make-up, a hand held mirror (or your iPhone camera may do the trick), additional outfits, a towel or wipes may all be required to make the day run smoothly and ensure time efficiency.

Plan and understand the logistical requirements of the shoot (from your perspective). Is the location appropriate, able to be accessed via appropriate means (I am a fit lad and love extreme adventure, but my camera doesn’t like swimming in or out of locations!), how long does it take to get to our location (remember, you are being charged for travel time), is there a secluded spot for you to get changed if required, are their toilets, is there shade should you, or your pet need it (do you or I need to take an umbrella / marquee then?), etc, etc, etc…

If you are in doubt regarding any of the aforementioned, give me a call or email. There is no obstacle too big we can’t overcome…

Thank you sincerely for choosing me to shoot (the photographic kind!) you, your pet, your car/bike, your pregnant belly, your new-born child, your children, your family, your food, or any other weird, wonderful, abstract subject you would like me to capture… I just appreciate that you have confidence in my artistic ability and like (or even love) my past work!!!

I hope you found these tips helpful?! If you have any more, feel free to let me know and I will amend accordingly…

Kind regards,

Trav.

the.FITographer