Red Sky Photography wrote:
No one needs to justify how they choose to spend their money, except to themselves...choices.

Exactly!  Music and photography are passions of mine. I did shoot weddings for a profit, but then I met a guy in recent years who shoots weddings as a hobby for FREE!  He is good at it, as the couple gets more than they paid for, and he gets a free meal and the phone numbers of the single ladies.  Being a young single man in the computer industry, he can afford it.  The bridzillas I encountered spoiled it for me.  So I went back to focusing on beautiful women, fast cars and rock stars. I pay the models, get to ride or drive fast cars, and get in concerts for free. Do I make money?  Of course!  Although it's not a lot, I make a living.  It's great to work at what you love!  Doesn't even feel like work.   

My grandfather was a great photographer back in the early 1900's shooting with glassplates and a view camera. He paid American Indians to pose in his studio.  He said you don't expect to make a lot of money doing photography.  Just do it!

Ben McPhee wrote:
If not, how are you afford/justifying the costs?

I imagine in much the same way people afford/justify the costs of everything from golf clubs to sail boats.

Dan Howell wrote:
On first read, the term 'justify' didn't sit well with me. It implied that I needed to submit proof or reasoning to anyone other than myself. Maybe that is too narrow of a definition. For the question I think you are asking, I would use the term budget.

I budget the expense of shoots, not only model fee but possibly also travel, wardrobe, props etc. to get an exclusive shot. I tend to not rely on shooting a model's own wardrobe which has likely been shot a dozen or more times. Most often I use the images for magazine submission and portfolio website inclusion with the aim of it being my marketing material for future paid shoots. My budget limits me from taking on all of the shoots I would ever conceive of or schedule on a slower pace that I would with unlimited resources. Generally my budgeted shoots are purposeful and not only 'just to do it'. However I do find that effective photography does require regular if not constant activity. I try to not let to much of a lag develop between creative projects, whether they are paid (compensated or monetized) or not.

I like your comment!  This is something we can agree on.  When planning a photo shoot where I am to hire a model, I have to consider a "budget" before I will do it.  Photography is not so much in a category of a business or a hobby for me.  It was my understanding from the words of my grandfather who was a photographer, that you don't do photography with the expectation of making a lot of money.  That spoils the motivation for creating in the first place.  My mom reminded me of that yet, bought me my first 35mm film camera when I was still a teenager. 

Regardless of the budget, I consider the content I create to have value other than what was spent on the production of those images.  Sometime the journalistic images I have shot are worth far more, especially if it was for candid event that I did for free.   Weddings used to be my money maker.  Shooting weddings back in the day, I wasn't concerned about the money until a bridezilla came along who made it about the money. She made the entire event so unpleasant even though I had given her a deep discount that I wished I had just given her money back and said to hell with it!   That is when I went back to my first love which is photographing beautiful women, fast cars and rock stars.  It's crazy to some people for me to say this, but creative people who are not so focused on making money are far more pleasant to work with.  I don't mind tipping a great model even more than what was agreed on.  Making an income from the photography I do is up to me and my budget.

Studio NSFW wrote:
RE:  https://www.royallemodelling.com.au/production

Why the hell is the assistant messing with the background light while the actual shoot is going on?

Don't be silly.

Clearly, the assistant is manually firing that strobe every time the photographer wants to take a photo.

You know, "3... 2...1... fire".

Note:  This takes LOTS of practice...

Studio NSFW wrote:
With what appears to be a long, heavy lens?

Looks like a photo of what someone thinks a photo shoot set should look like...

Well, it looks like 120mm for the Hasselblad H, neither long or particularly heavy.

The 'one-foot-on-applebox' is the ridiculous element IMO.

Ben McPhee wrote:
For those of you who pay out of your own pocket for models (particularly fashion with highly specific clothing or mages with some level of nudity like editorial beauty or art nude):



1. I’m just curious if you actually have a way to monetise those images and videos to at least partly cover costs? (Prints, books, content for websites, blog/mag submissions, your own subscription site, or something like onlyfans/patreon)?



2. If not, how are you afford/justifying the costs? Are you paying simply in the interest of making the best imagery possible despite the expense? Is it for “advertising” or “clout” on socials and/or via your website/folio (with possible work leads from that)? Or something else?




Feel free to elaborate if you have any other outlets to cover costs .

My photography is a hobby. For many of the models I hire, modelling is their full-time (or part-time) job, and they put a lot of work into it - they exercise, eat right, learn good makeup skills, do yoga or dance or ... I respect that.

Because photography is a hobby, I do not have to justify my equipment to an accountant. If I want a camera body, a lens, a studio light, I can choose to buy it, even if there is a more financially responsible alternative. I like that.

I pay models to work with me, and I shoot what I like - not what would sell, or what someone else wants. In most cases, I'm paying for. and getting, professional model skills, and it is worth it to me.

My only reward for my photography is my personal satisfaction, and sometimes the happiness of the models when I produce shots that they want to put into their portfolio. That's all I get to "cover my costs". Suits me. My costs are still lower than some other hobbies - one guy I knew competed in amateur triathlons, and he spent a lot on bicycles and travel to the various competitions.

Studio NSFW wrote:
Out of curiosity, I clicked on the site...Now, I am SURE they do good, or at least serviceable, work, but...

https://www.royallemodelling.com.au/production

Why is the fill light directly next to the window?

Why the hell is the assistant messing with the background light while the actual shoot is going on?

Why is the photographer doing the "flying elbow" handheld pose?

With what appears to be a long, heavy lens?

While standing next to a perfectly good tripod?

Looks like a photo of what someone thinks a photo shoot set should look like...

Did you notice that the male models are categorised under "Men" while the female models are under "Royalettes" - sounds like something from the 1950s or 60s.