# Tips for Porn Photographer.



## kvas691

So recently I was approached by a woman who is interested in doing a photo shoot with her girlfriend. They would like to make a calender, which will include different lingerie and props for each month and I did some talking and turns out that this woman also wants to do, basically, a Lesbian porn photoshoot. Of course, i gladly accepted the offer. But now, i am wondering a few things to help go about this. 
A) Where's the best place to get these printed
B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment)
C) How much to charge for this....
D) any other tips to make this go as smoothly and professionally as possible. 

I understand that this may be a touchy subject on a forum, but I could use some advice, because i would like to makes these come out as best as possible, to make my chances of having an opportunity like this happen again.


*****Update: The shoot has now been switched to 4 different girls. Just lingerie photos. some Boudoir Photography basically. Still a 12 month Calendar.** My goal is to get pics like these. http://luxemodboudoir.com/portfolio-2 

can anyone point me to a nice light kit that will work for this? im willing to spend some cash, but im kinda broke.. hoping not to have to spend over like 400.. it will be used more than once obviously.


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## Davor

do you plan on selling these photos? ill order a package in that case...


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## Forkie

Pics/links on the board, or it didn't happen.


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## kundalini

This screams of GWC.



> C) How much to charge for this....


Seriously?  Isn't that a question she should be asking?


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## Biggs88

kvas691 said:


> So recently I was approached by a woman who is interested in doing a photo shoot with her girlfriend. They would like to make a calender, which will include different lingerie and props for each month and I did some talking and turns out that this woman also wants to do, basically, a Lesbian porn photoshoot. Of course, i gladly accepted the offer. But now, i am wondering a few things to help go about this.
> A) Where's the best place to get these printed
> B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment)
> C) How much to charge for this....
> D) any other tips to make this go as smoothly and professionally as possible.
> 
> I understand that this may be a touchy subject on a forum, but I could use some advice, because i would like to makes these come out as best as possible, to make my chances of having an opportunity like this happen again.


 
Charge nothing for this.

You do not have any lighting. The most basic of gear. And your an amateur.

The whole point of paying is to get a professional with knowldege and extensive equipment. . .


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## Buckster

Where to print?  Ummm... Your basement, late at night, in the dark?

For lighting, posing, etc., you probably want to bone up on budoir photography.  Should be about the same kind of thing, I'd guess.  Either that or start looking at lezbian porn photos online and reverse-engineer the lighting on the stuff that grabs you.

How much to charge is a tough one.  That depends on your skill level, the going rate of 12 shots, each distinctive for each month (I'm guessing full wardrobe and/or prop changes, changes in lighting, etc., to really do a good job, and then the work of putting them together into a single calendar.  Are you going to be able to market this calendar and possibly make more money off it, or will it remain private to them and therefor you need to get all your costs and profits from the single source?  These are some of the things you'll need to consider.  Finally, how much are they willing to pay for this?


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## e.rose

kvas691 said:


> B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, *Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment*)



Perfect!  You'll definitely be able to get that porno feel in that case!


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## Studio7Four

kvas691 said:


> A) Where's the best place to get these printed


I haven't had to print anything with this subject matter, but I would suggest asking people on this forum who have experience shooting fine art nudes.  You can probably do a forum search to find out who some of the folks are and then PM them if none of them have responded to this thread.  It still might be worth then calling or emailing any recommended print shops just to clarify with them.  Alternatively you could just look at some of the posts dealing with printing in general, look at the fine print for some of the recommended sites (such as mpix, adorama, etc) - and if you don't see any fine print regarding subject matter you still might want to drop them a line.  I personally wouldn't go the CVS route even if they officially have no problem with the subject matter.  It's likely some random schmuck doing the printing and I wouldn't put it past them to print out another copy for personal use.  A real print shop would care more about reputation and integrity and is less likely to leak the photos.



kvas691 said:


> B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment)


Here's the fun part - you get to surf pictures of naked women and call it research!  There are so many lighting routes you can take it's hard to give specific suggestions.  If you have the opportunity, visit the bedroom ahead of time to check out just how much space you have, how large are the windows (and where they are relative to the bed and in what direction they point), etc.  You can get great shots with ambient light, with some window shears as diffusers and a reflector or two.  (Also research boudoir shots and maternity shots as these are often shot in bedrooms as well.)  If their room isn't lighting friendly you might be able to get them to spring for a hotel room - scout one which looks nice and gets good light.



kvas691 said:


> C) How much to charge for this....


This is the part where you forget that you get to watch lesbian porn and only remember that it is a calendar shoot.  You need to walk away with at least twelve different keepers.  Figure it's going to be a moderately long shoot - you need to allow time for at least twelve scenes, which may involve wardrobe changes, lighting mods, even furniture rearranging or location changing (nothing says they _have _to stay in bed, unless they are dictating that).  Then figure in your editing time for at least twelve images (I don't know how many keepers you usually edit from a shoot).  How much that is worth to you (and what the local market is like) I can't say.



kvas691 said:


> D) any other tips to make this go as smoothly and professionally as possible.


Keep remembering that you are a photographer and they are clients.  Keep looking through your camera and don't get caught up just watching - you should still be clicking away.  Absolutely no touching (this is good advice any time you work with models, clothed or not).  Oh, and wear appropriate clothing, you don't want to give away how interested you are in the action.


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## RauschPhotography

e.rose said:


> kvas691 said:
> 
> 
> 
> B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, *Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment*)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Perfect!  You'll definitely be able to get that porno feel in that case!
Click to expand...


Sounds like a creeper case waiting to happen.

Uhh, might want to suggest a friend comes with her for this shoot. (And no, not one that's involved in any of the pictures) Make sure your bases are covered.


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## Formatted

> Charge nothing for this.
> 
> You do not have any lighting. The most basic of gear. And your an amateur.
> 
> The whole point of paying is to get a professional with knowldege and extensive equipment. . .



Exactly was what I was thinking. Cheers for saying it for me!


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## Studio7Four

kvas691 said:


> Charge nothing for this.
> 
> You do not have any lighting. The most basic of gear. And your an amateur.



To some extent I usually agree with this.  I have a problem with people with limited ability marketing themselves and expecting to be paid.  If you are approached, however, and the client has seen examples of your work and is willing to pay, where's the problem?  Every pro was an amateur first and had a point at which they started getting paid.  Where the OP might have an issue is that he has apparently already agreed to the shoot (we don't know on what terms) and is now asking what to charge.  Changing terms after an agreement is more of an issue (in any business deal) than a simple charge/not charge question.



kvas691 said:


> The whole point of paying is to get a professional with knowldege and extensive equipment. . .



Actually the point of paying is to be confident that you will receive the product as you desire it.  It's up to the buyer to judge whether the level of confidence they're getting is sufficient based on the price they're paying.  I'll agree that the knowledge to do so is a requirement.  I disagree that you need a professional (let's assume for the sake of this forum that "professional" means someone who makes their primary living from photography).  I've seen many amateurs (hobbyists) with incredible skill (and I've seen professionals who I wouldn't trust to do anything more than push the button for a prepackaged shoot).  I've also seen incredible work come out of a point-and-shoot, with natural light, so you can't sell me on the extensive equipment requirement either.  Yes, you need enough equipment to get the job done properly, but with the right knowledge you don't need much.


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## gsgary

Make sure you don't shoot all over the place , and no bulges


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## kvas691

Ok thank you for all the advice. She did mention how much it will cost, and i did not give a price yet. To be honest, im not really worried about the price, maybe make a little bit of money, but its not necessary. I have drawn up a release form just in case. I also will have other people there, so it will not be just me and the models. 
I just asked how the lighting is, and she said the lighting is "eh" which means.. not so hot. lol She has a few lamps, I have some GE Reveal 3-Way 50-100-150 Watt Bulbs that i will bring, I know these arent that great, but it does give a whiter cleaner light, so it should help. Any other suggestions on easy lighting and or bulbs i should use in a standard lamp, by Saturday lol (yes, 2 days)

As far as posing, i mean, i have seen plenty of Lesbian Porn in my day, so I'm not too worried about that. I just need to make sure I have enough ideas and examples when I get there. 

And I believe they will be keeping this calender private, but if they do plan to release it, I will make sure I get a share of the Profits... But Im pretty sure its just for their own enjoyment. 

And, I work in the Photo Dept at CVS, so i may just wind up printing them on my shift, so it wont too much of a problem, But i will probably end up making the Calender from Snapfish. Not too sure yet. still looking into that.


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## kvas691

and yea.. i have a longer shirt to wear. haha


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## Studio7Four

kvas691 said:


> And, I work in the Photo Dept at CVS



Oops, missed that part of your signature...hope you weren't offended by my comment!


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## Big Mike

Check the rules at your lab.  It's not worth loosing your job over...is it?

Just about any pro photo lab shouldn't have a problem, as long as everyone is of-age and nothing illegal is being done.  To that point, if they look younger than 30, get shots of their driver's license as proof of age.


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## SupNY

e.rose said:


> Perfect!  You'll definitely be able to get that porno feel in that case!



 touche


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## RyanLilly

I really think you are going to need some, lighting for this. Either studio strobes or speedlites. Even two Vivitar 285hv's and a couple of shoot throughs, and or bouncing off the wall/ceilings(assuming a fairly neutral color) sill be significantly better than the lighting in the room. If you dont have any lighing, this shoot would be a great reason to invest. Speedlights would be a good choice because it is a small room, you dont need incrediblt fast recycle time, and they are small, and easier to move and reposition between shots, than studio strobes. You can get into a basic 2 light strobist setup for around $300 or so. Either that, or spend the money renting some lighting. In the smaller room and considering the subject, I would not recomend hot lights.


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## Derrel

Sweatbands. You will definitely want sweatbands.


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## KmH

Derrel said:


> Sweatbands. You will definitely want sweatbands.


Where's the Thanks button when you need it .


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## e.rose

There's a LIKE button now!


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## RyanLilly

e.rose said:


> There's a LIKE button now!


 Wow, a like button! Very Facebookesque. TPF is WAY cooler now!


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## molested_cow

Wouldn't hurt to bring some rubber with you... I mean, that's the last thing you want to regret not having..... for both good and bad reasons.


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## prodigy2k7

dude you are 19 years old? score!


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## mishele

e.rose said:


> There's a LIKE button now!



Erose, I didn't think we completely agreed to this shoot yet?!


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## Overread

molested_cow said:


> Wouldn't hurt to bring some rubber with you... I mean, that's the last thing you want to regret not having..... for both good and bad reasons.


 
Wait wait you use rubber?

For lighting?

Strange, though I've heard of milk bottles, paper, pingpong balls, aerosol caps and more so I guess it might work...


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## e.rose

mishele said:


> Erose, I didn't think we completely agreed to this shoot yet?!


 
Oh?  We didn't?  :shock: I thought you said to go ahead and sign the contract... whoops.  Sorry... My bad....


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## mishele

e.rose said:


> Oh?  We didn't?  :shock: I thought you said to go ahead and sign the contract... whoops.  Sorry... My bad....



Well, if you signed I guess we area go!!


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## tomdinning

You'll probably wake up and it'll all be a dream. I have them all the time.


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## PerfectlyFlawed

gsgary said:


> Make sure you don't shoot all over the place , and no bulges


 
LOL!!!


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## kassad

kvas691 said:


> As far as posing, i mean, i have seen plenty of Lesbian Porn in my day, so I'm not too worried about that. I just need to make sure I have enough ideas and examples when I get there.
> 
> And I believe they will be keeping this calender private, but if they do plan to release it, I will make sure I get a share of the Profits... But Im pretty sure its just for their own enjoyment.
> 
> .


 

Well the Lesbian Porn you have seen is produced for a male audience.   Being that they are actual lesbians they might be looking for something different.


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## TylerTarris

Perhaps you really should invest in studio lighting, I think I am the only one thinking that this seems quite unprofessional, basically you should at least get a pocket slave, or something of that nature, and have a assistant hold the flash on a mono-pod, etc. to an area you feel fit for the photo, if possible I would recommend changing scenery for all 12 photos, and over shooting as well as doing different things for each scene, Portrait/studio lighting would be ideal, and you can get some cheap tungsten light kits off BH. Theirs tons of articles online about studio/portrait lighting, as well as videos on you tube, utilize all of those techniques, and shoot for the intended audience, not for the average male or yourself, search forums online that have lesbians looking for lesbian porn, watch some vids, look at some pics, see what they are interested in, communication with your clients is absolutely essential, and most of all, don't act like a creeper.


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## gsgary

Derrel said:


> Sweatbands. You will definitely want sweatbands.


 

And some Bromide


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## molested_cow

Gonna be difficult to find 12 places with different flavors to shoot at if you don't have the resource to travel for it.

Or you can find a green screen and do some cheesy photoshop....


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## xjoewhitex

kvas691 said:


> A) Where's the best place to get these printed
> B) Posing and Lighting Techniques (Photos wil be taken in a bedroom, Keep in mind, Im still an Amateur Photographer, and do not have much lighting equipment)
> C) How much to charge for this....
> D) any other tips to make this go as smoothly and professionally as possible.


A) The best place to print would be any local non drug store printing shop, as said above I wouldn't risk your job printing something your not supposed to be printing. As long as you have copys of their ID's it should be fine. 
B) Ive never posed two girls, only one so that could be a bit tough but im pretty sure they will know exactly what they want. But look around try and keep some things in mind so you can suggest if needed. * Lighting since you really don't have anything its gonna be somewhat hard, I suggest shooting while there is plenty of light outside and shoot beside a large window. Possibly buy a poster board and reflect the light in from the opposite side. If you mix daylight/tungsten/CFL be sure to set your white balance to adjust.
C) Your an amature with no real knowledge about this type of photography, no equipment besides the basics. I wouldn't charge anything, besides maybe requesting a tip along with compensation for the print. But Personally I would shoot, and hand them the finals and have them handle the printing much less hassle.
D) I don't shoot porn, but I do shoot nudes so I guess you can kinda say its the same. But anyhow just remember these are people, just without clothes no need to panic or act any differently than you normally would when they are clothed. Speak, carry a conversation, and look at them in the eyes when you talking or listening, unless your posing or composing. Remember if you freeze up and act nervous, they are going to follow suit and the photos will prove it. Good luck.


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## bigheadkyle2

Make sure to take plenty of pictures for your personal use, you know, for "research and reference material" for any later shoots.


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## Phranquey

Buckster said:


> For lighting, posing, etc., you probably want to bone up on budoir photography.


 
Seriously..... Am I the only one who caught this, or merely the only one perverted enough to point it out.


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## mishele

About the "bone"part?  lol


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## JAFO28

Phranquey said:


> Buckster said:
> 
> 
> 
> For lighting, posing, etc., you probably want to bone up on budoir photography.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously..... Am I the only one who caught this, or merely the only one perverted enough to point it out.
Click to expand...

 
I'm glad i'm not the only one to pick up on that. As soon as I read that I was LMAO! Went through the entire thread hoping no one beat me to it. Good job!


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## Images

I was once asked to develop film shot at a bachelor party, I declined.

But if you want to move the shoot to Florida I wouldn't mind observing and offering my expertise as a director.

Oh wait, send me a few pics of the ladies before I commit my time I will have to insure I have quality material to work with.:mrgreen:


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## jwa345

I happened to come across your post and wanted to quickly chime in about your questions on shooting content that crosses over into a gray area........<br><br>First and foremost if any of this shoot will be later marketed to website stock agents, calendar companies or stock agents for sale and distribution etc, etc. ...... you will need to comply with the 18 USC 2257 release form for compliance to prove that the models involved are of the legal age, and make sure you have photocopies of the models government issued ID's such as Driver's License and a Passport. You will need to attach these to the release and include the place of business that these forms will be kept for inspection purposes. &nbsp;If the models are going to be interacting in actual sexual acts, you will also need to have each model participating go to a draw center and have testing for STD's done, and that too will need to be attached to that release for each model. &nbsp;Failure to do so could result in federal charges being brought against you as the "Producer" of these images, along with imprisonment. &nbsp;Not to mention "LIABILITY" in the event one of the participants has an STD and passes it to another model, who in return could sue you for negligence in protecting them from this scenario.<br><br>The difference between just shooting a model doing simple artistic nudes, and the style of shoot your describing is that your implying and displaying graphic sexual acts. &nbsp;The above compliance form and regulations do not apply to artistic nude work, so your making a choice to cross over into the gray area with your proposed shoot.<br><br>Besides being a photographer I am also a businessman and manager and felt it important to at least give you some of the basic's for an area that can be risky, my other advice would be to consult with an attorney familiar with the adult industry.<br><br><br>


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## texkam

^ ^ ^ +1. Its all fun and games until someone loses a weiner.


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## snowbear

Um, the thread is over a year old.


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## mjhoward

snowbear said:


> Um, the thread is over a year old.



GWAC's will still continue to search and stumble onto this thread.  It's probably good that someone posted some CYA material for the future Model Mayhemer.


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## snowbear

mjhoward said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> Um, the thread is over a year old.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GWAC's will still continue to search and stumble onto this thread.  It's probably good that someone posted some CYA material for the future Model Mayhemer.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're probably right.  Covers the fauxtogs, too


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## xjoewhitex

mjhoward said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> Um, the thread is over a year old.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GWAC's will still continue to search and stumble onto this thread.  It's probably good that someone posted some CYA material for the future Model Mayhemer.
Click to expand...

This is a photography forum, where are all the nudes?!


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## Overread

xjoewhitex said:


> mjhoward said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> Um, the thread is over a year old.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> GWAC's will still continue to search and stumble onto this thread.  It's probably good that someone posted some CYA material for the future Model Mayhemer.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> This is a photography forum, where are all the nudes?!
Click to expand...


In the Nudes and NSFW gallery, accessed only by subscribers to the forums.


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## xjoewhitex

Overread said:


> xjoewhitex said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> mjhoward said:
> 
> 
> 
> GWAC's will still continue to search and stumble onto this thread.  It's probably good that someone posted some CYA material for the future Model Mayhemer.
> 
> 
> 
> This is a photography forum, where are all the nudes?!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> In the Nudes and NSFW gallery, accessed only by subscribers to the forums.
Click to expand...

I was totally joking lol.. I don't care to know where they are, I take my own. =P


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