Steven DeVilbiss
Antfarm Photography | New York, New York, USA
studio[at]antfarmphotography.com | +1 (212) 353-3577
Q&A with Steven
How did you get into taking pictures for a living?
It all started when…
Tell me about your 360º photography studio setup! For starters, what kind of camera do you shoot with?
I shoot with a PhaseOne. The studio is about 1000 square feet. I have this really cool tent that makes it easy to have clean, perfect reflections. It took a long time to design and build it from scratch, but it was worth the effort.
What type of products are you particularly good at creating 360º views of? Do you have a specialty?
Shoes and apparel – that’s my bread and butter!
Describe your ideal client for shooting a 360º view.
I love working with small to medium sized companies that like to stay fresh and keep things fun.
For 360º photography, do you prefer shooting in high volume or low volume?
We’re probably somewhere in the middle, maybe leaning on the high volume side a bit. Although we’re fast, image consistency matters a lot to our clients so we take the extra time to make sure the lighting and everything perfectly matches the photo shoot from a few months ago. The images on their website have took consistent, so we spend a little extra time making sure it’s perfect.
What kind of things do you do for fun? You know, outside of work?
I jump out of airplanes dressed in a gorilla costume. When I’m not doing that I’m riding my BMW R850R motorcycle or backpacking in Big Sur. I’m trying to get into surfing right now, too.
Who are some clients you’ve done 360º photography work for?
NearSights – they are one of the top monocle companies in the US right now. Aetrex is another one – they were one of my very first clients and it’s pretty cool to still do work with them. We get along really well.
How does your pricing work for 360º product photography?
Oh, good question! I always shoot on a per product basis.
I usually do one free shoot as a demo. When I shoot it, I get out a stopwatch and record how long it takes. To run keep the doors open, I try to set my prices so I’m averaging $150 an hour. Once I know how long it takes to shoot a product, it’s pretty easy to calculate my rate. I shoot a lot of shoes and takes me about 20 minutes to shoot one, so I charge $50 for shooting a 360º view.
What’s a memorable project you’ve worked on in the past?
I shot a 360 view of a window once. It was so heavy – it really pushed my motorized 360º turntable to the limit! It weighted about 300 pounds, but I probably wouldn’t want to shoot something that heavy again!
What’s the best way for someone to get in touch with you?
Just shoot me an email! I’ll reply in a few hours as long as it’s not on the weekend. Nothing gets in the way of me and my surfboard!
Contact Steven
studio[at]antfarmphotography.com | +1 (212) 353-3577