Stopholt

How holds work, and why you should place one early

First, second and third holds, the five-day clock and the 24-hour challenge — the studio calendar explained in plain terms.

Most of our stage bookings start as holds. A hold costs nothing; it tells us you are likely to shoot on a date and puts you in line for it. Here is how the line works.

Holds rank in order

The first production to ask for a date gets the first hold. The next gets a second hold, then a third. Our calendar shows which days already carry holds, so you know where you would land before you ask.

Five business days, then a decision

  • A hold lasts five business days.
  • If a second-hold production is ready to confirm, we call the first hold and give them 24 hours to confirm or release.
  • A hold becomes a booking when the deposit is paid and your certificate of insurance is on file.
A photographer and a sitter on a stool in the middle of a white cyc studio.
STAGEC 01ADemo photo: Tima Miroshnichenko
Stage One on a portrait day.

Place a hold as soon as you have a likely date. Releasing one is a single email, and nobody is charged for it.