Contact Sheets & Proofs

Detroit Michigan Modeling Portfolio Photography by Mary DuPrie

Spending a stupid amount of time  redoing literature.  My body is sore… as in my butt.  I can’t even imagine asking a graphic artist for the amount of revisions I’ve gone through.  Things I didn’t know I wanted or didn’t want.  I can see the benefits of InDesign and I’m finally learning some tricks to speed up the process.

I don’t remember anything I’ve spent so much concentrated time on in the past few years.  I want to get back to other things; like, maybe shooting.  But the more little tricks I learn makes me want to go back and do a re-design.  The nice thing is, I can constantly change it at will.

I was walking on the trend mill and was really thinking about what I should do about the whole “printing of proofs” thing.  The other confusing point to clients are contact sheets, what are they, why?  Bookers around here like em.  I can’t decide if I want to offer them when they only get a web gallery. Kinda like little paper proofs.  I do them quite large so it would be a great bonus.  Some packages get them, some don’t.   I make them in Bridge as a pdf.  I just have them print them at Costco… yep I said it.  12″x18″ $3.

I decided to go into more detail about my contact sheets and proofs with my literature.  My first draft so far.  I hope this clarifies the information… ohh la la, I learned how to do a text wrap today!

The nice thing about the size is you can cut them up lay out the back of a  comp card.  I renumber the images and put my favorites on the first line with my number one choice first.  That way the client doesn’t have to ask me and the booker sees the best images right away.  I also don’t want bookers to see big gaps in the numbers.  I also find it easier dealing with a simpler numbering system when it comes time for final choices.  I edit down to 20 images mostly.  I find 20 to be a good compromise between the client and booker.

Once in awhile if I think they have a lot or with kids I’ll do more, but I do my best to keep it to 20.  They fill one contact sheet great.  I find kids have many more images to choose from.  They’re just so darn cute!  Hard to toss out images of them.

I’ve done new receipts and a combo printing/model release.  I have to be much more diligent with my customer model releases, just in case, ya never know.  I don’t do much public work but why not have the literature in place for when they do call.

The other thing I’ve noticed lately are the amount of calls I get after 5:00 pm.  It seems clients who find you on the net don’t think twice about calling late and on the weekends at all hours.  I only have a cell phone for business and personal use and I always answer; Mary DuPrie Studios, Mary speaking.  I just figure it’s always a potential client calling no matter what time it is.  They probably figure it would go into my voice mail and are surprised when I answer and talk for a bit.  They think I’m at the studio workin hard.

I’m thinking… Have I Got Literature For You!

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5 comments category: Headshots,Modeling Agencies,Photographing models

1 Mary DuPrie December 3, 2010 at 1:19 pm

Thanks Guys

I tweaked all your suggestions today!

hugs

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2 Josh R. December 2, 2010 at 8:17 pm

Couple of other tips. You never want a widow. A widow means one word on a line and you have one at the end of the first section after the proofs header. I would also watch your grid. The bottom of the picture on the left should probably align to the bottom of the text and the same with the image on the right and the top of the text. And the last thing is just a trick of indesign. If your using justified text try selecting the text then in the paragraph options—you can find it in the drop down on the palette—choose justification then set the letter spacing to -10%, 0%, and 10%. The result will be a nicer job justifying the text than indesign does standard.

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3 Mary DuPrie December 2, 2010 at 11:28 pm

I need InDisign Help! Out of my realm here… Widow sounds really bad.

Skype is just a click away

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4 Andy December 2, 2010 at 2:16 am

Lookin good Mary. Watch your consistency though- “Contact Sheet” is left justified and “Proofs” is something off-center to the right of the column. You also have Retouched Masters both capitalized and un-capitalized in the bottom portion. I think you could tighten up the leading just a bit but that is just personal preference.

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5 Mary DuPrie December 2, 2010 at 11:29 pm

ahhh… one of my problems, i’m not consistent

It’s been brutal…

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