
Thank you for your interest in working with Epoch Moment X:
We need to get your portfolio set up and send you a few things before we can start sending work your way. Check your email for some simple steps to get everything in order and set up. Don’t worry, as soon as this part is done it gets easier… And more fun.
Here’s what’s coming.
- Fill out the starting form for bio info, logo, and profile image
- Schedule an online or in-person with Adam Hebert, our CEO and Founder
- Fill out the W-9 form for taxes
- Gmail and Calendar Set up for availability and scheduling
- Send RAW images for portfolio set up
- Verify that all info is correct and working (bio, calendar, links, availability)
- Invite to a private Facebook Group so we can easily communicate and offer gigs
Fill out your W-9 and send it back to Epoch Moment X:
Why do we need a w-9?
- IRS Form W-9, is a one-page IRS tax document that individuals and businesses use to send the correct taxpayer identification number to other individuals, clients, banks, and financial institutions. Most often, when you’re a self-employed contractor, you send it to someone so that they can then send you back Form 1099, which you need to submit to the IRS if someone paid you more than $600 this year.
- The form you download is a pdf, and can be filled out on your computer.
The password for the form is epochxw9
That’s it!
If you filled out a digital version in Adobe, we’ll see your form on our end and let you know if anything was missed or if we need additional information.
If you downloaded a W-9, fill it out and send it to hello@epochmoment.com
Thank you!
Code of Conduct Contract:
Why do we have you sign a Code of Conduct Contract?
While you’re on a session with any of our clients you are representing both YOUR business AND OURS.
The Code of Conduct Contract simply lays out how we run our business and our general procedures and operations. In order to do work with us we want to clearly illustrate how we do business and have a general understanding between you and us of how we treat our clients and how we generally do business.
Any questions or concerns regarding the Code of Conduct Contract can be addressed in your initial meeting with Adam, or reach out to us at any time.
Create a Google Account and Google Calendar:
Why do we need this?
- We use Google calendar to link your blocked days to our booking calendar system. So, the blocked days on your linked calendar will be blocked on our booking calendar.
- You get to manage your blocked days at any time to free up or block your schedule accurately.
Click here to see how to Set up your Google Account
Click here to see How to Set up a Gmail Account
If you already have a Google or Gmail account you can skip this step.
Next, Create a Google Calendar (click for instructions)
- Create a specific calendar to block your unavailable days and times.
- Name it “Your Name Calendar”
- Share your calendar with hello@epochmoment.com
Manage the available/blocked days and times on your calendar:
We will verify your calendar is linked and working properly soon. For now, you can manage your time and set the days and times you’re not available.
The calendar is what links your available and blocked days in our booking system. Our system reads your BLOCKED days and times and a client schedules around that.
So, if you work a 9 to 5 job, enter that into your availability calendar as blocked from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. (or whatever times/days you do not want to book sessions).
Be sure to add your blocked days/times as ‘busy’ on your calendar. By default, Google will mark any full days (no times set) as ‘free’ so be sure that you change full days to ‘busy’ so it blocks the whole day on your calendar.
You can manage your blocked days at any time and schedule them for as far out as you need.
- The blocked days/times on your calendar are important to maintain correctly so that the clients can accurately view available dates and times for you and all of the photographers on one calendar. If schedules are not correct, clients can book a date and time when no photographers are available.
How to find and claim available sessions:
Here’s how it all works:
- A client chooses the session type and city close to where they want the session (Denver, Pueblo, or Colorado Springs).
- That creates an ‘available job’ for that session type and city area.
- If a specific photographer was requested, we contact that photographer to confirm the booking.
- If no specific photographer was requested, we post the session as available in the appropriate Slack Channel chat.
- All qualified photographers for that area and session type get a notification that a job is available.
- The first photographer to claim it in the Slack chat, gets it.
Once a job is claimed and the session contract is signed, we’ll delete the chat thread. If no contract is signed, the job will be marked as still available.
How to use Basecamp to book sessions:
We’ll hopefully grow large enough to require an app to be built to make this part a little smoother. But we’re not there yet, so for now, we’re using a free phone and web app called Basecamp that works well on both Android and iOS.
Basecamp is a way we can have a Project (chat room) and calendar for every session type in each city area. Inside Basecamp we can post available work, communicate, link calendars, and offer sessions to anyone invited to that specific Project.
Here’s how this works:
- Install Basecamp onto your phone or computer or both.
- We’ll invite you to the Project as a client in your selected city areas and the session type you’re qualified to shoot.
- EX: You’re qualified to shoot senior sessions in Pueblo, so we invite you to the “Seniors | Pueblo” channel.
- If you travel, you are also invited to the other city area would like to work in (Seniors | Colorado Springs, etc).
- Turn your notifications in Basecamp on so you get notified when we post in the Projects.
- When a client books a session we put that available session in the appropriate Basecamp Project (Seniors | Colorado Springs, Family | Pueblo, etc).
- If the client requested a specific photographer, they are sent a direct message in Basecamp or email to offer them the session first.
- If that photographer denies the job or does not respond, the session gets offered to all photographers in the appropriate Project.
- The Session date, time, and location are announced in the Basecamp Project as available work.
- The first photographer to claim the session – books it.
- If they then fail to sign the session contract within 12 hours, the job will be made available again in the Project.
- Once the Session Contract is signed and the client successfully matched to the photographer, the job is then added to the Project calendar for the matched photographer and the job thread is deleted or closed.
You can be invited to multiple Basecamp Projects:
You’ll be invited or added to the Basecamp Project for the area where you operate (Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo) aligned with each of the session types you’re qualified to shoot.
- For example: If you’re a qualified Family Photographer who shoots in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo, you will be invited into the ‘Family | Pueblo’ and ‘Family | Colorado Springs’ Basecamp Projects.
- You’ll receive notifications for any available work posted on both of those channels.
How to upload RAW files for your portfolio:
We’ll send you a link to a shared Drive folder so you can upload images for your portfolio. This Drive folder is unique to you so only your photos will be uploaded to it. This is the same Drive folder you’ll use to upload RAW session files, so save the link somewhere so you can easily find it later on.
Inside the Drive folder, you will see another folder called “portfolio” – This is obviously where you upload files for your portfolio.
- Upload 5 to 10 RAW files for each session category you intend to shoot (Seniors, family, etc)
- These MUST be RAW files as we will be editing them before posting them on your portfolio.
- NO edits and NO Jpegs will be accepted
- Then we’ll download, edit, and post all of the photos on your portfolio page.
- We may update your portfolio page from time to time with new client images, or upon your request.
Why do we need RAW files and not jpegs?
- RAW files hold a lot more data than jpegs and allow for fine-tuned editing whereas jpegs are files designed for sharing online or printing instead of editing.
Why does Epoch Moment X edit the RAW files for the photographers’ portfolios?
- The Epoch Moment X system is set up in a way where you (the photographers) shoot the session, and we (Epoch) handle all of the editing and delivery. So in order to properly represent our complete service, we needed to edit the files to our branded styles so the client receives the quality of edits that they’re hiring through the Epoch brand.
- It also allows us consistency in deliverables and editing styles.
Photographer’s flat pay rates per session:
We’ll make every effort to keep this page updated, but pay rates are subject to change at any time and this page may or may not be updated at the time of viewing it.
Family Session
Couples Session
Seniors Session
Headshots
Maternity Session
Newborn Session
Boudoir Session
Events
Pay rates last updated on: 2/11/2023