Pricing2023-08-24T00:01:39+00:00

On white product photography pricing

Please note that pricing only includes product photography on a white background. If your project requires lifestyle photography, please instead use the contact form to request a customized estimate.

10-19 images:

$25Per Image
  • Pure White Background
  • Group Shots (up to 5 items)
  • Basic Retouching
  • High-Resolution Images
  • Quick Turnaround
  • Commercial Web Licensing

20-99 images:

$19Per Image
  • Pure White Background
  • Group Shots (up to 5 items)
  • Basic Retouching
  • High-Resolution Images
  • Quick Turnaround
  • Commercial Web Licensing

100+ images:

$14Per Image
  • Pure White Background
  • Group Shots (up to 5 items)
  • Basic Retouching
  • High-Resolution Images
  • Quick Turnaround
  • Commercial Web Licensing

200+ images:

$9Per Image
  • Pure White Background
  • Group Shots (up to 5 items)
  • Basic Retouching
  • High-Resolution Images
  • Quick Turnaround
  • Commercial Web Licensing

Optional Add-Ons

Oversized Images

+ $20/image

Products (or groups of products) larger than 24” on any side require special handling.

Group Shots (6+ items):

+ $20/image

Group shots of 6 or more items require additional set-up time and lighting considerations.

Advanced Retouching:

Personalized pricing

We ask that your products be delivered in photo-ready condition, but we can provide advanced retouching to repair deep scratches and scuffs or other imperfections.

Clipping Paths:

+ $10/image

We will make the backgrounds of your shots transparent, so your products can be shown against any background without the white around it. These images are delivered in a PNG or TIFF format

3-Day Rush Delivery:

+ $20/image

(minimum order = 5 images) Your product photos will be shot, retouched, and delivered online within 3 days of finalizing your contract AND receiving your products at the studio. This option is subject to availability at our discretion.

Included with every order:

  • Pure White Background– Specified number of product images on pure white background, meets Amazon product image requirements.
  • Group Shots (up to 5 items) – Include multiple products or accessories or sets in one shot – up to five items per image. Group shots of six or more items also available.
  • Retouching – Every product photo is lightly retouched to remove minor blemishes (dust, small scratches) and adjust color and contrast as needed. Advanced retouching also available.
  • High-Resolution Images – All shots are delivered in 3000px x 3000px resolution at 600dpi, meeting Amazon photo listing standards.
  • Online Image Delivery – Your retouched, high-resolution images are uploaded to a viewing gallery for you to immediately download and start converting inquiries into eCommerce sales.
  • Quick Turnaround – Orders of up to 49 photos are typically delivered online within 7-10 business days of finalizing contract and receiving your products at our Los Angeles studio. Orders of 50+ photos may take a little longer. Rush delivery also available.
  • Commercial Web Licensing – Images are licensed for immediate use on your company’s website, Amazon and other ecommerce listings.

FAQ’s

Cancellation policy2023-08-25T20:04:57+00:00

Headshot Deposit and Cancellation Policy

Upon booking, a $100 non-refundable deposit is required, which will be applied to your session’s total cost. Should you need to reschedule, please notify me at least five days in advance, and your deposit will be honored for one rescheduling. Any subsequent postponements will necessitate a new deposit.

Cancellations or rescheduling made less than five days prior to your scheduled session will result in the forfeiture of your deposit. No-shows not only forfeit the deposit but may also impact future bookings with us. Exceptional circumstances will be considered, but let’s keep it professional and ensure timely communication. Your commitment is appreciated, and I look forward to our session.

The remaining payment (session fee minus deposit) must be paid by the day of your shooting. Credit card, cash, Zelle, Venmo or Cashapp is fine, but no checks will be accepted.

Policy on Reshoots and Refunds:

Our sessions at F-Sequence Studio are built on clear communication and collaboration. Throughout the shoot, we’ll review images together, ensuring that the direction aligns with your vision. It’s essential for both of us to actively share feedback regarding lighting, framing, backgrounds, and hair and makeup. Given the subjective nature of photography as an art form, it’s crucial to understand that reshoots, revisions, or refunds are not typically offered. Exceptions are made only in cases of technical issues that hinder the delivery of the agreed-upon, high-quality images. An example would be if the power goes out, camera dies, etc.

How to ensure good results:

Again, communication! Share your vision and wardrobe with me and absolutely ask questions! Never walk blindly into a photo studio with no idea what we’re shooting, or put your shoot entirely in the hands of a photographer whom you’ve only just met.

If I reach out and ask about wardrobe, it does nobody any favors if it takes 4 days to reply with an out of focus photo of a pile of rumpled clothes on a bed. Your headshots are not the time to get lazy.

I’ve had clients literally tell me that they are my mannequins and to pose them. How do you think those shoots would have turned out if I went along with that? No, instead I make every effort to create a vision with each client and get them excited for their shoot. If they’re still not excited to work with me, then we can always shake hands and walk away.

How portrait photography is priced2022-11-14T21:04:42+00:00

For years, I tried to come up with a standard pricing scheme for portrait photography and for years, I realized that it never quite fit the same mold. When I charged hourly, I sometimes got booked to shoot a family of 35 in a one hour session. The results looked terrible, as every background was the same and every shot looked rushed and panicked as each client group struggled to photograph every conceivable combination of people.

Likewise, a model might have 26 outfits that end up getting photographed on the same white background, with the same expressions.

Instead, my current pricing structure all depends on what you will be shooting, how many (looks, people, concepts, etc) and where you’ll be shooting. This last variable I introduced after moving to Los Angeles, as everything is relative to where you’re intending on shooting.

The new 6th street bridge is within walking distance from me, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is perhaps ten minutes, but the Santa Monica pier 45-70 minutes, depending on traffic. These variables end up affecting the amount of time I book for a shoot and thusly, the estimate.

For everyone

  • Knowing what and where and how you want to shoot will dictate everything else, including price. I can’t answer questions like “where do you like to shoot” because the answer is ‘everywhere’, but this isn’t my shoot, it’s your shoot! Anything is a possibility. Where you decide to shoot should be a reflection of how you want your photos to look. Landmarks are alway a possibility, forest shots are always a possibility, the beach, parks, urban, mountains, etc. Have an idea in mind when you contact me in order to make estimating the shoot easier, with less back and forth.

For family photography

  • For larger groups, outdoor locations such as parks offer so much latitude. Blue skies and non distracting backgrounds always make a portrait session look great. These I price based upon the location (the amount of time and effort required to get there) or locations and the number of people / shots desired. If you’re looking to shoot every conceivable combination of people, it will take a little longer!
  • For smaller groups (including singles portraits, couples’ engagement or wedding photos), there are more location options, including my fully decorated studio.

For modeling / acting

  • This is a genre where we may end up shooting in multiple locations, including the studio, so knowing what you’re looking for will ensure we know what time we will end up on location in order to get the best lighting.

For boudoir and fine art nude

  • I usually end up shooting these in studio, but my favorite sessions of all time have been outdoor sessions in the desert, the forest, or even the water.
What is a ‘portrait’ photography session?2022-11-14T20:28:05+00:00

The quickest definition I can give (without checking Google) is that portrait photography are any pictures of a person or group of people that are more than headshots. to make matters more confusing, headshots are absolutely a type of portrait photography as well, but a highly focused style that allows for set pricing.

Portrait photography is almost everything else. From pictures of your family, modeling pictures, actor lifestyle photos, boudoir photos and more, these are all forms of portrait photography

Tips during your shoot2022-11-14T17:50:07+00:00

If you’ve never had a headshot taken before, or are still relatively new to the process, there is a tendency to want to ‘obey’ the photographer, or wait for the photographer’s instructions. This presents as wide, surprised or frightened looking eyes, tight cords in the neck and stuff posing that doesn’t change between shots.

Remember that you are the star of this show and you set the tone. When you walk into the studio, you should already have practiced your expressions and angles in front of a mirror and be ready to go to work.

  • If you’rean actor, rather than the photographer telling you what roles you’re good for, you should be telling the photographer what roles you’re going for.
  • If you’re a model, then be prepared to practice a range of expressions, keeping in mind that some smiles are necessary. Print is dead and the ‘sad’ or overly serious expressions you see on the runway or in old magazines have little benefit in modern advertising. Instead, commercial modeling (eCommerce) is currently very popular and overlaps with traditional acting quite a bit. So a warm, authentic smile is critical for some of the images.
  • If you’re a professional, like a business owner, doctor, attorney, chef, etc – know the image that you want to present to your clients and/or your team. Do you want to present as wisened and stoic, or down to Earth and engaging. If you’re an author or a film director, what image would you like to present to your redership or viewers? I always felt that author Stephen King took great headshots that reflected his writing style: Intelligent and kind, but with a hint of mystery and intrigue, as if you never know what’s coming next.

After your session, we’ll review the images and see what we have. The operative work is ‘after’ the session. If you look at the screen every three shots, you may psych yourself out and you won’t give yourself a chance to get into a rhythm. You may also lose confidence in yourself and in your photographer. Remember that each image is a microcosm of the shoot as a whole and you should look at the whole shoot before passing judgment on how well you did.

During the image review, if you think we need a couple more images taken or you want to try something different, this is the time to speak up. If you’re reviewing the images without saying a word, or you have a disapproving expression and you go ‘hmmmm’, instead say something like “can we grab a couple more quick ones?” Or if you’re not feeling the magic, consider sleeping on it and having a look the next day, or perhaps you weren’t into your zone that day and need to rebook a different date. We’re all human and your headshots are so important to your careers that I’d rather have a quick pow wow than see you walk away disappointed.

Makeup and hair!2022-11-14T17:33:47+00:00

Lord help us all, unless you are a makeup artist or have lots of experience doing makeup for headshot sessions, please add on makeup services for your headshots. This also goes for men. Especially men!

Headshot makeup artistry is full coverage, but very neutral looking. You still look like yourself, but on your very best day. Makeup artistry blends or conceals minor skin imperfections and discolorations and can reduce the appearance of dark eye circles and some signs of aging. That is effective makeup artistry!

Retouching alone cannot replace good skin care and well applied makeup.

Keep in mind that everything has its place and the following advice is mostly for actors and models building their portfolios. If you do decide to do your own makeup (again, not recommended), here are a couple of tips:

  • Do not use false eyelashes. I’ve seen many headshot sessions completely ruined with gigantic false lashes. Of course, there’s always exceptions to this rule and maybe your headshot session is themed, but chances are, false eyelashes will not improve the look of your headshots.
  • Eyeshadow. Blue eyeshadow and smoked out eyes can look cool for a themed shoot, but I don’t recommend it for an acting or even a modeling headshot. Your headshot should be a fairly accurate representation of what you really look like.
  • Lips. Nude lips are my recommendation for standard headshot sessions. I have seen everything from pink lipstick to black lipstick for actor’s headshots and I really don’t recommend it. Lip gloss or even just some chapstick gives a better, more natural appearance 9 times out of 10.
  • Foundation. I don’t want to make recommendations on foundation, as everyone’s skin is different. I have seen $3 Wet N Wild applied beautifully and I’ve seen Estee Lauder Doublewear applied terribly. The skill of the makeup artist is what decides the final appearance. For a headshot session, the makeup only has to last until the end of the shoot. But I do recommend:
    • Blend down your neck. Don’t make a ‘makeup mask’ that cuts off at your chin and jawline, as the difference in tone and reflectivity will be obvious under lighting.
    • Don’t use overly ‘dewy’ or overly matte makeup. In general, you want a matte finish, but I’ve seen makeup so dry that it looks ‘crumbly’ or cakey on camera.
Some critical beauty tips2022-11-14T16:47:42+00:00
  • Moisturize your skin! Aside from coming to your headshot session rested and hydrated, coming moisturized is the single best tip I can give. Whether you use coconut oil, raw shea butter (my favorite), cocoa butter or extra virgin olive oil, This includes your lips. Some Carmex, Burt’s Bees or Chap Stick is wonderful to have in your pocket. Standard moisturizers that you find at drug stores are mostly useless.
  • Moisturize your hair! I have such dry hair that I personally use shea butter as well as a leave in conditioner. Moisturizing your skin and hair increases highlights on camera (but in a good way) and adds more dimension and life to the headshots.
  • Eye drops (to remove redness). It feels like every tip is the ‘most important’ but having clear white eyes feels like the most important. I could make corny, cliched comments about the ‘eyes being the window to the soul’, but your eyes are the focal point of headshots. Eyes can certainly be retouched to remove redness and veins, but the results are never as good as coming in with clear eyes.
  • Drink lots of water and avoid salts or breads. This may be one of the more common tips you’ll see, but retained water can present as puffy, less sculpted looking cheeks.
Preparing for your headshot session2022-11-14T16:34:06+00:00

Whether your headshots are for acting, modeling or professional career headshots, the tips I have are fairly universal.

  • Be on time! Your headshot sessions starts and ends at its scheduled time, whether you’re here or not. There is a good chance that I have an other shoot right after yours or right before yours, so please understand this and plan your route. Unfortunately I cannot offer refunds based on ‘traffic’.
  • Be ready! headshot sessions have a set amount of time alotted. Doing your makeup or prepping clothes consumes that alotted time, so unless you’ve opted to add makeup artistry, please come ready to shoot.
  • Know the part you want. If you’re an actor, you may think that you should try for every part, every concept, every genre. While anything is possible, most of the time, a headshot session will have 1-3 ‘looks’. Know the parts you’d like to have and prepare for them
  • Practice your expressions in a mirror. The more I ‘pose’ you, the more stiff and unnatural your shots are going to look. Posing and expressions take practice and while I as a photographer are here to help out in that regard, 80% of the work is done by the subject. Practice going from serious to smiling and shift your body to find your best angels. Your first headshot session is almost never as good as your tenth, so please keep that in mind and forgive yourself.
2022-11-14T04:27:34+00:00

Everyone knows this, but sleep and hydration possibly make the biggest changes to your appearance during a headshot photography session. But I’m going to go a step further and offer my own regimen that may or may not work for you (keeping in mind that I’m no doctor or esthetician). Remember that the goal is to look like you on your best day and not dramatically alter your day to day appearance.

  • Sleep with a humidifier for a couple of nights
  • Take a steaming hot shower to open your pores and then turn the water cold to close them back up and tauten the skin
  • I use a scrub made of a little olive oil, white sugar, ground coffee and a splash of essential lemon oil as an exfoliating scrub. I work this mixture into my skin to remove old dead skin cells and the caffiene tightens up my skin. Fair warning, you could be allergic to any of these ingredients’ this is just what works for me.
Hair styling tips2022-11-14T16:14:41+00:00
  • Hair: Your headshot session does not include the time needed to style your hair and I recommend getting a haircut 1-3 days *before* your headshot session and never the day of, as there may be lots of hair clippings on your clothes.
    • Style – Many will tell you that a super trendy style isn’t going to do your headshots any favors, but I am of the opinion that your headshots should be updated every year or two for adults and every years for children, so there’s not a lot of time for the style to date itself. Besides, are there any ‘super trendy’ styles anymore? Will mullets make a comeback?
    • Whether or not you decide to ‘wash that gray right out of your hair’ (this was once a commercial jingle) is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that casting directors and photographers are hiring you based on your appearance in your photos. Be prepared to maintain the look of your headshots until you’re ready to update them. The same goes for filling in thinning or bald patches. It can be done, but be prepared for a lot of criticism if you don’t keep up with it.
    • Shaving a beard or changing a hairstyle does count as an ‘additional look’ because of the time it takes to shave or restyle hair. Speaking of beards…
    • Neatly groomed beards look amazing and so does a clean shaven face. ‘Stubble’ sometimes looks like dirt on some faces and no matter what style you go with, it should be neatly groomed, with no hair on the neck. ‘Patchy’ beards can be filled in with makeup prior to your arrival. I have a patchy beard and use ‘hair mascara’ from the dollar store to get the job done. No shame in that game.
What to wear for headshots2022-11-14T04:22:07+00:00

I cannot stress enough to bring a few extra options, even for 1-2 look headshot sessions. An outfit can play well in front of the mirror, but lack something on camera, or you may end up simply changing your mind once you see the images.

Headshots are all about showing your capability as an actor / model, or representing your services, company or brand. Having options can avoid costly reshoots or dissatisfaction with the finished product.

  • Clothes: Your extra clothes should be on hangars or loosely folded to prevent wrinkles and creasing. Headshot sessions do not include time for steaming and ironing.
    • Colors and styles – There are so many schools of thought on this that I can say that almost anything can work for the right circumstances, but make sure that you look matches the vibe of your headshot session. For instance, hot pink might not work for an actor seeking dramatic roles and baggy olive drabs may not work for a teenage model. Shirts with logos rarely ever work for anyone, etc. When in doubt, you’re welcome to drop a line to my contact page and I’d be happy to chime in.
    • Shoes: You would think that shoes wouldn’t matter for a headshot session, but I’ve photographed a number of people who have insisted on wearing high heeled shoes to a ‘head and shoulders’ headshot session because it made them look ‘taller’. Nobody can tell how tall you are in a headshot!
    • Outerwear and other accessories: A ‘trick’ to get more variety for a single look headshot session is to have a piece of outerwear and an accessory. This can be a pair of glasses and a scarf, a scarf and a jacket, jacket and tie, etc. Taking off or putting on an accessory still counts as just one ‘look’ and can create a dramatically different feel with almost no effort.
Can you take one or two full length shots during a headshot session?2022-11-06T01:35:52+00:00

Taking full length or even three quarters images during a headshot session are more than just another ‘look’, they require me to completely reconfigure the lighting and reflectors. For this reason, full length images are reserved for custom portrait sessions. Full length shots are great and I encourage them, but this would be reserved for portrait sessions, rather than a standard headshot session.

Will you upload every headshot to an online gallery?2022-11-06T01:36:01+00:00

Two things I can guarantee every headshot client: There will be good usable images and there will be absolute stinkers. Sneezes, out of focus shots, shots where the lights didn’t fire, weird expressions and nervousness. Those shots won’t make it to your gallery. The rest, the ‘potentials’ will be uploaded to a private gallery with only light editing to correct colors and contrast and you will have the option to order retouching on additional shots.

Can I see the headshots as you take them, or look at the back of your camera?2022-11-06T01:36:08+00:00

There are as many philosophies on this as there are headshot photographers it seems, but I will tell you a story: once upon a time, I was working with a model client that was doing a great job until she asked to see the back of my camera.

She saw an image that she didn’t care for and said ‘hmmmm’. The shoot went from calm and relaxed to nervous and tense, as she began asking to see the back of the camera every other shot.

Up until that point, the shoot went fantastic and she ended up loving the images (ironically, including the headshot she was initially disapproving of), The images after that were alright from a technical standpoint, but there was some lost magic. Where everything felt organic and natural before this, the expressions felt more forced after this and the poses were more intentional and stiff.

The moral of the story is: don’t psych yourself out. When you look at a headshot on a 3 inch camera LCD or even an unedited raw on a preview monitor, don’t judge the shoot by that one photo. Instead, trust me and just enjoy the shoot. We’ll go over the images afterwards and if you feel that they don’t quite hit the mark, we’ll take some additional images.

What shoes should I bring?2022-11-06T01:36:14+00:00

Your shoes won’t be seen unless you’re doing a portrait session with full length images, so bring along whatever shoes are comfortable. Comfort is key here, as you’ll be able to see your overall confidence, comfort and emotion in your headshots.

I’ve had a few clients choose to wear high heel shoes because it ‘sculpts’ them or makes them look taller, or changes their posture. It doesn’t, but if high heels somehow make you feel more confident, then go ahead and go for it!

Should I bring headwear?2022-11-06T01:36:21+00:00

In general, no. I’m sure there’s exceptions and it’s ultimately up to the client, but I have done entire headshot sessions where a client has worn some sort of hat and just continuously flips the brim or ‘models’ the hat with their hands and it comes out looking a little funny or forced.

What do I wear to my headshot session?2022-11-05T20:37:20+00:00

There’s some general advice to give, but I also want to stress that headshot sessions are a highly individualized shoot. For instance, if you’re an actor, you should walk in with a good idea of the types of roles you would like to get booked for. Leave little to chance, as you wouldn’t want to use cheery, happy photos with bright poppy backgrounds to submit for more serious, dramatic roles.

General advice

  • bring several outfits even if you’ve just booked one look. I am happy to give my opinion and it gives you more options to choose from, rather than a have a button fall off a single outfit
  • Bring your clothes look new and are neatly ironed/pressed and on hangers, in a garment bag, etc. I will not iron your clothes or wait for you to iron your clothes and I will not do a shoot where clothing is brought in garbage bags, rumpled into a purse, etc. As hard as it is to believe, all of this has happened to many times!
  • Bring layers. Putting on or taking off a jacket, glasses or tie is not considered an additional look and it’s a wonderful way to increase the variety of your shoot and switch up tones quickly! For ladies, maybe a jacket and scarf
  • Bring a variety of color options that fit the mood of the roles you’re vying for.
  • Have a rough idea of the type of background you’d like to have and dress accordingly. White backgrounds are great, but it can be fun to have a color to ‘lift’ the mood. Yellow or pink for fun, youthful appearances, dark charcoal grey for somber dramatic looks, etc

I’m highly collaborative. If you’re stuck and want to send me a few pictures of what you have, I’m happy to have a look and share my thoughts!

Can I see more photos of a particular type of product?2022-11-06T01:37:23+00:00

“I don’t see very many photos of ” and “Can I see more photos of ” are questions we’re asked from time to time.

Having completed hundreds of projects, chances are we have likely photographed something similar to your project, but unfortunately it’s impossible to have a photo of every type of object.
The good news though is that unless we’re talking something incredibly unique/difficult like a dress made out of tiny mirrors, almost every particular type of product is ‘just another product’ and likely doesn’t require a special skill or experience to shoot successfully.

We maintain a very large portfolio of images on our website, with enough variety that we feel our overall quality and skillset is well represented. It would be too difficult to create custom galleries or portfolios for each client, unless there’s merit to do so (such as a very large project with a unique type of product).

Can you shoot at our location?2022-11-06T01:37:15+00:00

There are times where it isn’t feasible to move products or food from their location and bring them to our studio for photography. Depending on your products and as long as your location has adequate space, we can certainly bring our studio to you. For small products, we require an unobstructed space that is at least 15′ x 15′ to allow room to set up our product table, light stands and lighting. For food photography, we only require roughly 10′ x 10′, as our lighting and cameras are usually much closer to the food.

If your space is smaller, then there may not be adequate room for the light from our strobes to properly propagate.

We do not photograph jewelry on location, however. Professional jewelry photography is a very slow and painstaking process, involving a great deal of lighting adjustments and we cannot do our best work under a time or space constraint.

For larger products, please let us know how big your products are and the approximate size of the space we’ll be shooting in. We have backdrops that we can bring, as well as other equipment, provided the space is sufficient.

Our rates for location product or food photography is $2000 per day. In an eight hour day, we can usually photograph around 40-50 standard products on location. Setting up our product table, lighting and background takes approximately 1 hour and breaking our equipment down takes approximately 20 minutes.

For restaurant food photography, we strongly suggest shooting when your restaurant is closed. Light stands in traffic areas present a hazard for both your staff and your patrons and in general, it creates a spectacle.

Can I drop off my products at your studio?2022-11-06T01:37:06+00:00

You most definitely can! Once your contract is signed, just give us a call at (213) 453-6991, or send an email to schedule a time to bring your products over. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

Can I just call you to discuss my project and get a quotation by phone?2015-11-15T18:48:06+00:00

While we may be reached during standard business hours at (213) 453-6991, the best way to reach us and obtain the most accurate quotation is via the email form on our contact us page. Often, things get left out or unmentioned over the phone, or we may already be occupied in a shoot. By having all of the information about your project in front of us, in writing, it allows us the time and space to draw up a more accurate, more detailed quotation.

It’s never a bad idea for us to arrange a phone call after sending over a proposal or estimate, in order to go over the finer details and answer any questions you may have about the estimate though!

What is your policy on reshoots or satisfaction guarantees?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

We try to avoid reshoots by ensuring that we have good creative direction from all of our clients before we begin work, but if we discover that we’ve made a mistake interpreting your direction (if we photograph a product backwards / upside down / inside out), then we will gladly reshoot your product according to your specification at no charge to you. Along with our apologies, of course!

On the other hand, if you decide after viewing your photos that you’d like to have a different angle, prop, or other creative change that wasn’t previously discussed, then we would charge you a reduced rate for additional photos.

How much does food photography cost?2015-11-10T02:19:54+00:00

Food photography is one of the most challenging genres to quote for, unless we understand a great deal about your project.

For restaurant photography, our quotation is based solely on a creative day rate plus stylist fees (when applicable), however cookbook photography is a combination of creative day rate, plus food stylist, plus expenses (food).

The best way to obtain a quotation is to reach out to us via our contact page and provide as much information as you’re able to. If your project involves ‘secret recipes’ or other sensitive information, you are more than welcome to send over a non-disclosure agreement as well, so that we can discuss the project openly.

How many people work for F-Sequence Studio?2015-11-10T02:14:31+00:00

Depending on the day, between 2 and 6. We have part time assistants and interns that are in on a semi regular basis.

Do you offer free product photography trials or samples?2015-11-15T18:50:34+00:00

While we don’t offer free trial or sample photos, we maintain an extensive photography ortfolio, separated into categories for you to view before deciding to book.

May I be present for the shoot?2015-11-10T02:11:14+00:00

It all depends on the type of shoot. Simple product photos on white are shot in the order that we receive them, so while it’s definitely fine to drop off your products at our studio, they likely will not be photographed right away.

On the other hand, if we’re shooting lookbook or lifestyle photography and you would like to be on set to provide direction to ensure the photos we take fit your vision, we feel that this is a very good idea!

How much information about my shoot do you need to get started?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

The quick answer is “as much as possible”. Before sending out a contract, there’s a number of things we need to know:

  1. The exact number of shots you’re ordering
  2. Description of your product(s).
  3. How you would like them shot. Knowing the angles, the props, locations, etc is critical to ensuring that the photos we take will fit your vision.

Without that information, we execute our ‘best judgment’ for photos and creative direction. Granted, after hundreds of clients and hundreds of shoots, our instincts are very good, but there’s always a chance that a product will either be photographed incorrectly or the results may not fit what you had in mind.

<h3>What if I’m not sure how I’d like my products photographed? Can’t you figure that out for me?”</h3>

Absolutely! We offer creative director services starting at $500. We draw up a complete shot plan for your product based on research into your competitors’ advertising, your budget and our experience.

What sort of usage license do you include with my images?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

As many of our product photography clients are small businesses without legal teams and ad agencies, we’ve made our standard usage license extremely generous, to allow you to use them in any normal business capacity.

Each image is licensed exclusively to your company and may be used for any web advertising purpose (eCommerce sales, website, social media, etc), as well as internal print usage (product packaging, instruction booklets, brochures).

Extended licensing is also available for editorial and large print use (magazine or billboard advertising, as well as television and print displays as well. All extended licenses are billed at market rates (which is far too extensive to explain in full here, but drop us a line and we can put together a quotation for you!)

Can I have the full photo copyrights?

Photography copyrights and usage licenses are a hot button issue with many clients. In truth, photography usage licenses and copyrights work exactly the same as copyright and usage laws for movies and music.

When you purchase a Taylor Swift CD from the store, do you now own the copyrights to her music? Of course not. Likewise, if you purchase a Star Wars Blu Ray, do you now expect to own the copyright for Star Wars? Again, of course not.

When you purchase a CD, a DVD or hire a photographer to make images, what you are actually purchasing is a license to use that media in very specific ways. You can enjoy Taylor Swift in your CD player, but you wouldn’t expect to be able to use her music in a movie without paying for a new license, correct? In fact, you likely could not even use the music in a Youtube video.

If you read the usage licenses for movies, you technically cannot even display the movie for an audience without paying royalties (which is why you almost never see restaurants playing DVD or Blue Ray movies).

The same holds true for photography. A fact that most (even many photographers) do not realize is that, unless otherwise indicated, every photo is instantly copyrighted to the person who took the photo and protected by U.S. Copyright law, regardless of who or what the photo is of and whose camera took the photo.

If we hand you one of our cameras and you press the shutter release button, that photo is copyrighted to you, despite the camera and memory card belonging to us. A photo does not even require special paperwork or registration with the U.S. Copyright office.

Transferring copyright to a client means that we relinquish all rights to the photos, including our right to display the photos on our website. If we transfer our copyright via what’s known as a ‘copyright buyout’, we would need to remove them from our own portfolio as well.

A distinct advantage to us maintaining the copyright is that, when and if your images are stolen by another website or company (which happens very often), we can perform a DMCA takedown and have resources in place to see the images removed within hours or, at most, a couple of days. Pretty cool, right?

Will you leave my product a five star review on Amazon?2015-11-15T18:57:09+00:00

This would be against Amazon’s terms of use. There have been a few times in which we’ve been so taken aback by a product that one of us feels compelled to log in and leave a glowing review, but it wouldn’t be ethical to offer this as a service or favor.

Can I drop ship my products directly to you?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

You can, but we strongly recommend against blind drop shipping your products to us.

Product photography should always be a cherry picked perfect representation of your products. Often, products have minor manufacturer flaws and while these would not affect the enjoyment of a purchaser, they create a significant challenge for photography, as even minor scratches or flaws are very evident on camera. Many of our clients are Amazon or Shopify sellers looking to obtain product photography for Amazon listings or Shopify storefronts and a situation that we run into often is that Amazon FBA or another distribution center has placed cardboard packaged products in a small padded envelope and the packaging arrives crushed. While this wouldn’t be a problem for most consumers, as the packaging is the first thing to be discarded, it’s a fairly large issue when you’re hired to photograph the packaging.

While repairing boxes, packaging and slight cosmetic damage in Photoshop is certainly possible, there is a cost associated for doing so. Advanced retouching starts at $30 per photo and can almost always be avoided by taking the following steps:

  1. Always inspect your products by hand whenever possible. Look at them closely and check to make sure they’re operable and that there’s no tears / dents / scratches.
  2. Send us more than one product whenever possible, to reduce turnaround time. In the event that one is damaged in shipping, the other likely will not be. On the same token, if your product is to be photographed alone (standard product photography) and then also on a model, sending at least two samples ensures that we can schedule the modeled shoot immediately, rather than waiting until the standard product shots are complete.
  3. Pack your products well!
  4. Send us ‘flat’ versions of the packaging, without the products inside.
What is your turnaround time for product photography?2015-11-15T18:58:33+00:00

In general, our turnaround time for white background product photography orders consisting of less than 100 shots is around seven days. It’s always in our best interest to complete projects as soon as possible, to avoid our studio shelves filling up with orders.

If your project has staged lifestyle shots, this is likely going to be a few days longer, as we’ll need to first clear out our queue of white background product shots in order to begin staging and styling for lifestyle photography. For efficiency, we try to schedule as many lifestyle shoots for the same day as we can, as many of them have similar requirements.

If your shoot requires a model, we need to align our schedules with that of a model or models, as well as our makeup artist / stylist, which may increase turnaround time by a few days as well.

While it’s not always possible to provide an accurate turnaround time for complex lifestyle projects ahead of time, once we receive your products, we will usually have a better idea of our current workload and can pass that information along to you.

If quicker turnaround time is needed, we offer 3 day rush processing (white background projects only) for an additional 25%.

Will you ship my products back to me after you photograph them?2015-11-09T19:32:36+00:00

Absolutely! If return shipping is required, simply include a prepaid UPS or Fedex shipping label in the package, or email the digital label to us ahead of time.

If you’re local to Los Angeles, you may arrange to pick up your products at our downtown L.A. studio within 5 days of project completion. Please note that we will not purchase shipping labels. In the event of shipping damage or a lost package, UPS and Fedex will only accept claims from the shipper. Damage and loss claims are often a long and involved process that we would prefer to stay out of.

Please do not send prepaid USPS (post office) labels, as we have no way of scheduling a pickup and rarely see the mail carrier for our building.

Can I ship my products before signing a contract?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

Danger, Will Robinson! All humor aside, the answer is an emphatic ‘no’, as this has caused significant problems in the past. Our studio receives shipments from clients almost every day and the first thing we do is to match them up with contracts, to ensure that all of the items arrived.

Several times a month, we receive ‘mystery boxes’ that have no contracts. We have no idea where they came from or who they belong to. When this happened in the past, we would place these products on a shelf, in the hopes that their owners would come forward. Some of them reached out within a day or two, but many wouldn’t reach out for weeks.

We were surprised to learn that the majority of the people that came forward had assumed that they were already booked for product photography – even though no contract had been signed!

Remember that ‘mystery box’ shelf I mentioned? Soon it grew to two shelves, then an entire shelving system, then the hallway. We filled large plastic bins with unclaimed and unknown products and when (if) a client did sign a contract with us, we then had to search for their products. Things reached a boiling point when we began considering a larger studio space, only to realize that much of our studio was being take up by mystery boxes.

Which brings us to the present. When a shipment comes in, we give our due diligence to uncover who shipped them (we keep extremely detailed online records of clients and their products, so if a client has signed a contract with us, we will assuredly match their contract with their products). If a shipment comes in that we have not been contracted to shoot, it is discarded or donated to charity within 24 hours.

It’s not something we enjoy doing, but it ensures our studio will always remain tidy!

I will have lots of future business – may I have a discount?2017-05-25T01:46:43+00:00

F-Sequence Studio offers lucrative quantity based discounts on larger product photography orders, but as a general rule we do not offer additional discounts, as it would not be fair to our other clients. When building a long term relationship with a new client, the first project always sets the stage for successive projects. The value for potential future work does not exist until we have completed at least one project and should never be used as a bargaining chip to negotiate a lower rate.

If the first project goes well and has great communication, then the next project likely will as well. If the first project is steeply discounted, then the next project will probably have to be discounted as well. We then end up charging all of our clients different amounts, which doesn’t seem very fair to our other clients, especially considering that many of them have been with us for years.

We receive this question often, but there is just no compelling reason to charge a new client a lower rate than our long term clients. If, after several shoots, you discovered that we were performing the same service to a brand new client for a lower rate, you would be understandably upset.

By charging the same quantity based rates and offering the same great service to all of our clients, it ensures consistency and fairness with all of our clients.

Besides, you can always take advantage of our quantity based discounts by placing a larger product photography order!

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