• Who is Dominique James?

Dominique James, principal owner of The Playground Professional Photography Studios, is a professional celebrity portraitist originally from Manila, and is now based in New York City. He has more than 20 years experience as a professional photographer. He has done portraiture, fashion, lifestyle, corporate, advertising, and commercial photography. Other than glamour portraiture, his expertise includes food, architecture, and product photography. He is a Nikon Pro Photographer, an Epson Stylus Pro Photographer, and an Apple Certified Professional & Trainer (in Aperture). He regularly teaches advanced photography and modeling courses at The Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI) and at John Robert Powers (JRP). He also conducts special photography workshops for professional photographers all over Asia and in the US. DJ shuttles between New York, Manila and Singapore. For the complete profile of Dominique James, click here. Download DJ’s profile here in PDF format.

• Who is Renzo Sen?

Renzo Sen, co-owner and partner of The Playground Professional Photography Studios, is a multiple award-winning photographer. He has been recognized and honored time and again for his creative and edgy photographic styles and treatment. His expertise includes: glamour portraiture, fashion, product, commercial, corporate, advertising, food, architecture, landscape, conceptual, macro, and nude photography. He received his training in photography from the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF) and at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI). His photographs have been published in widely-circulated magazines such as Celebrity Living, Hair Asia, Frame One, and i-Mag Photography. Renzo is a wanderlust. So half of the year, he’s somewhere out there shooting adventure and travel photo images for stock photography. For Renzo’s complete profile, click here. Also download Renzo’s free portfolio here.

• Who is Rane Papio?

Rane Randolph P. Papio, or simply Rane as we like to call him, is the can-do-all, hard-working, very dedicated, and also good-looking, Office Manager of The Playground Professional Photography Studios. We were in talks with Rane even before The Playground started, during the conceptualization and transition period, and he has been with us since the first day of operations. Anything and everything that you might require, from scheduling a photo shoot to photo print orders, from arranging hair-and-makeup artist and fashion stylists to photo framing, can be coursed through Rane. Rane will answer almost all of your inquiries and handle your concerns. If you have photo shoot requirements for whatever purpose, and are quite unsure how to proceed, or if you need more information and a walk-through to the pre-production, photo shoot session, and post-production, Rane will be there to hand-hold you, and to tell you all that you need to know. Going through the entire professional photography session, from start to finish, can be daunting. There are so many things to attend to. Fear not, Rane will even prepare a personalized checklist and reminder list exclusively for you that will make going through the pictorial with Dominique James and Renzo Sen a breeze. From top to bottom, Rane knows the ins-and-outs of our operations. If you have any question regarding pricing, booking, photo prints, framing, and all aspects of commercial, advertising, corporate photo sessions, the persons to talk to is Rane. He can even answer questions and handle requests that may not be entirely related to photography. Of course, it depends on a case-to-case basis, and it also depends if you ask nicely enough. To get in touch with Rane, call The Playground office numbers at + 63 2 812 21 79 and + 63 2 843 15 11 Ext. 873 during office hours (9 AM - 6 PM daily, Monday to Friday, and sometimes even on weekends). You can also reach Rane at mobile + 63 915 831 1550. She may also be contacted via email at fun@theplaygroundstudios.com and/or ranepapio@gmail.com.

• Who is Gary?

Gary Cabjuan is the official “hunk” Assistant Photographer of Dominique James and Renzo Sen. Gary has been with Dominique James for more than 5 years. He is a technical expert in studio lighting and setup for all of our people and product shoots. His skill is essential in making sure that all photo shoot flow as smoothly as possible. Gary handles all the technical aspects of our photography sessions in the studio and on location, and is in-charge of all our top-of-the-line studio photography equipment.

• Who is Almond?

Almond Dundee Cruz is the official “matinee idol” Computer Graphic Artist & Designer, as well as Digital Layout Artist, for The Playground Professional Photography Studios. He is the person primarily in-charge with archiving all the digital photo shoots of Dominique James and Renzo Sen for The Playground. He is an expert in digital photo enhancement and manipulation. He also executes creative graphic designs and layouts. His primary tools are Photoshop CS3, InDesign CS3, Aperture, etc. He uses a 24-inch iMac computer and a Wacom Intuous 3 tablet. He has been working with Dominique James for about 5 years now, and has been with The Playground since its inception.

• Who is Reggie?

Reggie del Rosario is also the company’s Computer Graphic Artist & Designer, and, Digital Layout Artist. He is our “idol singer” in the team. He has worked with Dominique James for the past year, and has been with The Playground Professional Photography Studios from the start. He is tasked with handling the primary digital photographic enhancement and manipulation. He also handles archiving of all our digital image files into our library of photographic images. Reggie is also our in-house Digital Scanning Expert. He uses Photoshop CS3, InDesign CS3, and Aperture. His workstation is a 24-inch iMac computer, a Wacom Intuous 3 tablet, and an Epson scanner and large format printer.

• Do you take nude photos of celebrities?

Yes, we take nude photos of celebrities. A lot of it. Through the years, we’ve taken countless nude male and female celebrity pictures both in our studio facilities and on location. These photo sessions are usually requested by the stars themselves for their personal and private collection. We can’t show you the nude photo sessions we did with the celebrities. We sign a very strict confidentiality agreement with the stars before we photograph them. We can however, ask them (nicely of course), if we can show one or two photos in our website. Often, they would agree. We also take lots of pictures of sexy stars for adult-themed publications such as FHM and Maxim. Almost all sexy stars have gone through our long and hard lenses. We are allowed to show some of these pictures in our website, blog and online galleries once they come out in print.

• Can you take a nude photo of me?

Yes, we can take nude photos of you. We’ve done a lot of this too. Private individuals request private photo sessions with us. We can arrange with you details of these kinds of session. We also sign a strict non-disclosure agreement when it comes to private shoots with private citizens. At the nude photo sessions, people who are present includes the main photographer, the assistant photographer, the studio manager, the hair-and-makeup artist/s, the stylist/s, and the subject’s chosen companion/s. If you are too shy, we can all ask them to leave, and stay in the nearby lounge area, during the actual shooting, and then ask them to come back in-between takes. A nude photo session with 4 to 6 layouts usually lasts anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. Absolutely no one who is not an authorized employee of The Playground Professional Photography Studios have access and can see your nude photographs. Everyone who works for The Playground has taken a vow of secrecy. They can’t copy your photos. They can’t take your pictures out of The Playground. They can’t post and spread it in the Internet. Your privacy and security is a paramount concern. Only those you authorize can see the pictures you want them to see. And so far, we’ve kept that promise.

• Why is your photo studio called “The Playground”?

When we transitioned from the old studio to the new, we decided that we wanted a new name. A new photo studio deserves a new name. For us, at that time and even now, having a new name denoted for us a fresh start. When we were deciding on what name to call the new photo studio, we wanted a name that suggest not just a place or a venue, but an idea. We wanted a simple but very loaded idea that tells people not just where we are, but who we are, what we are, what we like doing, and how we like to do things. Deciding on a new name was a fun and interesting process. It was like drawing on a clean slate. There were just a million and one possibly good names. How about “The Devil’s Place,” “Heaven on Earth,” or “The Sex Den”? Hmmm ... not that we are not devilish, angelic or sexy, but it wasn’t just right. There were 3 other names we’ve seriously tossed around. But, of course, they fell into the wayside. They didn’t accurately reflect what we wanted in a studio name. We love the name “The Playground” because it accurately represents who and what we are, and what we do and how we like to do things. For us, the “playground” is a patch, any patch, any corner of the world or the sky, where we can play alone, by ourselves, and with others (we especially like it when we “play” with others), using our creative faculties and imagination, to produce new visual images using cutting-edge digital tools. We like the word “playground” because, though we handle serious, top-level professional jobs for the advertising, corporate, entertainment and lifestyle sectors, we don’t actually view what we do as work. The things that we do feels more like playing than working. Besides, it’s more fun. You should try and plan to come and play with us some time. You’ll see what we mean. For all practical intents and purposes, we can be the other “happiest place on earth.”

• What does the logo of “The Playground” means?

The first version of our logo was made up of 4 colored squares. One of those squares, the blue one, then protruded out a little bit, defying the perfect alignment. Visually, we liked the idea, but it also reminded us too much of a world-dominant computer company whose ideals we didn’t share with or much care for. The Apple and Mac die-hards that we are, the thought was quite unpalatable. So, back to the drawing board, and we changed it. We kept the colors: green, blue, red and yellow (in that order); but we redefined the shape from squares to perfect circles. The choice of colors, by the way, represent the basic building colors for both digital and print technologies. This simple change actually changed everything. It was simple enough, but flexible and powerful enough. We like the idea that perfectly round circles can bounce and roll, and endless. The inherent nature of “movement” reflected dynamism. We were delighted at the suggestive meaning of the 4-circle logo. Why 4 circles? Why not just 1 big circle? Or even 2 medium-sized circles? To us, the 4 circles represent the people involved with The Playground. They stand for the perfect and equal partnership between the photographers, the digital staff, the production staff, and the office. The equal and balanced function of the 4 different areas of our organization is designed to serve our clients. We have a compact and yet ever-growing operations because our 4-point foundation is securely in place. The 4 points are necessary for us to complete a job. Take one out, and we will be unable to complete our tasks. The synergy of these 4 points is what keeps us rooted and grounded, and yet ready and poised for growth, development and new challenges. Bring it on, we’ll take it on.

• Where is The Playground Professional Photography Studios located?

The Playground is now located at the heart of the business district, Makati City. We wanted to offer a convenient location to our client. And Makati City is still the center and is the most convenient to almost all of our clients. As an affiliate of The Solid Group, we are at the penthouse of The Solid House Building inside the compound in Don Chino Roces Avenue (formerly and more popularly known as Pasong Tamo Extension) is the keyword to where the studios of The Playground is located. To view, download and print our detailed and up-to-date vicinity map, you can click here. If you’ve been to our studio, you’ll see nothing but white-washed walls. It’s an empty or negative space, a nothingness. That was the intent when we designed the space. We want you to see nothing. This is because we want to play with you, and with our collective imagination, we can create something out of nothing. We will use the force of our imagination and creativity to produce something new, something wonderful, something quirky. We have all the tools, hidden somewhere inside the playground, and we can pull it out whenever you need it. So come, and play with us.

• Are you open on weekends?

We operate non-stop. No holiday declaration by the government, no stormy weather predictions, and no social or mass-action disturbances can stop us from doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. We have a most flexible working schedule. We like it that way. And, since our scope of operations actually spans the globe, we move non-stop. With operations in Manila, New York, and Singapore. We are always on top of things any time of the day or night, and across time zones. We are constantly engaged in a number of pre-production and post-production work on several projects, constantly conducting photo shoots and digital enhancement works, and constantly conceptualizing and pre-visualizing. But ... and this is the big “but,” our home base in Makati, the office where our backbone operations are done, is open from Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM to 6 PM daily. If you want to visit us, those are our operating hours. Technically, we are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. And, with the government’s habit of declaring and changing public holidays, and not to mention, mother nature’s unpredictable weather conditions, better call in and check out if there are humans at play (or at work) in our Makati playground (or office and studio).

• Do you shoot in the evenings?

Yes we do. Any time is a good time to shoot. Actually, we prefer to start shooting after lunch. A pictorial’s call time usually starts at 1 PM for hair and makeup. Actual shoot begins at around 2 PM, and then, depending on the complexity of the shoot, the number of people involved, and the number of layouts that needs to be done, we can finish quite early, or quite late. We don’t spend any less or any more time necessary when shooting. We do shoots on an even rate. We spend the right amount of time needed, and necessary, to get the job done.

• I get the impression that you guys don’t like to shoot in the mornings. Is this true?

This is not true. We like to shoot at any time. Any day. And we can shoot at a time and date based on the client’s convenience. Actually, we like shooting in the mornings. But we don’t recommend it. You can say that we are not a “morning person.” Not only is it hard for us to get up and get ready in the mornings, most people, particularly celebrities and models we shoot, and the industry people we work with, are also averse to the idea of waking up early. Besides, hair-and-makeup artists will be the first to tell you that celebrities and models almost always never look good in the morning. Their faces are typically puffy because the skin is usually still “sleepy’ and not naturally elastic enough to work with and work on. But if you must, and you really have to shoot in the morning, we can arrange for a call time as early as 5 AM or 6 AM. We will open up our playground for you.

• What are your business hours?

Our regular business hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM daily, Mondays to Fridays. Somebody is bound to be at the playground between those times and dates.

• Who are your competitors?

Tough question. And every now and then, we get asked this question face-to-face. We try not to think about it, but we cannot brush the question aside. We know competitors are around, up above us, and way below us. We are surrounded by a sea of competitors: jaded old-timers, cocky hotshots, hungry upstarts, and opportunistic hobbyists. But we pay them no need. We are so busy with so many things to do that if we keep looking the other way, we’ll end up not doing anything at all. So, as a matter of policy, we pay others no need, we look only one way, and we pay attention to our own work. We do what we can do, what we like to do, and what we have to do. We compete with ourselves in our little playground. We compete by using our previous jobs as the yardstick for standard of quality. Our goal is to always out-do what we’ve done before. As one well-known photographer likes to put it, ”I am only as good as my last shoot.“ That statement makes sense to us. So, we focus and concentrate on our own work.

• Do you do weddings and events coverage?

Yes, and no. We love weddings. We love debuts. We love parties. We love events. We just don’t enjoy photographing them. We’d rather be invited, and we’d rather attend, weddings, birthdays, parties and get-togethers as guests and not as photographers. In fact, if you invite us as guests to your own wedding, and to your birthday, you can expect us to bring you a gift, and in honor of the occasion, is right and proper; but you cannot reasonably expect us to bring a camera. Even if it’s a point-and-shoot camera. Bringing a camera, and taking pictures, is the last thing in our mind when we go and set out to have fun. We leave our tools behind. We just bring our friendly, and hungry, selves into the party. And if you shove someone else’s camera into us, and ask us to take pictures (specially if you ask nicely), we won’t say ”no“ to you the first 2 times, but don’t expect us to do a complete, full-blown documentary coverage. We are there to have fun, and not to work. It’s no fun when we start taking lots of pictures. We miss out on all the action of which we want to be a part of. So, if you invite us, please be prepared not to ask us to take pictures. We want to be in the pictures, not behind the camera taking pictures. Now, if you are a close friend, or a relative, or, a celebrity, or, even if we don’t know you, and you dangle an offer we can’t refuse, then we will do your wedding, birthday or event coverage. But that still depends on a lot of things. Like, if we feel like we want to do it. And if we say yes, please do not attempt to negotiate with us. Our wedding, birthday and events coverage rates are non-negotiable. We are expensive, and we have no patience for clients trying to negotiate for a lower rate. There is, however, one thing we can always do for you. We can refer you to our colleagues, the really good working wedding, birthday and event photographers. But be ready, because they are expensive as well (though probably not as expensive as us).

• What kind of pictures do you photograph?

Well, we get paid for taking pictures of celebrities, politicians, socialites, businessmen, and many others, mostly in our studios. We take fashion photos for RTW and haute couture designers, both in the studio and on location. We do all sorts of product shots from sizes that fits our product table to the big stuff that has to be done out of the studio. We do interiors and exterior shots of houses, condominiums and such. We take photographs of food, and then, in most cases, we eat them after the shoot. We take adventure and street photographs. And we take pictures of anything and everything we fancy, as long as its interesting and what we think you’d like to see as well.

• What happens to the photos you take?

The pictures we take end up somewhere, anywhere actually, where you eventually get to see them. Let’s see. Hmmm .... Most of the time, they end up being printed in newspapers and magazines. Our photographs are featured on the covers of glossies as well as accompany headline stories. They also illustrate feature articles and lifestyle stories. You can watch out for the photo credits, although, not all newspapers and magazines are in the habit of crediting photographers the way they give byline credits to their writers. The pictures also fill up the space allotted for print ads, but since these are paid spaces, we cannot of course expect to get photo credits. Our photographs also get printed in brochures, flyers, leaflets, and catalogs. If you like to buy items from your friendly and enterprising neighborhood ”lady,“ chances are, you are choosing and deciding to buy at photos of shoes, bags and colognes that we’ve photographed. If you are on the road a lot, traveling the entire length of EDSA, the north and south express highways, and all major roads nationwide, chances are, you may have seen some of the photos we taken in billboards. If you are a shopping mall hound, and you’re always inside the malls, take the time to look at the pictures inside the stores, outside of the stores, and just about anywhere and everywhere there are spaces to put it, and actually, including places where the photos shouldn’t be. If you like to eat at restaurants, both fast food and fine dining, we have photos printed on menus. When you do your groceries, chances are, one of the brands you bought contains a packaging with which we did the photos. Do you like consuming entertainment? We’ve created images for  movie posters and concert posters, and then you see them on DVDs, VCDs, and CDs. And then, when you buy a medicine from your favorite drugstore, photograph we’ve done may be on the boxes and shrink-wrapped labels. We’ve also seen our pictures appear in places and used in ways we didn’t expect or imagine such as a cake decor, a face mask, a flag, and a print on t-shirts. Of course, nowadays, the easiest way for your to see our pictures is online. We have blogs, galleries and websites that display the photos we’ve taken. You can take a look on the Internet any time and anywhere you may be.

• Can you edit and print photos that I had taken by someone else?

Yes, we can edit, and print, your photos. But be warned. If the photos you bring us are bad, get ready to hear a stifled or oblique remark from us. We can be capable of saying something without really saying anything. And then, get ready for our charges. Depending on the complexity of the editing and enhancement, and on the kind of paper and the size of the print, we will charge accordingly. We won’t charge you heaven and earth, but our rates are at a premium because of the quality of service and the final product.

• Do you photograph people who are not celebrities?

Yes we do. We’ve photographed a lot of people who are not celebrities, and we continue to take pictures of those who are not. As a matter of fact, we actually like and we enjoy taking pictures of private citizens. We’ve taken single portraits, couple shots, and family pictures. One of our avowed goals is to help ordinary citizens preserve memories and relationships via photographs. And, as we like to say, everyone deserves to look good on their photographs. And that’s what we do: make everyone looks good (if not look like a celebrity) in their photographs. So, whether you are a celebrity or not, you have a place in our playground, and in our hearts.

• How much do you charge?

As a rule, if you feel you need to ask, you most likely cannot afford us. But kidding aside, whenever someone asks for our prices, we don’t actually know where to begin or how to start to explain our pricing structure. It can be a little complicated. So, if you come to us asking ”How much do you charge?“ We can’t give you an immediate and straightforward answer. We have to first know a few things. We do so many types of photography that we have to have an idea of what you want and what you need before we start spewing numbers at you. Before we can give you the right and logical price, you have to tell us a few things or answer a few questions. In general, and as a rule, you have to tell us the following: nature of the shoot, subject of the shoot, where the location of the shoot will be, how many photo layouts are required, what post-production styles are needed, how the photos will be used, the actual output required from the shoot, among others. The price we quote will be based typically on your answers, and we use the information to come up with the actual figures. Typically, we collect payment in full right after the pictorial. In some cases, we ask for a fifty percent downpayment or we provide easy payment terms. Through the years, we’ve managed to keep our price stable and within standard industry range. We aren’t the most expensive, and we aren’t the cheapest either. So, to get to the right price, we need to know what kind of photography you want us to do.

• Who are the hair-and-makeup artists that you work with?

We’ve worked with practically all the best hair-and-makeup artists in the entertainment and fashion industry. Working through the years with almost all the celebrities, models, politicians and socialites have put us in contact with the best hair-and-makeup artists and stylists. We know almost all of them and we can easily get in touch with any one of them. They are now listed in our own private directory of suppliers and associates. Based on your requirements, we can run through the list for and in your behalf, and recommend a short list that we feel offer the best match in terms of your needs and your budget. Our knowledge of the working styles, our professional relationship with them, and our unbiased evaluation and accurate assessment of their skills and talents are valuable inside information that we can put to good use in recommending the right kind of hair-and-makeup artist that will work for you. Whenever we make recommendation, we can hook you up directly with any one of them and discuss and negotiate rates and terms. We can also, if you wish, directly make arrangements with hair-and-makeup artists, and fashion stylists, and conveniently package them into a single professional photography rate. This way, you won’t have to worry about all sorts of arrangements, and pay only a single, aggregate fee. This kind of fee package will save you a lot of worry and headache. This is a good way to focus and concentrate on the pictorial.

• How long does a photo shoot take?

From our combined 25 years of photography and pictorial experience, photo shoots can last from as short as 30 minutes to as long as 24 hours, or in some rare cases, even longer. But on the average, a pictorial that has anywhere from 3 to 6 standard layouts, or outfit changes, or change of looks, last from 4 to 7 hours. If the call time is 1 PM, the first easy step is to ease into the photo shoot with hair-and-makeup, and styling. This process usually takes an hour, depending on the simplicity or complexity of the hair, makeup and fashion styling. The actual shoot begins once the hair and makeup is completed. And that’s when things start to kick into high gear. After each layout shoot, we go into change of hair, makeup, styling. We also change the background, setting and the studio lighting whenever necessary. We usually only schedule one shoot a day. We don’t hurry finishing a shoot. We devote as much or as little time as necessary to complete the pictorial. We don’t hurry, and we don’t slack. We move the photo shoot along on an even pace. And, we can take breaks any time necessary. We strive to make sure that we provide a working atmosphere that is conducive to creativity and productivity. We are always looking out for anyone and everyone whom we think might need assistance. A pictorial is a group effort, and we make sure each and every member of the team works in sync with each other. The pleasant atmosphere and harmony we establish and we create during the shoot is our way of making sure that the photo shoot experience is as pleasurable as possible to everyone involved. We like making everyone feel good and happy while they work with us.

• Do you play music during pictorials?

Yes we do. And we have an incredible collection of music that we organized into playlists. We have collection of songs that can last for hours under various genres. And, here’s the thing: we don’t play music that we like. We play the kind of music that you like. We can try and guess what kind of music you like to hear, but we’re not always accurate with our guess. So, you can tell us what you like to listen to and we will switch playlist. We have iPods and iTunes in our Macs that has a number of songs ready for you. And we constantly update our playlists to include new hits and favorites. If you think that the songs you like are not in our playlists, you can tell us in advance so we’ll prepare it. Also, if you have an iPod, we can simply plug it right into our speakers. This way, you are listening to the stuff you like to listen to. And, whenever you play the songs from your iPod, we discover new music too. That’s always an interesting thing for us. Why do we play music? We play music because it helps us set the mood for the shoot, and it makes the pictorial more fun. We love good music, and we share your love of music too.

• Do you allow eating, drinking and smoking during shoots?

Yes, we allow eating and drinking inside the studio. You can eat any food or drink any beverage you like. We just ask that you be a little bit considerate of others when you do. If the food you are eating is pungent or smelly, emits strong and distinctively offensive odor, maybe you’d like to re-think bringing it inside the playground. You have every right to eat whatever food you want, just make sure it’s not too smelly to be unbearable in an enclosed, air-conditioned space. We can take the usual menu from take-outs and deliveries: pizza, burgers and stuff. That we can handle. And feel free to share; we will be thankful. As for drinks, we allow drinking in the studio. You can pretty much drink everything from water to soda, but maybe, drinking something of ”alcoholic“ nature may not be such a good idea. We can go drinking in a bar after the shoot to celebrate, but maybe, we should hold it off while doing the shoot. Do you smoke? Unfortunately, even an inveterate smoker like myself can’t smoke inside the playground. We can go out somewhere to smoke. But not just inside the playground.

• Are all your shoots in the studio?

Most of our photo shoots are done in the studio. We like the environment of an indoor studio shoot because we can pretty much control almost every aspect of the pictorial, keeping things constant, in terms of lighting and background, and we can shoot for as long as we like or we need to. We don’t have to worry about unpredictable things from happening. We pretty much control the major technical requirements for the pictorial. We can also shoot and setup our studio on location when necessary. This way, we do not lose control of the many aspects of the photo shoot, but at the same time, provide convenience and flexibility in terms of venue and time for the shoot. We also shoot outdoors, using available scenery and natural light. And we’d like to do this as often as we can. Most current commercial photography requirements we handle are for controlled conditions that’s provided by an indoor studio setup. But, we always jump at the opportunity to do a lot of wonderful things outdoors with the available scenery, setup and props, and with natural light or mixed lights. After all, the world is a stage.

• Do you shoot out-of-town?

Yes, we do. And we like it. Actually, we love shooting out-of-town. It’s in our list of always something interesting to do. Truth be told, we’ve been almost anywhere and everywhere. Not all the nook and cranny of the world, but almost everywhere. We consider traveling for photography a big break from the consistency of studio shooting. And not only do we shoot almost anywhere and everywhere, we shoot practically in all sorts of weather condition and time of the day or night. Some of our favorite out-of-town location in the Philippines are: Baguio, Cebu, Boracay, and Batangas. Any excuse we get to go out and shoot out-of-town is an opportunity to have more fun, and we take that opportunity. But beyond the ”wanderlust,“ what we like about shooting out-of-town is the fact that we are always able to create new and fresh images. We come back to the studio clutching the kind of photographs we’ve never done before. And we like the idea of coming up with something new, something different, something surprising.

• Do you shoot out-of-the-country?

Yes, definitely. Renzo Sen and Dominique James have been to some of the most exciting and exotic locations on photo shoot assignments around the world. Between Renzo and DJ, they’ve been to so many countries and territories worldwide. In Asia alone, and for the past 5 years, some of the places they’ve been to include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, China, etc. They’ve also been to several cities in the United States like New York, Atlanta, Savannah, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco; and several cities in Europe like Paris, Venice, and London. They like traveling, and would happily shuffle their schedule around for any chance to go on a trip to some far and exotic places.

• How long have you guys been doing photography?

Dominique James have been shooting professionally for almost 20 years. He started with media work but veered towards photographic imaging. He has always been interested in photography, and he made an early jump at the soonest possible chance he had. Since he started professional photography work, there was no looking back. He has done a few other significant things here and there, along the way, always related to photographic imaging such as graphic and layout design, conducting workshops and seminars, holding lectures and talks, but in the final analysis, whatever it is he has done is always centered, and actually focused, on the discipline of photography. Through the years, Dominique James have developed his own distinct style of photography that is sought after by many celebrities and clients. Renzo Sen, on the other hand, sashayed into digital photographic imaging by winning photography contests left and right. With an established medical career, he unconditionally shifted to photography for a simple, single reason: searing love. Renzo brings a new and fresh perspective that perfectly complements the classic works of celebrity portraitist Dominique James. His cutting-edge style and approach to digital photographic imaging brings a youthful, vital and vibrant imaging style that appeals to the young market segment. Renzo’s work helps cover a wide spectrum of photographic styles, and extends the digital imaging capabilities of The Playground in ways that benefit the clients.

• Who are some of the celebrities you’ve photographed?

We’ve photographed almost 90% of all celebrities, fashion models, politicians, and socialites. Almost all of them, from the industry’s mainstays and the hottest pop stars to the up-and-coming and hopefuls, have most likely gone through our studio doors. We’ve worked with practically all of them on a number of different projects such as TV shows, movies, concerts, album, among others. There are also certain cases when we get to photograph famous people with their families for personal reasons such as for their own family albums and the like. We can list their names, but because it is too long, we will save that list for another page (all on its own) in our website

• Do you do food photography?

We love doing food photography. Food is one of our absolutely favorite subjects. The same goes for beverages. We’ve had a few sessions done in our studio, but most of the food shoots are done on location -- at the restaurants where the food are actually or will be served, or at a locale that showcases the origin and nature of the food. If the shoot is done in the studio, we have to setup a kitchen and other working areas to prepare the food that will be photographed. Most simple and basic or standard food shots that does not require too much preparation, has no critical time-element factor (like melting ice or ice cream), and food that does not require heavy and specialized equipment to prepare, are done in the studio. We recommend doing the food shoot in our studio because all the photography equipment we might need to create photo images are easily on hand. On the other hand, we also shoot on location, mostly at a designated dining area, ballroom area or even portion of the kitchen, where the food will be prepared. It makes sense to setup a remote studio and shoot on location for several reasons. If the quantity of food that needs to be prepared, with different types of equipment necessary to prepare them, is a lot (meaning, more than 6 layouts), and if all or most of the big, heavy props necessary are all in a single location, then it makes sense to shoot on location. Our rate, and charges, of course vary depending not only on the number of layouts but also on whether the shoot is going to be done in the studio or on location, how far the location is from our home studio (it can also be out-of-town or out-of-the-country, and not only within the city), what kind and how much photography/studio equipment needs to be setup, and also, what day and time food needs to be photographed.

• Do you take ID and passport photos?

Yes. Of the celebrities we photograph. And we do the shoot for free whenever we work on a project with them. This is one of the extra services we tuck into the project, offer and give for free to the celebrities we shoot, the clients and everyone we work with. This is one of our ways of giving back to our clients, associates, and friends in the industry. But if you want to come to us specifically to have your ID or passport picture taken, then we will charge you for it. And be forewarned: our rate is a bit expensive.

• Do you shoot graduation pictures for schools?

Yes. We are tickled with the idea that the pictures we are going to take for a project like this will be carried by people and their friends in their wallets, aside from the fact that blow-ups will be framed, hanged and displayed them in homes and offices. We have rates available. And again, a word of warning: we are expensive.

• Do you shoot fashion?

We do a lot of it! We breathe, live, eat, and we’ll probably die, with nothing but fashion. Fashion photography comprises a good  3rd of the entire commissioned photo sessions we do every year. We like creating fantasy images of fashion, and we love working with designers, hair-and-makeup artists, stylists, and of course, the models. And we like the challenge of shooting fashion in the studio and on location. The process of shooting and creating fashion images is almost an art in itself. Doing a fashion shoot is like elevating the craft and art of photography to an entirely new level. In fashion photography, we do not deal with ”found images“. We deal with images that we create out of nothing. By mixing this and that elements and by putting together a few items, we are able to create something that previously never existed. Fashion deals with ideas that, although not everyone will agree with, is a good way to expand, expose and exploit ideas. Fashion photography, for us, and as a creative process, is an intrinsically intellectual exercise. Every year, we are a part of two of the biggest fashion events in the country: the Philippine Fashion Week and the Ford International Philippine Model Search. These 2 events put us in touch with the country’s top fashion designers, top hair-and-makeup artists, top fashion stylists, top industry insiders, and the top media people. It’s a whirlwind that we love swinging around to. For these events, as well as our work with other glossy magazines, we’ve practically woven our DNA into the design of the industry. We get excited with clothes, shoes, bags, makeup, accessories, and all. Our luscious fashion pictorials have appeared in magazines for ABS-CBN Publishing, Summit Media, and Mega Group, as well as for international publications and catalogs such as Colors (United Colors of Bennetton), Neiman-Marcus, Macy’s, etc.

• Can you recommend a hair-and-makeup artist and/or a fashion stylist?

Yes. We have a very long list you can go through. We can give you the unabridged list with all the appropriate contact information, or we can send you a summary of about 5 of them that we will will be perfect of the project, or, we can cut to the chase and just deal with the best one for the project. We can do it the hard and long way, or we can do it the fast and easy way. The choice on how to go about it is yours.

• I’d be more comfortable working with a hair-and-makeup artist I know and I’ve worked with and whose style I’m comfortable with. Can I work with my own hair-and-makeup artist? And while we’re at it can I also work with my own fashion stylist?

Yes.

• Why are you so expensive?

We have the experience, the skills, the talent, the setup and the discernment to do professional photography. We are seasoned professionals (but never jaded). We know how to do our job, and we do our job right. (We are not charlatans.) And we give you what you rightfully deserve. Most of those who us ask this question are those who wants to work with us but cannot afford us. If someone asks as this question, our natural reflex, or answer, though we may not say it aloud, is: Why are you so cheap? Of course, we’re nice enough to keep our mouth shut. Tightly shut And then we take a deep breathe, and smile a sweet, broad smile. We’ve perfected that art of a smile. In the end, it’s better that way.

• Do you have a particular photographic style?

Some photographers end up becoming really famous and very well known not only for the specific and limited genre of photography such as wedding photography, product photography, fashion photography, glamour photography, or portrait photography, but also for a particularly distinctive photographic style they’ve developed and perfected through the years. This acknowledged ”photographer’s signature“ becomes so distinct that clients truly respect, value and recognize these master strokes. And it becomes in demand. Clients end up wanting this or that photographic style by a photographer known specifically for this or that photographic style. Well, era of this or that photographic style is now over. The trend is towards universality of styles. This means that any photographer worth his or her grain of salt should be able to flawlessly implement a particular photographic style desired by the client. Nowadays, nobody owns a ”signature“ anymore. A really good photographer can vary his master strokes to implement his own version of signature photographic styles that clients may be enamored with. Give us a shot. We can show you how we implement your desired photographic styles from the Hollywood glamour to the classical portraiture, and from the casual and informal situations to the grungy and edgy looks. Exploring various photographic styles will reveal certain facets of your personalities that you may have not thought possible or exist. The persona you project via the photographic style can be a satisfying journey into inner self-knowledge and of outward personal revelations. We can deliver that personal journey to you via different photographic styles.

• Do you teach photography?

Yes, Dominique James teaches photography. He teaches photography to 2 groups of people: those who want to be photographers and those who want to be photographed, photographers and models. Dominique James regularly conducts 3 extremely popular 2-day advanced photography modules for photographers at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI). These modules are: ”Celebrity Glamour Portrait Photography,“ ”RTW & Haute Couture Fashion Photography,“ and, ”Male & Female Fine Art Nude Photography.“ As an Apple Certified Professional and Trainer in Aperture, Dominique James conducts certification classes at PCCI and at all other Apple authorized training centers worldwide. Likewise, he teaches an extremely popular one-day seminar called ”Single Light Source Studio Photography.“ For the schedule of Dominique James workshops at PCCI, visit and view the monthly class calendar of PCCI at http://www.pcci.com.ph. For models training, he developed and conducts an extremely popular special workshop at John Robert Powers International. For inquiries on the JRP workshops and sessions, visit http://www.johnrobertpowers.com. In addition to these regular training schedules, Dominique James is also regularly invited as one of the authoritative speakers for major industry events such as the annual PhotoWorld, Photo Imaging Exchange, Philippine Star’s PhotoFest, Inquirer’s Digital Imaging Expo, etc. He is also a favorite speaker and is regularly invited to attend as a guest at photo club and association meetings. The past 3 years, he started conducting talks and workshops and seminars all over Asia, and all over the world. Renzo Sen, an Apple Certified Professional, also gives talks at various Apple stores and events, as well as to clubs, about the Aperture software and his exciting portfolio of photographs where he shares some of his post-production styles, techniques and secrets. Watch out for schedule of upcoming workshops and seminars to be conducted by Dominique James and Renzo Sen.

• Do you teach or coach people how to model in front of the camera during the photo shoot?

Yes we do. And very patiently. We do it nice and easy. We like helping, and we like to make sure that all the subjects of our photographs look their best at all times. In the kind of photography that we do, we incessantly interact with our subjects. We’ve refined that technique, actually. For example, if you were to do a shoot with us, we’ve learned that one of the best ways to make sure you look your best is to first encourage you to relax, and then to confidently express different emotions and expressions. By asking you to vary your facial expressions, and by directing the movements of your head and body to turn in certain ways, we are making sure that we capture the peak moments of your expressions and your most flattering angles so that your finest features will show in the final pictures.

• How many outfit changes are needed per photo session?

Unless you are coming to us for just an ID picture, you don’t need to bring any changes of outfit. You know the drill when it comes to ID pictures, particularly for passport photos: a shirt or a blouse with a collar at least and a hair style that shows your ears. But if it’s for a personal portrait, and unless you want a nude session, you need to bring more than the one that you are already wearing. In general, we end up photographing an average of 4 to 7 outfit changes per pictorial. The actual number of outfit changes depends on the speed with which we do the shoot, the time it takes to do the changes in hair-and-makeup, and the relative ease or degree of difficulty of the actual shooting session. From experience, we are able to do more outfit changes and layouts with male subjects compared to female subjects. We ask our subjects to prepare and to bring in at least about a dozen sets of outfits. Though we will certainly end up not using all, it is good to always have more than what will be actually needed.

• What kind of outfits should I bring?

First and foremost, you can bring your favorite outfits. These are the kind of clothes that you like to wear the most. And it’s no surprise that these are the clothes that can best define your personality and personal style. Clothes that you choose for yourself is a ”self-defining“ act. It is an outward expression of who you are and what you would like the world to see. In this set of ”favorite outfits“ you might want to vary your selection from casual clothes to formal outfits, from day wear to evening ensembles, from weekday business suits to weekend relaxed styles, from get-up-and-go sporty sets to even fabulous theatrical costumes. If you feel you don’t have enough, or you don’t have the right kind of outfits, or you want a totally radical look that you want to be photographed in, you might want to ask the help of a friend, or a professional fashion stylist, to gather, pull together, and mix-and-match the kind of outfits you will be wearing. Fashion stylists, whose sensibilities you trust, can put together stunning looks even as they mix the stuff that they will bring in to the photo shoot with the ones that you brought in. At the creative ministering and masterful hands of professional fashion stylists, we’ve seen a number of incredible transformations happen in our studio. The looks can change from drab to fab!

• What can I do with my pictures?

Photographic images, by their very nature, seeks an audience. Traditionally, and still more commonly, you can have prints made out of your images in many different appropriate sizes, and show them as loose prints or organized in an album, framed and hanged in your home or office, or carry them in your wallet to be whipped out and shown all around. In today’s multimedia world, there are many new creative ways you can do with photo images. You can have a mural made and use it as a decorative wallpaper covering the entire wall or flat sections of your home or office, convert the image into a cake topping, engrave the photo in a keepsake such as a necklace or a bracelet, or turn them into personalized greeting cards. Sometimes, you don’t even need to convert the images into printed artifacts, but simply make it ”live“ inside your computer where you can share it with others through the Internet. Sharing is now so easy and fast. You can email it, you can post it in an online gallery, and you can illustrate your website with it. Whatever your purpose, there are now many ways on how you can show and display your photograph images.

• Do you do model’s portfolio?

We’ve done quite a number of models’ portfolio, and we continue to do professional-grade models’ portfolio. We like to help budding models and set them on the right track when they enter the modeling world. We can do this by providing them with a professional quality portfolio that can rival even the portfolios of the most seasoned, in-demand fashion models. From experience, and from our constant interaction with industry insiders and clients, we know what kind of portfolio images that will work to make any model get noticed. We are keen on the idea of being a part of a model’s success, and we do everything in a photo shoot to make sure that portfolio images will get the attention of potential agents and clients. Having a professionally-made models’ portfolio is the key that will open the door to opportunities in the fashion and advertising world. To create the right portfolio, we walk a model through the necessary step-by-step process from concept to final output. Because we’ve worked with the top models in the industry, and have done a lot of advertising and commercial work through the years, we are in tune with the standards that will work and will click with the industry insiders. If you need a real models’ portfolio, come and talk to us. We are one of your best bets when breaking into the competitive and glamorous world of modeling.

• Do you have an agent?

As of now, no, we do not have a third-party agent to formally represent us, or to negotiate products and services for and in our behalf. We negotiate and make arrangements directly with our clients. There is one distinct advantage of having no representation. Direct communication between the client and ourselves, handling all professional requirements directly, eliminate unnecessary layers of middlemen, and consequently, it helps our clients save a whole lot of money. Likewise, things become more simple. We avoid confusion and we minimize possible misunderstanding. We are able to act and move fast and always in perfect sync to our clients’ requirements because we deal directly. For purposes of coordination, from start to finish, details of a project may be assigned and handled by officially designated personnel from either or both companies. These designated personnel are always on top of the situation and they know the latest going-ons and developments on projects assigned to them. Should the need for formal representation arise, with the view of serving our clients better, we will consider formal representation. As they say in cases like these, we will cross the bridge when we get there.

• Do you edit the photos?

Yes, we edit them. Editing the photographs we take is a necessary step in today’s digital imaging workflow. Since we shoot in RAW mode, all the shots will necessarily have to undergo a post-production processing that will allow us to decode the image file. Decoding the proprietary RAW file is the first step. Bringing out the best exposure, colors, contrast, sharpness, and white balance are some of the most common ”editing“ steps that we need to take to bring out the best in the images. Whenever necessary, when clients request for it, or when it is part of the expected end-result for the photographs, we apply skillful localized editing to selected images to create final digital image file output. We use the best tools to do the job. We do our work on the Mac platform. We use Apple’s Aperture and Adobe’s Photoshop CS3, among other professional-grade software, in handling our digital imaging workflow that process the images from start to finish, from shooting to editing, from output and archiving.

• Who selects the photos?

We give the client the first opportunity to select the photo images to be worked on or to be printed. And since we shoot a lot of photos per session, anywhere between 600 to 2,500 good shots, we like to give our clients the chance to take a look at all the shots that has been taken and to trim down selections from there. Making selects is a tedious process, and asking the client to help us trim down the number gives us a certain focus as to what the client wants or what the client may be looking for in images. Giving the client a hand in the selection process gives us valuable insight into the perception, perspective and priorities of the client. From there, we can take the cue on how to proceed. The client, in other words, is giving us a ”road sign“ that leads to the project’s successful completion. In some cases, however, we are the ones who plow through the selection process, and we offer our trimmed-down recommendation to our client. This usually happens with clients who do not have a lot of time to waste and who simply trust our judgement in selecting the best images. This is usually the case with those with whom we’ve already worked with for quite number of times in the past, and we’ve developed an internal selection process that works for them.

• Who edits the photos? What kind of edits do you do?

In the course of our standard and normal post-production, we push the images to 2 of our in-house digital boys, Almond and Reggie, who promptly puts the workflow in motion. We have established a systematic workflow and they efficiently move the images step-by-step through the process. Similar to steps in a production line, and depending on the needs of the client, the images may end up in many different formats ranging from coverted digital files, enhanced final images, or actual prints. The efficiency of our post-production workflow is designed to speed up the process and meet the deadlines set by our clients. There are also projects whose post-production workflow are directly handled, either initially, fully or partially, by Dominique James and Renzo Sen themselves. These are either projects on an extremely tight deadline and post-production must be implemented immediately after the photo shoot, or, these are personal projects for fine art photo exhibition and requires the personal attention of the photographers themselves. Dominique James and Renzo Sen also takes up the post-production work whenever the images are highly sensitive such as those of adult nature. To systematize the post-production process, we’ve instituted a 5-level photo editing setup that ranges from ”no enhancement“ to ”major enhancement.“ We assign an editing level at the point when images are handed over for post-production. Special instructions are provided when necessary, and, on-the-spot training are conducted by Dominique James and Renzo Sen on how to best conduct post-production work on a case-to-case basis. The continuous learning process via just-in-time ”technology transfer“ assures clients that the post-production processes employed correspond to the industry’s best practices and/or cutting edge styles and techniques. And, the tools that we use, both hardware and software, are all top-of-the-line and continuously updated as well.

• Where are the photos printed?

Photo print orders in large quantities and in standard sizes ranging from wallet sizes up to about 8x10 are sent to any one of our 2 suppliers that handles our digital commercial printing requirements. We’ve established a quality control and a color-managed workflow with these 2 suppliers. Outsourcing the digital commercial printing allows us to keep the printing costs on quantity orders at the lowest price points possible. Fine art large format photo prints are all done in-house at The Playground. We use 2 Epson large format printers that handles the big-sized c-prints. We can print on all sorts and textures of photo papers, fine art papers, or any art-surfaced media that is 44 inches in width. Other special print requirements such as tarpaulin prints, sticker prints, life-size cut-out cardboard prints, see-through glass prints, among others, are referred to our other suppliers. Our clients have the option of handling the prints themselves or we can handle the print requirements in behalf of our clients with no addition of a ”management fee“.

• Why are your photo prints so expensive?

The prices of our photo prints are different, slightly higher actually, than the rates offered by standard commercial printers at the malls because our clients are paying for the ”intellectual property“ content and component of the photo images (what’s printed on it) rather than just the cost of the materials of the print itself.

• Do you do framing?

Yes, we handle custom framing of fine art photo prints. We offer a wide selection of beautifully and elegantly designed frames in various type of materials, various colors and textures of acid-free mats (double, single or triple), and a choice of either glare-free or clear glass. The combination of your selections will personalize the framing and perfectly suit your style. Prices for frames are quoted on a per project basis. Custom-framing takes about 5 working days. Contact Agnes of The Playground for actual price quotation on custom-framing. Also, make sure you inquire about possible exclusive and limited-time-only promotional offers such as discounts and freebies when inquiring about our professional framing services.

• Do you do album layout and actual photo albums?

Yes, we do creative photo album layouts and we can directly handle and oversee the production of actual photo albums. Our photo albums range from personal casual give-away photo albums to formal wedding albums. Specs and pricing of the photo album layout design, printing and materials costs are available upon request. To see samples, and to receive actual price quotation, please contact Agnes of The Playground. Also inquire about the number of working days it will take to complete the album design and printing/album-making. Also, make sure you inquire about possible exclusive and limited-time-only promotional offers such as discounts and freebies when inquiring about our professional album layout design and album-making services.

• Do you exhibit your works?

Yes, we exhibit a selection of our works. Normally, our photo exhibits are based on certain themes. To date, Dominique James have already showcased his works in more than 50 solo and group exhibits. Renzo Sen’s award-winning photographs, on the other hand, have been featured and publicly presented in more than a dozen photography exhibitions and shows. The photographs for exhibition usually revolves around certain artistic themes, riveting story arcs, or, conceptual styles. Depending on the photographer’s artistic inspiration, it can actually be anything and everything that can feature the photographers’ both public and private works. In the past, the subjects exhibited include botanicals, triumph over breast cancer, the advantages of breast-feeding, beauty portraits, among others. Venues for photography exhibition includes art galleries and museums. The photo exhibits are accompanied by special events such as lecture series and the sale of fine art photo prints. New photography exhibitions are currently being organized. Watch out for the public announcement of these exclusive upcoming photography shows.

• Where can I see your photos online?

For starters, the photographs created by Dominique James and Renzo Sen are available for viewing at the following online places:

1. ‣ Dominique James Official Photography Blog
   

2. ‣ Dominique James Flickr Gallery
   

3. ‣ The Playground Official Website
   

4. ‣ The Playground Multiply Networking Site
   

These online sites are updated very regularly. New, exciting and fresh contents are posted at least once a week. Dominique James and Renzo Sen are also active in some other online venues, and you can read their comments and view their photographs at the following sites:

1. ‣ Philippine Macintosh Users Group
   

2. ‣ PodCentral
   

3. ‣ iMag Photography Magazine
   

Dominique James is also a regular contributor to the following websites:

1. ‣ O’Reilly Digital Media’s Inside Aperture
   

2. ‣ The Aperture Professional Network
   

3. ‣ The Macintosh Development Center
   

There are many more websites where you can see the photographs created by Dominique James and Renzo Sen. To check out these other online features, do a simple Google or Yahoo search. Enjoy!

• Have your works appeared in newspapers or magazines?

Yes. Our photographs and our other works have already been published in newspapers and magazines. The pictures we create are constantly featured in almost all major newspapers and magazines. We see them come out almost every day.

• What is the best way to get in touch with you?

Getting in touch with us is very easy. We are very accessible via our published contact information. We make sure that we are easily reachable. For your reference, our complete contact information is:

1. The Playground
   

2. Professional Photography Studios
   

3. The Penthouse
   

4. 5th Floor, Solid House Building
   

5. 2285 Don Chino Roces Avenue
   

6. (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension)
   

7. Makati City, Metro Manila
   

8. 1231 Philippines
   

9. Phone/s: + 63 2 812 21 79 and  + 63 2 843 15 11 Ext. 873
   

10. Mobile/s: + 63 917 373 80 37 and + 63 917 934 55 82
    

11. Website - http://www.theplaygroundstudios.com
    

12. Email - fun@theplaygroundstudios.com
    

If you leave us a message, we will make sure that we respond to you right away. And it’s sooner than you think.

• Have you done catalogs?

Yes. A number of them. We’ve done both domestic and international catalogs featuring product lines such as apparel, footwear, accessories, as well as collectible and special-interest items.

• What are the ads you have done?

We’ve done countless print ads. Some of these print ads are products, services and offerings from companies such as Globe, Smart, Sun Cellular, Rustan’s, SM Shoemart, Ayala Center, Apple Computers, Beer Na Beer, Colgate, etc.

• Do you do corporate shoots?

Yes. We’ve done annual reports for Philamlife Insurance, Nippon Life Insurance, Solid Group, Samsung, Avon, and others. We take portraits of top-level executives exclusively for their annual reports and for use in all internal and public communications. Our executive portraits represent the real face of the corporations.

• Do you “photoshop” your photos?

Yes. Our photographs routinely pass through a standard post-production workflow. Since we take pictures in RAW mode, this format dictates that we follow a particular post-production conversion process before the proprietary code can be translated and read by the software we use to view the image and apply other necessary updates and/or client-dictated changes. Nowadays, it is almost impossible for professionally produced photographs not to pass through some kind of “Photoshop” work. The nature of the digital image files dictate that certain post-production work should be done to bring out the best in the photos. So yes, we “photoshop” our photographs.

• How do you charge, and what are your rates?

We do not have a standard table of charges or a menu of services with exact rates for each item. Almost all of our charges are computed on a per project basis. We must first be able to know the actual and exact scope of the job before being able to provide the correct quote. This usually involves talking at length to the client so we can figure out exactly what needs to be done, and the best way to achieve it. Once a lot of the details have been threshed out, and with a clear picture of the photography requirement, it is now time to draw up the figures. We base our computation on the combination of any or all of the following factors: the location of the shoot, the number of layouts, the requirement per layout, the length of time it will take to do the shoot, the people involved in the shooting session/s, the breadth and depth of post-production work involved, the usage of the final images. Sometimes, there are specific additional costs that must be included as well, for example, coverage for security if it is on location, and even, catering, should the shoot take longer than the standard number of working hours.

• Do you accept credit cards?

No.

• Can we pay in check or should we pay in cash?

Yes, you can pay in either cash or currently dated check. Address check payment to: Dominique James and/or Renzo Sen.

• Do you offer terms?

Our terms is full payment upon signing of memorandum of agreement.

[Note: Didn’t find the questions, and the answers, you were looking for? It’s easy. you can ask us all the questions you want to ask at fun@theplaygroundstudios.com. And we will answer them all. And also post them here. Email us now. Thank you.]