What does Aperture Studios do?

Our primary mission is to help independent and established artists and brands to find their voice and their vision through the planning, execution, and implementation of next-level, trend-right photography, video, and other assets.

Specifically, these assets take the form of Fashion Photography (lifestyle, editorial, test, art, and branding), Music Photography (styled, performance, tour, cover, BTS, event), Commercial Cinematography (advertising spots, shortform video, event coverage, podcast/show direction-filming-post), Music Cinematography (music videos, performance videos, freestyle/acoustic videos, event and tour recaps, drops, ad clips), and other forms of Commercial Photography (headshots, styled food photography, product photography, and non-music event photography).

Other commercial client offerings include Creative Direction, Marketing and Branding Consultations, Single and EP Rollout Campaign Planning, and Photographer 1-on-1 Education.

Additionally, we are pleased to offer our services to non-commercial clients in the form of birthday photo shoots, shortform video concepts, styled maternity photo shoots, divorce/empowerment photo shoots, and select event photography offerings.

What happens if I want to hire you for a service I don’t see listed?

If you do not see a service listed here that fits your particular needs, please feel free to reach out to us anyway!

We may have experience at what you are looking to have done.

If we find that it’s not work that can take on or that we are not available for, we may also be able to help you with an industry referral.

How do I book you for my project?

Best way is to call us at 781-913-0380 during our business hours.

Business Hours: M-F 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12pm-4pm Eastern

You can also email us at bill@aperturestudios.co or DM us on Instagram to start the conversation (@aperturestudios.co)

What is the process like while working with Aperture Studios?

Discovery - Determine the Path Forward

Strategy - Planning, Treatments, Storyboards, Communication

Execution - Practice Runs (where applicable), Set Building, Shoot Dates, Direction, Multiple Takes, Wrap

Finishing - Post-Production, Sample Edits, Revisions, Ad Assets, Delivery, Partnership

What are your rates?

Sooooo about that. We don’t have ‘rates’ per-se. We have project fees, which are calculated as a a creative fee for the project and a licensing fee based on the usage(s) requested.

Why don’t you charge hourly or have packages like some others I’ve worked with before?

I used to, back when I first started. I think many burgeoning creators fall into that trap. Then, I learned better.

Many new creators make the mistake of thinking that art as a career monetizes in the same terms as they’re used to while working with as an employee for others in other industries. Once you grow past that belief, you realize that pricing out art skills as a service at a professional level doesn’t work that way.

When I previously quoted clients based on regimented hourly rates, factors would almost always conspire to cause additional hours to need to be billed after the fact. Clients regularly tried to tell me how long my job takes to do while nearly always being incorrect in practice, simply to try to save money they ended up paying anyway. This is a very silly process, and it is one with which I will no longer engage.

The projects we generally take on frequently include big ideas with a lot of moving parts, strategy, and planning. Hourly rates based on shooting time do not account for the behind the scenes work and other value elements that go into nearly every project worth working on.

So, when I estimate a project, I decide on a finite range of time and effort that will be necessary to complete (strategy/shoot/post) the project and quote based on that as well as a myriad of other factors. Ever since switching to this line of thinking, I’ve been exceptionally accurate while quoting.

As far as packages go, no thank you. I’m currently booked, busy, and blessed at my full rates and terms.

That’s not to say that I’m unreasonable when it comes to offering discounts on multiple services (4+/campaign or quarter) to consistent, loyal clients. Discounted offerings typically occur during contracted, retained services with a term of 6 to 12 month periods.

Please reach out if you have any additional questions.

What’s all this about licensing?

Yes, licensing. Let’s talk about it.

The work I create as a result of the business we are doing together is, and will always be, my property.

Authorship, ownership and copyright of my work are non-negotiable.

So, how do my clients receive rights to use the work?

Licensing.

Included with my commercial work is a basic promo licensing package that includes personal use, most social media usage, website, small-market ad buys (<$2000/campaign), club flier/simple promo, and epk/one sheet/publicity usage.

Included with my non-commercial work is a personal licensing package that includes personal use and most social media usage.

Additional usages such as album cover art, merch, print advertising including store signage, billboard ad buys, magazine placements, and any platform placement that includes our Client’s monetization, are accompanied by licensing fees that are situationally unique.

Please reach out if you require further understanding of and/or education on licensing.

What about Work For Hire?

We do not offer services on a Work For Hire basis at this time.

Maybe someday, when the bag is crazy for it. Probably not, though.

Please don’t ask. It’s not going to happen. I’m not your employee.

Can I get the RAWs?

I do not distribute RAW files for any reason. You might think you need them, but I assure you that you do not.

If you’re asking for RAWs because you believe you have some right to them because you booked and paid me, please scroll back to the “What’s all this about licensing"?” section and read again. There is no transfer of ownership of my IP during any transaction we engage in.

If you’re asking for RAWs because you don’t like my editing style, I recommend that you either make a special editing request, which I am happy to entertain as long as you are not asking me to soften your features more than I already do during my usual edits or perform challenging compositing work while undercompensated. Or you can simply hire someone else that either edits the way you like and/or that doesn’t know better than to not distribute RAWs needlessly.

Ok well how about the video footage from an event I performed at, can I have that for free?

Unfortunately, no. My intellectual property is valuable, and I don’t just send that out to people for free.

You will most likely be in the event recap that I was booked by my client to create. I encourage you to repost and share that video for the benefit of all parties involved, including yourself.

In some cases, I have enough footage from the event to create an individualized mini-recap for an artist. Feel free to ask if that service is available in your particular case.

Additionally, if you find out that I will be shooting video at an event that you’re performing at, and if you reach out to me to let me know that you’ll be interested in an mini-recap from it, I will capture additional footage of you for that purpose.

Do you offer TFP, trade, or collaborative work?

Very rarely. Never for commercial work. My landlord doesn’t accept exposure bucks.

There are a few models on the team that I periodically do trade work with for fashion and art projects.

My end of the arrangement in these situations will usually be to scout, provide and find locations, creative direction, pre-production planning and coordination, take part in gathering set design elements, bring all the gear necessary for the production day, create and direct, and provide licensing to my collaborators.

My collaborators’ responsibilities include making time to communicate on the phone during both pre and post production, acquiring any apparel and accessories that we’ve discussed, makeup and hair, take part in gathering set design elements, be ready, rested, and on time for the production day, and abide by the terms and conditions that we have agreed upon.

There are the 4 ways you can POTENTIALLY establish a TFP/trade relationship with me:

1. If, as a fashion model, you have or can acquire name-brand designer pieces that we can build concepts around that we both agree is on-brand for my work, allowing us to create editorial or lifestyle images/video that attracts attention that has value. I couldn’t care less how you get them but I’m sure life will present you with opportunities one way or another. Be resourceful. Also, Rent the Runway is a thing. Invest in yourself. Example brands: LV, Chanel, Prada, Versace, Balmain, Givenchy, Tom Ford, D&G, Gucci. It should go without saying that fast fashion brands and basic mall brands do not count, but I’m gonna say it anyway.

2. If, as a fashion model, you have or can build a relationship with a fashion designer that we both agree is on-brand for my work and that is either willing to create pieces for you based on the guidelines of our creative direction, or is producing pieces that would work for an elevated concept that is likely to attract attention that has value, and they are willing to tailor and provide those pieces for our use in the concepts/sets we shoot.

3. If, as a fashion model, you have an editorial or lifestyle shoot concept that completely knocks my socks off utilizing lower value pieces that you have already strategized and that you are willing to do most of my usual work for (scouting/providing/finding location, creative direction, pre-production planning and coordination, and gather all set design elements) so that all I need to do is show up, create and direct, and handle post-production/licensing. It is VERY rare that I do this. That concept had better hit hard, be trend right, have some effort put into location/set design, and feature pieces that are unique and interesting to me even if they are non-designer.

4. If, as a model that does figure/art work as part of your offerings, you want to create sets that are either a combination of fashion and nude/art work, or sets that are primarily nude/art work for our exclusive mutual benefit in access to, distribution of, and licensed monetization of the content. This option is only for enthusiastically on-board professional, semi-professional, or informed amateur or hobby models who are interested in exploring and creating in this discipline of art.

If nobody on this list sounds like you, you are either a paying client or just not someone I need to work with without compensation. Feel free to book me if you’re the former. Wishing you all the best if you’re the latter.

If you are on this list, and you’d like to join the movement, hit my line and let’s have a conversation.

What happens if I’m late for a production day? What happens if you’re late for a production day?

I’m almost always early to set. Nobody’s perfect, though.

I offer a half-hour grace period from our discussed start time to my Clients because traffic happens, life happens, chaos is all around us, etc. I get it. I also expect the same courtesy from my clients, although it is rarely necessary.

Late fees will be applied to my Clients’ balance due after that first half hour, though, and every half hour after, until it is time for me to leave, and you forfeit any and all retainers and payments.

Don’t let it happen to you, because it will.

Please see your Estimate/Terms and Conditions document for additional clarification.

What is your turnaround time?

While turnaround time is unique to each individual project, I can share some starting points.

Paid styled photo projects take 5 business days for proofs, then 5-7 business days from the date I receive image selections for finished edits.

Paid event and live music photography projects take 4-5 business days for finished edits.

Paid music video, event, and commercial video projects take 2-3 weeks for first draft, 1-2 weeks for finished post-production for most projects.

Rush Service is available for any of these projects and will cut the production time in half. Please be sure to request it specifically to receive an accurate quote.