Anyone who isn’t a professional photographer, a professional model, or associated with anything in the photography industry wouldn’t know what TFP is. You see some photographers and as well models going around talking about TFP. As a photographer, I will speak of that to give you a better idea of what TFP is all about! Before I get into it, TFP stands for Trade For Print or Time For Print. What is that, you ask? There are different compensation for both photographer and model such as is it paid? If it is paid, that would mean that the model will pay the photographer for pictures or the photographer will pay the model for pictures, or if it is TFP, that would mean that the photographer offers the model a free photoshoot to help a model out to build or update their portfolio as a model in exchange that the photographer has the right to use these pictures for their portfolio as well so to help out each other. Sometimes you will see models going around photographers asking for a photo shoot that is TFP, and sometimes you will see photographers will go around offering TFP photoshoots to models or anyone. In simple words TFP (Trade For Print or Time For Print), it’s a free trade for both photographer and model.
I hope you understand TFP (Trade For Print or Time For Print). I want to talk a bit about that. To read more about TFP and get an even better idea, I recommend reading about TFP from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_for_print.
In the photography industry, as a photographer myself since the year 2013, I see a lot more TFP photo shoots than paid photo shoots. TFP is great for both photographers and models because doing that way helps each other to grow equally at no cost. Photographers take pictures of the model(s) at no cost. Models do the work at no charge for the photographers in exchange for the compensation that each other use these pictures at no cost (such as posting on social media, putting them on our portfolio, or having them printed depending on if a photographer agrees to do so, etc.). It’s a great way for the photographer(s) and model(s) to collaborate.
If you are new or semi-new and want to be a model and make a living, ask the photographer for a TFP photo shoot. Some of them will do that, and some will not do that. Depending on my schedule, I would be more than happy to do it to help you as a model out. If you need some pictures for TFP, look for some photographers in your area and find their social media or website, then look at their social media to see if they make posts offering any TFP photo shoots. When photographers make a post on social media, make a flyer, or post on their website, they call it a “model call”. It is almost like a casting call for actors by directors or producers, but a model call is for models by photographers who look for some model(s) to do a photo shoot. As I said, depending on my schedule, I would be more than happy to do some TFP photo shoots, so be sure to follow me on social media or keep an eye on this website JoshiesPhotography.com. You can see all of my model calls by going to Info/Other > Announcements > Model Calls in the menu at the top of the website, or if you are on your phone, then click the hamburger icon (3 bars), and that will open up the menu. If you find a photographer offering a free photo shoot for TFP, be sure to read the details/information because some photographers will look for certain things, such as the color of hair, skin, the shape of a body, and whatnot. When photographers do a model call, they have an expectation since they are the one who offers a free photo shoot, but sometimes they don’t look for a distinct look and is open to anyone. As we as photographers do with our model calls, we are selective when it comes to picking which model we’d offer a free photoshoot to, so please read our model call and see if you fit in that detail or like the idea of what a photographer wants to do for the pictures. That is why we often ask that you submit some pictures of yourself (you can use your phone) to see if you are the one we envisioned for the pictures. Even if there is a model call made by a photographer who they are looking for a particular look, that does not mean that it’s not for you, so be sure to contact one of us because sometimes we will give out a free photoshoot to anyone in general for TFP or make an exception (such as if we look for black hair but you have a blonde hair then we might make an exception to that). Sometimes we do a general photo shoot for TFP too. Sometimes we do a model photoshoot for TFP, so keep an eye out for that because if you see the general photo shoot for TFP, then that means it’s open to anyone, but it will be on a first-come, first-served basis but on a model photoshoot for TFP is selective.
You can click this link to see Joshie’s Photography model calls: https://www.joshiesphotography.com/announcements/model-calls/
Joshie’s Photography on social media: https://www.joshiesphotography.com/social-media/
A tip for models
A tip for you model or as one who wants to be a model, if you keep using the same photographer for any pictures that an agency, business, or other needs some pictures from you, you will be well connected with that photographer where that photographer will help you out using that photographer’s connection that the photographer has. Sometimes free pictures, more paid gigs where photographers will search for a job gig for you that a business will pay you to wear their clothes, products, jewelry, etc., in the pictures, and they will pay the photographer separately for taking pictures of you wearing their stuff, so that would be a win-win for both of you. Building a relationship with your photographer is a good idea because by doing that, you would benefit from it. Of course, not every photographer is willing, as it depends on who the photographer is. Still, some photographers would be willing to work with you like a team – becoming more than just being your photographer by helping you become a model. I am one of them who is down to do that!
In the next blog post
In the next blog post here on Joshie’s Photography, I will be writing some tips for the models, such as photography agencies for the models, how models can make money themselves, how to find photographers in their area or to network with them, what exactly are models, who can be models and more so keep an eye out for that which will be published on Joshie’s Photography’s social media.
Joshie’s Photography.
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