Mentored Studio Hire

“Mentored Studio Hire” is a very popular and cost-effective way of getting one-to-one training in the studio.  Mentored Studio Hire is ideal for beginners, but is also suitable for more experienced studio photographers who want to further develop their skills.

For a normal studio hire, I (or a suitably experienced person if I am unavailable) will be on hand to help set up backgrounds and lights. While we always try to answer questions and make your hire run as smoothly as possible we are not there to provide training during your hire.  We set the lights, make sure everything is working as expected and then retire to the office to let you and your subject get on with your shoot.

In contrast, for a “mentored studio hire”, however, I will sit in the studio throughout your shoot. I will provide advice throughout your shoot on how you can get the best out of the lighting and model you have chosen to work with. This may include topics such as shooting style, your choice of angles, how you provide direction to the model. If there are additional poses or props that might enhance your subject I will suggest them too.

If you know in advance what type of lighting you wish to use I’ll provide lighting diagrams and notes documenting a number of possible lighting set-ups. For your first mentored session, I will also provide you with printed notes covering studio equipment. Book a second mentored session and at that session you will receive printed notes covering advice on working with models.

For a mentored shoot, I strongly recommend working with an experienced model, rather than using a friend or family member as your subject. A mentored session is all about helping you improve as a photographer. We need to focus our attention on you and not lose time explaining how to pose to your family member or friend. I can help identify and book a suitable model for your shoot.

The price for a mentored shoot is studio hire rate + 60% (50% for Academy Members and for flexible hire scheme members). For example, a 5hrs session would be £80 for the studio hire + £48 for the mentoring, giving a total price of £128. For those on the flexible hire scheme is actual time +50%  So a 3hr mentored shoot would result in 4.5hrs being deducted from your purchased hours.   In addition to this, you are responsible for the model’s fee.  I normally recommend a minimum of 3hrs for a mentored shoot.

The full price list for studio hires please see our Studio Hire pages.