Lisbon, Portugal
How a commission starts: the first call
What I ask on the first call, what I need from you before a shoot, and why I usually suggest fewer pictures.
Most commissions start with an email that says something like: we need pictures, can you help? The first call is where we find out what the pictures are for. That decides almost everything else.
Three questions I always ask
Where will people see these pictures? Who do you want to notice them? And what should someone feel or do after they have looked? A report to funders, a hotel website and a magazine story need very different sets, even of the same place.
I usually suggest fewer pictures than people expect. Twelve strong frames that tell one story do more than sixty that cover everything.
What happens next
After the call I send a short written plan with dates, a shot list and a fixed fee. Once you are happy with it, a deposit holds the dates. You can see the sample rates on the Commissions page, or write to me with your dates.