Valerie Evans, MA
Freelance photographer and writer
Photography Services and Information
Commissioning a photo-shoot
The easiest way to do this is to contact me and tell me what you are looking for, then I can tell you if I can do it, or, hopefully, point you in the right direction if I can't.
I can simply show up at your venue and take the photographs you need, or I can offer a consultation service to allow you to discuss in detail what you want from your images. If you are looking for images to promote your business, your brand, a concept or a product, then a detailed understanding of what you need is fundamental to the success of your images. If you know what you want, this can be a simple process. If you need help conceptualising your project, I can discuss options with you and possibly even offer suggestions you hadn't thought of.
Business clients looking for professional images for publication and promotion can engage me for an hour, a day or even a week and the easiest way to organise an assignment is to contact me and give me as much information as possible about the job in hand. I can undertake photography for conferences, awards ceremonies, formal dinners, exhibitions, rallies, PR events, seminars, launch parties, retirement parties, product launches, corporate literature, headshots, professional portraits, marketing material and much more.
Business clients should pay particular attention to the Licencing Issues section below, which I've included to minimise the number of times someone tries to pretend they've never heard of such a thing and talk me into handing over copyright. Professional agencies should find nothing new in this section although I would always recommend making sure you are clear about legal issues. Please feel free to ask me about any aspect of copyright or licencing issues.
Licencing issues
Business clients will normally receive an electronic version of the finished images provided by email or CD. Business clients should note that all images produced for commercial purposes are subject to the terms of a Licence, as recommended by the National Union of Journalists, which is granted on settlement of invoice. Licences are automatically granted for one year for publication in the UK for a specific purpose. The cost of this standard Licence is included in all quotes provided. Additional terms, territories or media required will be subject to additional costs and clients are invited to ask for more details when inquiring. Clients should note that no permission is granted to make any use of images provided until a Licence is granted and publication without a Licence is a breach of copyright and subject to legal action. Copyright will not normally be relinquished but for the purposes of reimbursement will be calculated on the basis of all Licence territories worldwide, across all media forms, for ten years, with an arbitrary calculation for potential lost revenue from self-promotional use.
Proofing and editing
For your convenience, I can provide online proofs on a secure webpage for you to review. You may find that you require additional, advanced image editing over and above the usual Photoshop processing. If your project requires the application of specialist effects or if you need your images composited, or elements changed, moved or removed completely, then I can provide a quote for this service, too.
Print and web ready images
Your digital images can be specially prepared for print or web based application. Over and above the usual processing, images can be sharpened, resized, cropped or have their resolution changed during processing.
Private or domestic clients
For clients looking to commission portrait artwork for decorative purposes, I don't run a full time studio and churn out identikit mum-dad-and-the-kids stuff all day and I don't force customers into restrictive 'packages'. I produce original, commissioned artwork to exacting standards so I'll talk to you about what you want before you ever set foot in front of a studio light to make sure that we're both happy with the end result. The cost of your photo-shoot will depend on the amount of work required, not how much time you book, so you don't have to worry about your shoot being over before you've gotten comfortable in front of the camera. I produce prints, canvasses, blocboards and posters (charged separately) and you can view your images online before choosing your mounting method.
Students looking for a professional cataloguing service are exempt from licencing requirements as long as the images produced retain their credit information and are used solely for the purpose of self-promotion.
Questions and answers
What are your prices?
Pricing very much depends on the nature of your project, the complexity of the shoot and the amount of time required to shoot, process and produce your images. I'm a freelancer, I don't run a studio with staff and enormous overheads, so I can usually offer a pretty competitive quote. Having said that, since you're looking for a professional photographer, the chances are you've already decided that you want something better than you could get from your hobbyist neighbour's point and shoot compact. My fees reflect the fact that I do this professionally, as a discipline which I've studied and understand thoroughly. You hire a professional photographer because they know about lighting, about the equipment, about framing, composition, colours, post-production and so on and promise to work to a certain professional standard. Since every job is different, I don't post price lists on this site which could give you the wrong idea, but you can work on the basis that my prices start at £120 for a location shoot and £80 for a studio shoot.
I need some photographs. What do I need to tell you?
The more the better. I can't read your mind and I won't know what you envisage for your project until you tell me. If you have samples which you want to replicate, great. If you don't, no problem. If you need assistance clarifying what you want, I can help. As well as being a photographer and writer, I've studied and worked in marketing, so I've got a fair idea about branding, target markets, visual concepts and so on but in order for you to get the best out of your shoot, you need to give me as much information about what the shots are going to be used for, who they're aimed at, what you want to convey.
Can you help us out at short notice?
Possibly. If I can, I certainly will. I don't often get panicked calls at midnight, but it has happened. If you need work done at short notice, you should pay particular attention to the Licencing Issues section above. Licences are normally only granted on receipt of payment. If your job is really urgent, call me and let me know. It's almost always possible to work something out and I value my clients - I'll do everything I can to help.
Pricing very much depends on the nature of your project, the complexity of the shoot and the amount of time required to shoot, process and produce your images. I'm a freelancer, I don't run a studio with staff and enormous overheads, so I can usually offer a pretty competitive quote. Having said that, since you're looking for a professional photographer, the chances are you've already decided that you want something better than you could get from your hobbyist neighbour's point and shoot compact. My fees reflect the fact that I do this professionally, as a discipline which I've studied and understand thoroughly. You hire a professional photographer because they know about lighting, about the equipment, about framing, composition, colours, post-production and so on and promise to work to a certain professional standard. Since every job is different, I don't post price lists on this site which could give you the wrong idea, but you can work on the basis that my prices start at £120 for a location shoot and £80 for a studio shoot.
I need some photographs. What do I need to tell you?
The more the better. I can't read your mind and I won't know what you envisage for your project until you tell me. If you have samples which you want to replicate, great. If you don't, no problem. If you need assistance clarifying what you want, I can help. As well as being a photographer and writer, I've studied and worked in marketing, so I've got a fair idea about branding, target markets, visual concepts and so on but in order for you to get the best out of your shoot, you need to give me as much information about what the shots are going to be used for, who they're aimed at, what you want to convey.
Can you help us out at short notice?
Possibly. If I can, I certainly will. I don't often get panicked calls at midnight, but it has happened. If you need work done at short notice, you should pay particular attention to the Licencing Issues section above. Licences are normally only granted on receipt of payment. If your job is really urgent, call me and let me know. It's almost always possible to work something out and I value my clients - I'll do everything I can to help.
Booking
To book any of the above services, please contact me with as much information as you can and if you want me to attend your event, the date, time and location.
If you have a promotional reference number, you should include that information as well.
If you have a promotional reference number, you should include that information as well.
