That takes determination, skill, and lots of practice. I can help you with that last item.
Now that I can help you with. A session with me will get you about a hundred photos.
Sometimes. Do you have transportation? Will your parents make you cancel at the last minute?
This is not “frequently asked”, but should be! Before emailing me, make sure you’re in the same geographic region! I’m in the North Dallas area, in Texas.
If you mean someone to take pictures for very little cost, you are looking for amateurs and hobbyists. You need to practice modeling and put a lot of time and work into it—find someone who is getting into photography and wants to put a lot of time and effort into that. If you don’t have a friend whose shutterbuging you can encourage, look at local colleges that might offer photography classes, and look for camera clubs in your area (you can find them on the Internet).
A session is currently $50. Then, file manipulation and image processing are extra, as explained here.
Because it’s a hobby. You’re not paying for my time, only for expenses and more camera stuff.
With a digital camera, there’s no film or processing to buy. A hundred photos isn’t three rolls of film to buy and develop, but fifty megabytes of reusable storage chips.
You’ll get all the pictures taken, and and any processing or retouching work I’ve done, on a CD. I’ll go over one or two photos to produce polished perfected images, suitable for your portfolio.
See my tutorial on that subject.
Yes. I make prints that blow away commercial places. See my hardcopy page for details.
The rights are shared. The pictures are taken for use in our portfolios and furthering our respective hobbies, not for direct commercial use. If you wanted pictures to sell, you'd have to pay a real fee to a photographer. If I wanted pictures to sell, I’d have to pay a modeling fee.
You can use the pictures for your portfolio, give them away to family and friends, reproduce them to promote yourself, and to study your modeling techniques. You can do anything you want to with them except sell them as works of art in themselves.
I can use the pictures in my portfolio, to show everyone that I’m a good photographer. I can use them (or parts of them) in any media to illustrate text on photographic or image processing techniques, but cannot sell them as works of art.
You can email me at john@dlugosz.com. Please include information about yourself, where you are located, and details of what you have in mind.
I shoot most of my pictures outside. Any scenic area will do, and because most pictures are of you not of the scenery, it doesn’t take a huge vista. I shoot a lot in local parks, and have used landscaped areas of an apartment complex and back yards. However, more exotic locations work well too. For example, I like the Dallas Arboretum, and the Fort Worth Water Gardens.
Inside, I use several flashes and reflectors. I've had good results in an empty room against a plain white background. But you may want to shoot inside because of the room itself. For example, a rather formal outfit in a nice living room.
I have another page on that. See my tips page.
Please do! That is also discussed in detail on the tips page. You should have at least one other person, to help out.
I usually plan something for a few days to a week ahead.