WebModels and THETA message boards are for models, photographers, agents, managers, and others associated with the modeling industry.
| |
THETA Sensual Arts Modeling Forum
For TFP to be successful ...
Posted By: Doug Lester (66.32.76.95)
In Response To: TFP?
Location: Atlanta
Date: Thursday, 18 March 2004, at 10:14 a.m.
(Dianne Bennett)
For a TFP session to be successful, both the model and the photographer should gain something "of value". For a novice photographer, shooting with a highly experienced model will difinately be of value. He/she will learn something and get better images than from shooting a next door neighbor. But the experienced model will probably gain little. In the reverse, a novice model shooting with an experienced, skilled photographer, she'll learn and definately get better images than those shot by her boyfriend. The experienced shooter can guide the model into poses she never knew existed and maybe teach her something about addressing the camera and how to react to light.
When clients come into the picture and the images are being shot for a paying client, or the sale of the pix is reasonably anticipated, then in my opinion, TFP just aint appropriate. In those cases, the model should be paid. A few years ago, a model emailed me, saying she had been doing TFP's for almost two years and wondered when it would be appropriate to begin asking for pay. Her sample photos were all godawful, so she had not benefited from her TFP sessions at all. I suggested she find a few experienced shooters in her area and offer TFP to get some quality images. She did and within a very short period of time, was making a bit of money. On the other hand, several years ago I did commercial work and had some occasions to do a few shoots with agency models who were on their first assignment. For their first gig, the client paid each a full day rate.
TFP is a sort of a bastard concept, which grew from the original concept of 'testing. A test took place when a photographer had some new piece of equipment to test before using it in a paying shoot, or maybe a new technique he wanted to try. Agencies sent new models to photographers they knew to 'test' how the new model would look on film. In each case, the model got one or two prints, if the test was successful. Then came the internet and 'testing' grew into a thing in and of itself.
No one is ever obligated to do TFP. Do it when you have reason to believe you will gain quality images or when it's with someone you want to shoot with. You are under no obligation to accept TFP sessions and the world will not end if you request cash. What follows that is called negotiation! Keep in mind though that artistic work rarely pays and even more rarely pays well. The profit margin is just not there.
| |
THETA Sensual Arts Modeling Forum is maintained by David Blewett with WebBBS 5.12.
©Copyright 1996-2006 THETalentAlliance.com. All rights reserved.
Site Design by DaBlue