Do The Math,... Pinup Costs!

A professional pinup photo shoot can easily cost hundreds!

I understand being on a budget, or having no current budget for luxuries and hobbies. I just can't relate to all these gals wanting to be a model, wanting to do shoots, work with professionals, want success and have set goals, but are looking for all these free shoots. Pinup as a hobby or at a professional level, costs money! Where are your goals coming from? I mean whose success, whose images are  you looking at, and thinking you want to be like them, you want their level of success, you want to succeed at the things that have, you want to gain publication, gain covers, model for companies,.....? 

Well, the gals you see doing all that, #1 had to begin somewhere, meaning from scratch, aka from the bottom. #2, I GUARANTEE you they invested in the beginning, throughout their career, currently and WILL continue to invest! Professional photo shoots, with professional photographers, professional stylists, wardrobe, sets, props, posing coaching, studio, hotel suite or beautiful location, photography equipment, lighting equipment, editing software, allllllll that cost money! The higher up you go on the quality level of everything, the more it costs. Then there's skill and skill levels. Photographer's that are true professionals are always consistent in high quality, with every single client. Professional pinup photographer's have knowledge specifically on pinup history, years of experience in pinup, resources, connections, and skills that are required to specialize in pinup. So, it's quite obvious, especially since photography is how they earn their living, they charge and aren't making money by shooting trade. I've been blessed throughout my career as a model and entering pinup. I've always had wonderful photographers from day one, in pinup. My very 1st pinup shoot, was with an excellent photographer, he knew nothing about pinup. It was a very successful shoot, then we booked a 2nd shoot, and I was published so many times from both. 

Since then, sure I've ran across photographers that showed inconsistencies in quality, produced low quality or horrible images, broke terms and never supplied images, thank God that's extremely rare and much more. I mean, I've been through the same negative and positive experiences with photographers, as any model. However, call my lucky. I have a ton of success stories and truly adore my current, little team of photographers. Building long term biz relationships, takes time 1st, to establish, then time and work to build and produce success. Gotta invest that time. Anyhow, I'm just saying to be realistic. How much competition do you think is involved, when a photographer who produces high quality, puts out a post for trade? It may come down to just their personal taste, because you and so many other gals that applied are all qualified. Are you qualified though, is my point? Also, just how many free shoots do you actually plan to receive, and when will a professional photographer see it as trade, because your both bringing equal value to the table? I think when you're brand new to something, no or little experience, you should automatically expect to pay. As far as the pinup industry goes, if you want to, " be like ", certain professional pinups you adore, want the success you see them achieve, want to be in the top pinup magazines, want to land covers in the top pinup magazines, want to build your brand and establish yourself, within the pinup industry,.... expect to invest lots and lots of time, and EXPECT TO INVEST thousands of dollars! I've said this so many times, about investing, and how top professionals in the pinup industry, have always invested and currently do. 

You can spend your time researching, learning and acquiring skills to do your own makeup and hair. That still takes the effort and time. Or you pay a professional to teach you, you must still pay for the lessons and practice. ( Before you eliminate a professional stylist, be prepared to replace them with another professional, or be ready to do high quality pinup styles on yourself.)  Hairstyling supplies and tools, still cost money, no matter who is doing your styling. Then there's wardrobe. Do you have different outfits to wear at each shoot? Do you have pinup style outfits, to wear at each shoot? Do you have the style of pinup outfits, that match the theme, style and or era you're shooting, and will you at every shoot? If you have the clothing but have no clue how to piece it together, have a few outfits but not many, don't have a variety of different styles, or have clothing that doesn't fit you well and looks unflattering, then you must purchase new things, or book a photographer that specializes in pinup and provides wardrobe. That equals, investing money. A friend can lend you an outfit, I doubt that will occur at every shoot you do. You can have and wear a nice pinup dress, or cute costume, how many times do you actually plan to shoot in that same dress or outfit? Especially when publication is involved, the more shoots you book, the more wardrobe you'll definitely need. The more looks you do, at each and every shoot you book, the more wardrobe needed. You can reach the point where you are being sent wardrobe for your shoots. You still need accessories, hair and makeup styling, under garments, heels, and more. The wardrobe and outfits they send you, may have not costed you anything, but someone had to pay, meaning the investment was still made, and had to be made by someone in order for you to have new wardrobe. You can successfully do your own styling, as many pin-ups do, you can already have outfits, a company can provide them or the photographer offers use of wardrobe. You can even have excellent photographer's that do see working with you as equal trade, and not charge to photograph you. NO MATTER WHAT, there's still going to be some money invested, period! You CAN NOT produce high quality styling and flawless, high quality images, that land spots in top pinup magazines, and land covers without MONEY! Skill must be involved, which takes time to develop, knowledge must be involved, which takes effort and time. No matter what you think is going on, how you may think the pinup industry works or should work, no matter what top pinup model, or pinups at any level that you see and adore, no matter how beautiful or successful you think they are, no matter what professional pinup photographer's you see them working with, NOTE they are paying, they are investing their time and money, and so are those around them. I can name 3 top pinup models, all very different in style, all make money in different ways within pinup, all of them I see as successful. The last few and pretty much, every single cover they've landed, which is in the top pinup magazines, were taken by top professional pinup photographer's, well known and very successful. These photographer's do not shoot trade! Realistically, your overall chances of landing the cover of a top pinup magazine, seriously increases if you work with a photographer that specializes in pinup. This can literally mean investing hundreds just for a single shoot. You will receive high quality everything and landing a cover is within your reach. I haven't worked with many professional pinup photographer's, but I've been blessed to work with someone wonderful photographers, who do produce high quality consistently. Otherwise I wouldn't have the success I have, especially within pinup magazine publication. I've worked very hard at establishing those biz relationships and I've invested so much money in my career. Unless you already have great photographer's, or photographers are coming at you to shoot, plan to invest. The less professional services you can afford, the more things you must provide. If your photographer doesn't offer packages with makeup and hair services, you must do it, which reduces your opportunities for a successful shoot, unless you have the skills to do high quality. If your photographer doesn't offer use of wardrobe and you don't have a company sending you free wardrobe, you must invest or use what you have, until you can buy new outfits. If your photographer knows next to nothing about pinup, then to produce high quality pinup style shots, it's up to you to have the knowledge. If you need sets for pinup style shoots, as well as props or a fabulous outdoor location, and your photographer doesn't have a studio, doesn't have back drops and props to create a pinup looking set, but you need those things, then you must invest. You must provide the location, invest in props etc., rent a hotel suite or know of outdoor locations where you can get great shots, pinup in style. If you desire publication in a pinup magazine, book a shoot with a photographer who has no knowledge or connections within pinup magazine publication, but produces the style and high quality needed, it's going to be entirely up to you, to research and find out how to submit correctly, what each publication requires, deadlines and guidelines. So, YES its possible, and I'm living proof that successful pinup shoots, where high quality is produced, positive results are achieved, and success such as landing features in top pinup magazines and covers, are very much possible, if your photographer has no studio, no hotel suite, doesn't specialize in pinup, and knows very little about pinup history or pinup publications. HOWEVER, whatever is missing that's an essential element, you must pay to be filled by a professional or fill yourself. This is why so many gals, brand new to pinup and those at a professional level, choose to invest in professionals and pay professional pinup photographer's, who specialize in pinup and have all the resources needed to produce high quality. This is also why so many professional pinups have invested in equipment and learned how to take great self portraits. Can't, easily replace a PROFESSIONAL photographer, but those that have very little resources, very little knowledge on pinup, and aren't producing high quality consistently, can definitely be easily replaced, with a model who has a great camera, lighting, her own location and skills. Columnist Dianna Prince Publicist Dianna Prince Vintage Stylist Dianna Prince