Best Business Practices for Photographers [29]
Makeup and Stylist Services
Many photographers who regularly use assistants rarely use makeup or stylist services, but they should. Consider that every time there is a guest who appears on a television show, they go into makeup—sometimes only to remove the glow, but often for much more. Although today's digital photography–enabled shoots can often have some degree of retouching of bags/shadows under the eyes, problem hairstyles, and the like, even today an often overlooked crew member is the makeup person or stylist. In fact, I've had clients say to me that I was the only photographer who included a makeup person in my estimate, and they knew that I was aware of what went into making the type of photograph they needed, so I got the assignment. When a stylist or makeup artist is a line item, it's easy for the client to suggest it be struck, which will cover you in the event that the subject looks less than he or she could. It could also justify retouching fees to fix the blemishes on the subject's skin. You can also advise the client that you feel strongly about the subject having makeup on hand. On the occasions when I get push back saying that the subject doesn't want makeup, I remind the subject being photographed that if he went on television, he'd have to have it. Besides, we're not doing a makeover, just a light powdering. This usually makes an impact.
Location Managers
A more technical, but no less important specialist is the location manager. It's the location manager's responsibility to secure the location that meets your needs (often by scouting locations themselves or by hiring a location scout on your behalf)—to find just the right basketball court for a sports shoot or the perfect scenic overlook for a particular city you are traveling to. It is even sometimes the location manager's job to meander through the permitting process on your behalf in your own city, either because you are too busy or you just don't know what's involved. In addition to the pre-production days the location manager will be charging you for ($500 to $800 per day is not an uncommon range), he or she will also be on hand the day of the shoot to facilitate load-in and load-out of equipment—making sure you have a permit for rush hour parking, you have backup locations (and accompanying backup permits for them) in the event that your view has been usurped by construction vehicles or some other distraction, and you have or are aware of necessary power resources (whether hardwired or requiring a generator), as well as numerous other items.
Producers
For large-scale shoots (and even complicated mid- and small-scale shoots), a producer can make your life much easier. The producer's job is to handle everything from your arrival to your departure, including making sure you're picked up at the airport and you have local assistants, a competent location manager, talent agencies, and models; facilitating scouting and tech scouting; making sure the client arrives and is taken care of; ensuring there are catering and pre-/post-shoot dining recommendations; making sure there are production vehicles and resources for backup equipment; and obtaining security if required by city permitting ordinances or if you've taken over a large location and need assistance keeping the general public out of your pictures and your set so that equipment doesn't walk away. Imaging arriving, and the only thing you have to worry about is showing up on set, discussing final details of the shoot, making the photographs, reviewing them with the client, and then having everything else taken care