FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

 

 

 

 

Q: I WANT TO GET MARRIED IN A CASTLE IN IRELAND. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND THE PERFECT CASTLE FOR OUR FANTASY WEDDING AND PHOTOGRAPH OUR ENTIRE TRIP?

A: Funny you should ask! Yes, actually I can! Especially if you choose Cloghan Castle (c. 1239 A.D.) near Loughrea, Ireland on the Western Coast. I had the pleasure of spending 5 days in this amazing landmark while photographing the marriage of Judy Martin to Jim Nugent.

 

 

 

Q: HOW DO I SCHEDULE A SHOOT WITH JACK FLEMING PHOTOGRAPHY?

A: Contact Jack at jack@jackfleming.com or by calling 310.428.3574 to schedule a consultation at his studio. i ONLY work by appointment.  During that time, we will discuss your interests and needs, collect information, and schedule a shoot for a later time. A 50% deposit of the price is required to confirm an appointment.

 

 

 

Q: MAY I BRING AN ESCORT OR GUARDIAN TO AN APPOINTMENT OR SHOOT FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY?

A: YES! I believe in safety, assistance, and a level of comfort during our meetings and our shoot. You are welcome to bring someone to assist you. HOWEVER---Boy/Girlfriends/significant others are NOT allowed during a photoshoot. Occasional exceptions are rarely made, but due to liability, expensive equipment, and professional needs, this is business between the model/client, the photographer, and any assistants and staff (ie. Make Up Artist, Stylists, etc.) that are employed at the time in my studio. ONLY those relevant to a shoot may be present during the shoot.

 

 

 

Q: DO YOU ONLY WORK IN YOUR STUDIO OR ARE YOU AVAILABLE ON LOCATION?

A: Jack Fleming Photography is available to work anywhere in the World with advanced planning and expenses covered separately if not already agreed upon in our contract.

 

 

 

Q: ARE YOU AN AGENT, A MANAGER, OR CAN YOU GET ME A JOB AS A MODEL OR ACTRESS?
A: NO! I am NOT a licensed or bonded agent in the State of California or anywhere. Without an "agency license" to do so in the State of California, I cannot act as an employment agency or officially "represent" or "Manage" you. My craft is PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY. If you like my style, I charge for my services. Yes, I am connected with industry professionals and yes, I can refer you to others who may be able to help you. However, no one can ever promise you a job or guarantee you work.

 

 

 

Q: DO YOU DO TFP/CD (TRADE FOR PRINTS/COMPACT DISK)?
A: No. This is my business. My skills, experience, education, knowledge, and time have value. My pricing is very reasonable. Please inquire if you have specific needs and ideas. I am happy to attempt to make things work for you. On occasion, I do contact others who might benefit my portfolio and then at that time, I will consider a "trade" agreement.

 

 

 

Q: WHAT KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHY WORK DOES JACK FLEMING DO?
A: I am open to any kind of photography and welcome a challenge. However, I promote my talents in the following genres:  Fashion, Glamour, Portrait/Headshots, Events, Sports, Fine Art, Fine Art Nude, Landscape, Product and Advertising, Graphic Design/Layout, Portfolio Construction, and studio rental.

 

 

 

Q:  DO I NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY WITH JACK FLEMING PHOTOGRAPHY (OR ANY PHOTOGRAPHER) TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE BEST PORTFOLIO TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AN AGENCY?
A:  Absolutely not! I provide a creative edge of photography to those who would like to experience what I can do for them. Spending a lot of money on a modeling portfolio before getting an agent is a waste of your money.  My intents are to create a dynamic collection of images for you for whatever your purposes. If you want to show them to agencies, please do. If you want to show them to magazines for consideration of your modeling potential, please do. If you are signed with an agent and want to hire me as a photographer, please put your agent in touch with me so that we can together, mold a portfolio based on the look that your (experienced) agent desires for you.

 

 

 

Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE MY IMAGES RETURNED TO ME?
A: This is often a tough question and depends on many factors. Here is how I handle the following:

*Headshots/Fashion/Glamour - Approx 1-2 weeks. Please set up a separate meeting with me to return to my studio so that we can go over your images and discuss them.

*Event/Sports - Contingent upon what it is. For media, each outlet has it's own deadlines and needs. Personal events, will be 1-2 weeks. Weddings will be 2-4 weeks. Photographer may need additional time to finalize all images for color correction/touch ups for your review. All agreements should be made in writing in advance.

*TFP/CD (Trade) Situations: Since this is a "trade" (non paying) situation, photographer reserves the right to take as much time as needed since the priority lies in finishing other business at hand with those clients who have paid for my services. There are no guarantees for delivery dates. Please ask me if this does not make sense.

 

 

 

Q: WHY DO YOU PROVIDE "PROOFS AND NOT GIVE OUT RAW FILES TO THE CLIENT AFTER THE SHOOT?

A: This is an often misunderstood question and too often than not, photographers do not explain their answers well. RAW files or Full Resolution original images are just like negatives. Before the days of digital, professional photographers never gave out their negatives. Why would that change in terms of digital? Because the photographer owns the copyright on the image he/she takes, he owns the RAW (or original) file regardless of compensation. This protects the integrity of each shot and the proprietary control over the final quality and result of each shot. Also--most consumers couldn't even open a RAW file with common software available. In addition, retailers aren't allowed to print copyrighted material without permission and the files are useless to the consumer. So, it serves no purpose. Another reason is that if the photographer handles printing and why would they give up that revenue to a corporate empire? Finally, a common and frustrating practice is that clients take un-retouched shots and put them on networking sites like MySpace. If the photo is not to it's peak of perfection, this reflects poorly on the photographer.

 

 

 

Q: SO, I'M INTERESTED IN BEING A PROFESSIONAL MODEL. HOW DO I BEGIN?

A:  Great question! There are many answers and many resources. My best advice is to make an appointment with me and discuss some of the ins and outs of modeling (in a non biased way). But more importantly, there are a lot of resources out there if you look in the right places. Go to my "Clients and Links" tab (see above). I have listed numerous websites about modeling that will help educate you on the industry from the positives to the negatives.

 

 

 

Q:  HOW DO I AVOID MODELING SCAMS?
A:  This is a great question and you should ALWAYS check background references before working with anyone. There are many resources on the web by simply inserting "Model or Modeling Scams" into Google. In California, an "Agency" must be licensed and bonded. Their Agency license number MUST be posted on any promotion they do. It is also very simple to do a background agency check online to see if a "so-called" agency is licensed and bonded in the State of California. If you insert the agency name and it does not come up, you know they are a scam.

A great resource is to READ THOROUGHLY www.NewModels.com. This website is very up to date and thorough about the entire industry and will answer far more questions than I can here.

 

 

 

Q: WHO ARE THE SCAMS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF?

A:  While I would personally like to "call out" every scam artist I have dealt with or come across, I don't believe that's my job. So, I won't be "posting" any of those company names on my website. However, if you would like to converse with me in person, I am happy to disclose my personal experiences with scam artists and my knowledge of scam artists that I have spent a lot of time researching.

 

I have both (unbeknownst to me in my earlier years) been pulled into (as a photographer) and had clients who were with scam agencies. I also attended a modeling school (and was manipulated by them into believing they were an agency) at a very young high school age. My knowledge comes directly from personal experience.