NOR. CAL. GLAMOUR BASH
An Explaination

The Glamour Bash has been running continuously in Southern California since 2002.  We have put on about 200 of them and we're still going strong.  The Bash originally started as an event called "Two for Ten" and quickly grew to "Two for Ten Plus More."  The original idea was to have a small group of models and photographers shoot in a controlled environment.  Over time, we just added more models, more sets and a lot more fun.

The Glamour Bash isn't at all like the events we normally run in Nor. Cal.  A normal event tends to follow the systems we used in the original Two for Ten program.  Up here we tend to have a small group of models, a small group of photographers in some kind of shared rotation.  At our current events, everybody gets some kind of dedicated time with the models, but there are only a very few to shoot with.

A lot of people have been asking for a Glamour Bash style event here, so we're now going to have them once every month in San Francisco and Sacramento.  Here is how the Bash works.  In San Francisco we'll start with about a dozen photographers and 5-8 models.  In Sacramento we'll keep the same 5-8 models but I think we have room for a few more photographers.  FYI, if San Francisco works out, we have room in additional studio space, beyond our two curent ones, to expand the photographer pool for future events.

San Francisco will use both Studio A and Studio B.  Sacramento will shoot in a single 1500 square foot facility.  The studios will be organized into multiple sets.  We are planning three sets in SF and 3-4 in Sacramento to start.  Unlike a normal event, photographers won't be assigned to a model for a period of time, instead the models will be brought out in a rotation and photographers will simply float around to the varous sets choosing to shoot with whoever they want, for as long as they want, with the caveat that all models are shared.  We will limit each set to no more than four photographers at one time.  Our experience is that everybody moves around so you will get to shoot every set.  We use a six shooter limit in LA and it works out fine so four shooters in Nor. Cal will be fine.  We are going to avoid using sync cords.  If you have a Pocket Wizard, you should bring it with you.  If you don't, we'll have some to rent for $10 or we will be providing proprietary triggers on every set at no charge.  In any event, if you don't have a Pocket Wizard, don't worry about it.  We've got you covered.

Throughout the entire event, we will rotate a model every five minutes so that each model will be on set for 15-20 minutes with a new model coming out every five minutes.  It is fast paced and a lot of fun.  With the rotation, you will find the girls moving from set to set, so even though your time isn't dedicated, you will get a lot of great shooting opportunites.  We've been doing this a long time.  The entire process is computerized to organize the rotation and it works out well.

When you look at the event schedule, you will see that each girl will have a posing limit listed.  You can expect that each girl will pose to that limit for at least one set during the open part of the event.  So, for example, if a girls says that she will do full nudity, she will do at least one set with full nudity before the open event ends.  We schedule the "limit" sets so that, typically, only one girl is doing her required limit set at a time so you get a chance to shoot full glamour with every model.

The open event and rotation will go from 10:00AM to 1:00PM in San Francisco and from 11:00AM to 2:00PM in Sacramento.   We traditionally end the event with a group shot of all the models together so you can have, in a single place, a photo to remind you of who was there.   Throughout the day, I also jump into at least one photo with every model.  It has always been a tradition to come up with outrageous poses and have a little bit of fun with it.  It's a chance for you to express some of your creative weirdness.

Once the group shot is done, we buy you all lunch.  We're going to serve a Chinese/Japanese buffet in San Francisco and Pizza in Sacramento.  Lunch will last for thirty minutes.  Beverages will be available all day.  The cost of food and beverage is included in the price.

After lunch, we go into private shoots with the models.  For a large number of the LA photographers, this is what the Bash is all about.  It is really an all day affair.  While the open event is fast paced and a lot of fun, it is also a way for you, as a photographer, to kick the model's tires, so to speak.  You get to pick your favorites. 

Throughout the day, as you see models you like, you are able to, on our registration computer, sign up for economical private shoots with the models after the open event.  You select the model, the time block and the set or sets you want to shoot on.  It is all done by computer, and our updated software, being released in a couple weeks, will actually allow you to pick out specific blocks with the models and sets specified.

At a private shoot, you get dedicated, private, one on one time with the model.  You are not sharing her, plus, every paid shoot includes a full, commercial release.  You also have the freedom to change the lights, the wardrobe and the poses to make the shoot work for you.  The private shoots are the big attraction for a lot of the photographers in LA.  There is NO CHARGE for the use of the studio when you shoot during the privates.  It is included in the price.

Model rates are economical.  Most models will charge $65hr for fashion or swimwear, $85hr for implied and $100hr for nude.  In general, most will also do shoots as short as 1/2hr.  If you put that into perspective, it is a great deal. 

Put it in this context; if you hired one of these models directly for a paid shoot, you would normally have to pay for a two hour minimum, plus studio time.  With the Bash, you could pick three separate models, do individual, 1/2 hour nude shoots with them and shoot the entire group for three hours, an entire day of photography, for less than a normal, two hour paid shoot would cost you to book one model indiivdually.  You get to do all of this in a professional studio, with great sets, great lighting and the chance to share the day with a lot of other people.  It is an all day event and it is fun.

There are a couple of other things you need to know and understand.  At a normal Nor. Cal. event, a promotional release is included. That is not the case at the Glamour Bash.  This is a "non-release" event meaning that you can't even use the photos in your online profile.  We don't do that, however, to prevent you from using the photos.  We actually love when you do post images.  I will explain.

The Glamour Bash is different from the regular events in one big way.  We bring a lot of models, and while we do pay them, we can't possibly pay them what we would at a small event.  The models do the open event, in large part, to get great pictures and to network with photographers for future colaboration.  Instead of providing a promotional release as part of the admission, we handle it a little bit differently.  In general, most of the models there will happily trade a "non-nude, promotional release" with any photographer there in exchange for images that she, in turn, can also use for self-promotion.  One of the problems with these kinds of events is that photographers always promise to send models pictures but never do.  By allowing you to trade images for a release, we have provided a mechanism to let you get use of the pictures you take, but at the same time, gets the models pictures for her use as well.  That is a big part of what makes the Bash work.  Everybody gets great images which makes it a great event.  Release forms will be available at the event for your use.

Another interesting aspect is commerical releases.  At the Glamour Bash, as well as other regular events, we sell full releases, typically for $25 extra.  That is, of course, a fair price.  At the Glamour Bash, you are able to book most models for as little as $35 for a fashion shoot or $50 for those who do nudes.  Some will even book short, fifteen minute shoots.  With every paid shoot, a full commercial release is included.  I hope you now understand one of the attraction of private shoots.

If you pick a model or two who from which you would like a full commercial release, instead of paying the $25, pay $35 and have a private shoot.  Your release will be included.  At a typical LA event, the guys will typically book a total of 25-40 private shoots after every event.  We've gotten good at keeping them moving, getting everybody in quickly and making the private shoots one of the fun parts of the day.

There are a number of you who have been to the L. A. Glamour Bash, either recently or in the past.  I have been getting e-mails every week asking me to do it here, so let's give it a try.  It is something totally different, but it will be something most of you will enjoy.

I do want to point something out.  For every event, I post a list of the models who have committed to be at the event.  Keeping in mind the way that the Glamour Bash works, I always expect that line-up to be a little bit fluid right up to the day of the event.  Models have things come up, sometimes there will be family problems, or in other cases, they will get agency calls, or similar.  You are going to see situations where models are forced to cancel or re-schedule.  We expect that and deliberately over-book to be sure that we always have plenty of talent. Our policy is to allow models to change if they need to.  We always promise a minimum number of models and we always keep the commitment. 

The situation is a little bit unpredictable.  We've had times where every single model has shown and others where we've had more cancellations than expected.  If you read the comments of others from prior events, we've done this a lot and we always put on a great event.  You can be assured that there will always be plenty of great models.  If we need to make last minute adjustments to make the Bash work, we have the resources to do it.  There are also frequently unexpected surprises, such as a model showing up that you didn't expect.  Often times a girl's schedule will free up and she will just decide to show up.  We never turn down any model who has been at an event before.


If you have any questions call (562) 206-9016