How do I ask a stranger for a picture (face paint)?

F

fintoecho

New member
Hi, I'm starting face paint and want to build my portfolio, which entails having the pictures of people I face paint/

This is hard because most of the people getting face painted are children (I don't think parents would like a stranger to take a picture of their children)

Some of my ideas:

Send a campus wide e-mail, explain my need to build samples of my work, explaining my predicament, and asking for volunteers to get their face painted by me and letting me take their pictures

There is a festival coming soon, Halloween thing, I could offer free face painting for those who let me take their picture.

What are your ideas? I'd really like to know.

If you are a face painter, how did you build your portfolio, samples of your work?

Thank you so so much.
 
As a photojournalist, I can tell you that you may be surprised at the parents response. What I would do is set up a booth at festivals or wherever you usually work and post a sign at your booth explaining, in as quick and short a paragraph as possible, what you are trying to do. Explain something like, "I greatly appreciate your business. I'm trying to build a portfolio of my work for career advancement purposes. If you are willing to allow me to take a photograph of your child then please sign the model release form that I will have available at the end of the session". Something to that nature. You can choose to reimburse the people in some way if you want to. I think you'll find that MOST parents are willing to accomodate you as long as you make it clear why you are taking their child's picture and that you ask permission first.
 
When we painted faces for charity we had a poster with drawings of some options. You could create a poster of small drawings. You really don't need a portfolio, as face painting is not fine art.
 
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