Calculating time at a paid non-commercial photoshoot, a model's perspective. Part 1

Recently, I had an issue during a hobby shoot where I was hired as a model for two hours. Midway through the shoot, the photographer complained that I took too many breaks—one to fix my hair, drink water, and reply to a message, and another for a quick bathroom break. Neither break lasted more than five minutes, yet he said it disrupted his workflow.

This experience made me want to share my perspective on how I understand paid time during a photoshoot.

Disclaimer

Commercial shoots involving a full team are different from what I’ll discuss here. This article focuses on portfolio shoots, often with hobby photographers.

Those shoots typically last 2–3 hours, half a day (4 hours), or a full day (6–8 hours or more).

The Reality of Two-Hour Shoots

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: two-hour shoots are the most challenging in terms of time management, and many models feel like their time is undervalued. Some models even refuse to accept two-hour shoots with new clients, and here’s why:

The unpaid work behind a shoot—administration, preparation, and commuting—is the same regardless of the shoot's duration. For me, it usually takes about an hour to prepare my skin, do my makeup, style my hair, and pack outfits. Commuting often takes another hour each way, sometimes more. Additionally, the back-and-forth communication to organize the shoot, discuss ideas, and schedule everything adds to the workload.

Given all this effort, it’s more rewarding to have 4–8 hours of paid work rather than just two. However, I’m not saying that clients who can’t afford or don’t need more than two hours of shooting are bad. I just want to highlight the proportion of unpaid to paid time in these situations.

When Does Paid Time Start?

When a model arrives at a shoot, the question arises: when does the paid time officially begin? Is it from the moment the model enters the location, or when the photographer picks up the camera? Should makeup time be included in the paid time on set? Ideally, doing makeup on set can improve quality, but it also eats into shooting time. This is why many models do their makeup beforehand to maximize the time available for the actual shoot. However, what about quick touch-ups to fix hair or a smudged lipstick—should those count as part of the paid time or should quality be compromised due to time constraints, especially when tools like Photoshop AI can fix minor imperfections?

Similarly, should completing paperwork, such as signing a model release, be included in paid time? Or is the model expected to read and sign the release after posing, potentially rushing through it to make it to their next gig?

Two-hour shoots usually pay the least, which means models frequently need to book two or three such shoots in one day to meet their income goals. This makes it essential for models to leave the set on time, with minimal delays.

From the photographer's perspective, however, they’re paying for two hours of posing, and they expect to receive that full posing time. They may not feel the same urgency to wrap things up quickly after the shoot, whether it’s packing up, handling paperwork, chatting, or reviewing photos for pre-selection.

When I accept a 2-hour shoot, I know there’s a risk of being treated like a tool that’s rented for a specific timeframe. Some photographers try to squeeze every possible moment out of the session before the model goes to the next customer, sometimes refusing to allow breaks or reacting poorly if the model checks their messages or takes a bathroom break more than once.

How Many Breaks Are Acceptable During a 2-Hour Shoot?

I’ve always considered my “catch-your-breath” time to be the moments when I am asked to change the look or the photographer adjusts the set. Typically, this means 10–15 minutes of posing followed by 2–4 minutes of rest. Over the course of an hour, I might check my phone twice, look in the mirror to touch up my makeup twice, and use the bathroom once. Altogether, this amounts to about 10–15 minutes of non-posing time per hour.

In most cases, these breaks go unnoticed because photographers often take longer to arrange sets or adjust equipment. However, when the shoot involves only one set or one look (for instance, a body-shapes shoot), the photographer’s workflow may have no natural pauses. This can create a noticeable difference in how breaks are perceived.

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Part 2 comes tomorrow.