Question 1

How are the rates at EZ determined.

Accepted Answer

Our Rates are based on day rates and not on images. While that may work for some photographers, this is not our protocol.

Day rates are based on an 10-hour shoot day, which includes an hour on both the front and back of the scheduled shoot for setup and packup.

Half-days are typically not done in this industry. Do drop us a line however to discuss the nature of the project and we could make an exception if it is a part of a larger scope.

We believe in open-ended conversations, an email or a phone call should iron out any questions.

Question 2

What services do we offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer Professional Food Photography services in the Middle East. We are not specifically social media/content photographers, you can however use our images for the purposes of promotion and brand image across your platforms. We offer professional grade food photography for your menus, websites, delivery platforms, billboards and other OOH advertising.

We do offer basic Food Styling within our package, this is best suited to restaurants (contingent to the scope). For commercial and advertising we liaise with dedicated Food Stylists on set to ensure everything runs smooth and in a timely fashion.

Question 3

What's in a Brief?

Accepted Answer

Any information you have on shot list, style, direction can help determine what can be accomplished in a day. The more information we get from you, the better prepared we are for contingencies. If you have a vision and/or a moodboard- that works out even better for us to re-create what you want.

When you want to shoot and when you expect to receive the images helps us understand we have the capacity to fit you in or not.

There isn't such a thing as one price fits all. We tailor make the quotes to the complexity of the job, factoring in propping, prepping, retouching, and time on set. If you have a specific budget, shoot that over as it will save everyone a lot of time. If we can manage within your budget we will surely try to make it happen.

Question 4

Do I need to be present on set?

Accepted Answer

YES! YES! YES! And we can't say this enough.

This is your baby, and live feedback from client is very important so that we can act quickly and in accordance. Food is delicate and will wither and die if we wait on feedback to be recieved via whatsapp/zoom/teamspeak messages that take time to be seen and responded to. This doesn't even factor in that images are compressed, images are pixelated and colours not corrected on these platforms

It is pertinent that an actionable representative who can sign off on images be present on set. You are important and will make the shoot flow much smoother.

Question 5

Do I need a Food Stylist?

Accepted Answer

Food stylists are the oil to the food photography machines. Although not mandatory for every shoot, they are truly a valuable asset on set to polish off plates, make sure those dishes have had their hair and make-up done with no blemishes and sweat pores showing. Especially if you have an extensive shotlist with demanding styling and setups, it would be ideal to have a stylist on board.

We are able to offer basic styling within most of our shoots without the need of a dedicated stylist, however if the setups get challenging, we work with a range of highly skilled professionals that we'd be happy to recommend and work along with.

Question 6

Where do you shoot? Restaurants, meeting rooms, studios?

Accepted Answer

We are versatile, as long as there is access to electricity, toilet and water we are good.

Most importantly we require that the food doesn't travel too far from kitchen to set, as this can mess up plating, leave room for errors, spills and accidents and ultimately will waste time.

We can shoot in restaurants if you'd like to showcase your restaurant interiors or setups and is ideally a more cost effective option; we are also able to shoot in warehouses, meeting rooms, private dining rooms or back of house. For a basic setup we would ideally need a 4m x 4m space, to help us setup up our equipment and shooting station.

Question 7

What do we bring with us?

Accepted Answer

Everything and the kitchen sink! We also bring music, a good sense of humour and professional grade photography equipment from lights, camera, monitor to props and backgrounds.

If there are any specific props that you require, please mention it in your brief so that we can either have it made or bought accordingly.

Question 8

Can I get RAW images?

Accepted Answer

Worldwide, the industry standard protocol is that the RAW images remain the property of the photographer. (Not that we are a whiny bunch) but the reason being that the post processing hold equal weight (if not more) to the quality of output, without which our work is considered incomplete. This in turn puts our professional reputation at risk.

To put it simply- It is for the same reason you don't go to a baker and ask him to give you the raw batter and expect that the cake will turn out and look just as fine if you finished it in your oven.

If it is absolutely necessary that you do require RAW images, let us know and we can quote for that along with the cake.

Question 9

Which regions do we operate in?

Accepted Answer

We are based in Dubai, UAE and are open to shooting in the UK, Europe and MENA.  We offer professional Food Photography services all around the region which includes Food Photography in Qatar, Food Photography in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah or Riyadh, Kuwait and even in Bahrain.

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