Casting Call | Athens, Canton, Kaufman, & Tyler, Texas Portraiture Photography

With fall just around the corner (if you ignore the temperatures, that is), I have a few ideas I want to try out while the landscape of East Texas is spectacularly glorious in its autumn beauty!

So … if you qualify (or know someone who fits one of these), email me at christina [at] christinamccall [dot] com ASAP — include a picture if possible. I’m leaving the location type (i.e. rural/urban) out because I’ll wait to see who responds and where you’re located — sessions will occur in either Henderson, Kaufman, Smith, or Van Zandt Counties.

I’m listing more ideas than total test sessions that will be conducted due to time constraints and previously scheduled sessions, but will try to work in as many as I can while the weather and my availability coordinate!

Additional details are listed after the ‘wish list’ …

(a) Children (individual session, ages 3-11) who …
      … have gorgeous curly hair (boy or girl, any ethnicity, any hair color) 
      … have freckles (boy or girl) (edited to add: have gotten plenty of responses for girls, now looking for boys w/ freckles!)
      … have green eyes (I seem to be missing them, lots of blue and brown keep coming my way!)
      … younger girl who is all girl (loves sundresses, playing dress up, any hair color, any ethnicity; edited to add: I really need a 3- 6 year old girl for this based on the ideas I have in mind.)
      … boy who loves to dress up in western wear (boots, wranglers, cowboy hat, western style shirt, any hair color, any ethnicity)
      … boy or girl with a puppy (must own puppy and child must be comfortable with it; any hair color, any ethnicity)

(b) Early Teens (individual session, ages 12-14) …
      … sandy haired boy who loves sports (have the gear too) or music (own an mp3/ipod, even better)
      … girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) who loves sundresses, cowboy boots, and Chucks (must own these items)
      … fashionista girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) — think dresses, heels, all glammed up

(c) Teen (individual session, ages 15-18):
      … girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) who loves sundresses, cowboy boots, and Chucks (must own)
      … fashionista girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) – think dresses, heels, all glammed up
      … musically inclined guy — high school band, rocker, or even classical musician (any hair color, any ethnicity)

(d) Maternity/Newborn (Belly to Baby — maternity session between 32-36 weeks, newborn session must be within first 10 days after birth.)
      … specifically looking for blonde or red headed mommas-to-be as well as African-American, Indian, Asian, and Hispanic mommas-to-be
      … dads-to-be and siblings welcome during maternity session; newborn session will be baby + mom & dad only

(e) Family (up to six people — parents and kids or single parent and kids; edited to add: already have a single mom w/ kids volunteered, so if there are any single fathers w/ kids that are interested in a test session, lemme know).
     … no specifics on hair color or ethnicty, but would love families (parents and children no older than college age) with a variety of interests and colorful personalities (this can range from ranchers and rodeo families to families with musicians, skateboarders, sports fanatics, wild hair styles, tattoos, piercings … you name it!). These will not be formal posed portraits, these will be lifestyle portraits either around your home or a location near and dear to you (that doesn’t assess a session permit fee).  

(f) Rock the Dress (Bridal/Prom)
    … no specifics beyond you must own or have access to a wedding gown or prom dress that you don’t mind getting dirty (or can dry clean afterward). You do not have to be a bride-to-be or recent bride either.

Please note …
  — These are all lifestyle photography sessions — few to no ‘formal portraits’ will be captured. 
 – Backdrops are not used at all (exception — some maternity images will involve a backdrop, as well as a number of the newborn portraits).
 – Indoor locations will only be used with maternity and newborn sessions; exception may be made with a family if the location is well-lit with natural lighting.
  — Sessions will be held on either a Saturday or Sunday in early AM (start between 8 am and 9:30 am due to lighting) or later PM (until the end of September, no later than 6:30 start; October – onward no later than 3:30 pm).
 – Wardrobe ideas will be discussed via email/telephone prior to your scheduled test session along with access to the CMP What to Wear Guide with ideas and websites for inspiration.

What do you get for participating in the CMP Autumn Casting Call?
 – In exchange for participating and signing a model release (parents must sign for all participants under age 18), all individuals/maternity-newborn/families selected will receive:
     … waived session fee ($150 value) for a 1-2 hour portrait session
     … 1 8×10 ($35 value)
     … a disc with 20 photographer-selected watermarked low-resolution images 
     … 10% off any a la carte or collection purchase made while the proof gallery is live (this discount is for session participants only; a one-time discount code will be provided with gallery access information)

After the session, a sneak peek post will appear on the CMP blogsite within one month along with a slideshow from the session. A private access proof gallery of 25-50 images will be launched within two to three weeks of your session date for you to view and share with family & friends. This gallery is online for only 21 days if you or any friends/family are interested in purchasing prints or boutique products.

If you’re interested, contact me ASAP! Once I’ve received enough responses to fulfill my ideas, I’ll post a note at the top of this post. Thanks in advance!