Models for your photoshoot, free or TFP?

Saturday 8 August 2020, 14:41 by Frank Doorhof | 17,490 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Let's get straight to the point. Most photographers will do model photography largely on a TFP basis. This basically means Time For Print, where everyone, the photographer, model, and possibly make-up artist and stylist, puts time into the project and receives photos in return.

Although this is definitely fun and sounds fair, I do want to add a small note. If everything goes smoothly, this may not matter much, but if some friction arises, it is useful to keep this comparison clearly in mind.

Because I like having the landmark of my own village in my portfolio with a model, I did a TPF session with a model and stylist. I sent this photo to the local newspaper and was actually interviewed by phone.
With TFP, nobody pays anything. Everyone contributes knowledge and work, and the end result can be used by everyone. But I do want to add some nuance.

Paid TFP sessions?

We photographers are actually quite often the ones who lose out at, for example, 'shoot days'. The photographer often has to pay for these TFP sessions, while models and often a make-up artist are present. I have never really thought that was fair.

When you look at the time and costs involved, it is frankly rather strange that we photographers have to pay. We bring quite a lot of equipment, work our socks off with flashes, reflectors and so on.

And then at home we also spend a substantial part of our free time behind the computer editing the photos.

Make-up artists use a fair amount of materials and naturally spend quite some time on it too. But what costs does the model actually have? Exactly, you get the point.

It seems only logical to me that we pay the make-up artist, but the model also benefits enormously from it. So the next time you attend or organise a 'shoot day', it might be useful to turn it into a genuine 'we all pay for it' day.

Why this somewhat negative introduction?

Well, I think the next sentence will sound very familiar to you: 'but what about travel expenses?' And that is why I have given the information above. As a photographer, you can calmly point out that you make a substantial investment in every session and also spend a lot of time on it afterwards, so if someone has to be paid...

Finding models

'Where do you find models?' I think that is one of the questions I hear most often. And yet the answer is quite simple: 'everywhere'.

I have literally found fantastic models in the street, in restaurants, but also through a hairdresser or online. You just need to be open to it and, of course, dare to approach someone and ask whether they would like to model for you.

That is quite a big step, but I can guarantee that the worst that can happen is that they say 'No'. Well, if that is the worst thing, why don't you dare?

I must honestly say that I usually just give them a card, mentioning that we are always looking for new models and that they should visit the website. I usually add something like 'we rarely give out cards, so don't forget to look online even if you are not interested'. That last part can be especially important.

They will often throw the cards away or forget about them. But with that comment, 'even if you are not interested', you still trigger some curiosity. And perhaps, once they look at your website, they will change their mind after all. So make sure you have a good portfolio.

Model Janine, found through someone I knew
Many of my course participants also work with models. Sometimes there is a girl among them who I think would be suitable for my workshops. I then ask her for a free test session and, if we get on, we do more together, such as hiring her for a workshop.

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