my dd went on her first "test shoot" today. i was wondering, should we send a thank you via email or not at all. again, being new to the biz, i am not sure of what to do. thanks!

A thank you note is not required. Just showing up is all that was necessary.

www.robertkim.com

whats a test shoot?

I always thought it was a scam where they get free pix of you for their use and don't pay you any money for them. I hope I'm wrong!

We've done "test" or "portfolio" shoots with 2 photographers. Both were seasoned professionals who wanted to build their portfolio for headshot and comp card biz. Both walked in to our agents office and selected our kids based on their comp cards, so these were shoots set up through our agent. We had a great experience both times. We didn't spend a penny and walked out with a CD with hundreds of amazing shots each time. We can use the photos for anything we want, and they can use the pix for their portfolio, but they can't sell them for commercial (stock) use. We have an ongoing relationship with one of the photogs and she has my kids back every six or so months for another free portfolio shoot. We did not send a thank you to them after, but they both sent thank you notes to us, along with large prints (18 x 22) of several of their favorite photos.

We also have a relationship with a very well-known photographer. He uses my daughter for portfolio shots, and we end up with headshots and comp card photos in the process every six months or so!