How To Book A TFP Shoot With A Photographer

How To Book A TFP Shoot With A Photographer

On 01.13.09, In How To, by AristotleOlay

As a new model and fresh face in the fashion industry, you’re probably in the beginning stages of developing your portfolio book. Your goal is the to get the best images possible, without breaking the bank.

Although it’s good practice to pay a professional photographer in your city to take your photos, you may be able to get great images in your portfolio by shooting with other up-and-coming photographers in what’s called a TFP / TFCD photoshoot.

TFP is an acronym for “Time For Print”, but has also been referred to as “Trade For Print” which has since evolved into TFCD –meaning “Trade for CD”. In a TFP photoshoot or a TFCD shoot, you as a model trade your time with a photographer to shoot and produce images that can be used your modeling portfolio and the photographer’s portfolio. You don’t pay the photographer for your shots. The photographer doesn’t pay you for the time you’ve spent working on the shoot.

Q. So how do I book a TFP shoot with a photographer?
A. There’s a few ways to book a TFP shoot with a photographer.

Ask photographers directly if you they shoot TFP. Photographers are often updating their portfolios. Google search photogs in your area. Visit their websites and see if they make reference to their availability to TFP shoots. If they openly decline TFP requests, or state that they’re only accepting paid shoots, then do not ask them to shoot a TFP shoot.
Join an online modeling community. Online communities like ModelMayhem and OneModelPlace are a great place to meet other models, photographers, and fashion professionals like makeup artists, and wardrobe stylists. You can usually search for photographer profiles and read up on their availibility to take on TFP shoots. For models browsing ModelMayhem, rather than contact photographers directly, you may have better luck booking TFP shoots by placing a casting call for photographers. Make sure you post good headshots and full body shots in your own portfolios so that photogs will know what they are working with.
Search Craiglists. Searching the classified ads of Craigslists for TFP opportunities may help you find photographers that are casting models for their portfolios. Make you sure respond with links to your current modeling portfolio, and your shoot availability.

Keep in mind, when meeting with anyone from any online community you do your research on the photographer, and see what other models they’ve worked with. Ask other fashion professionals for their review on the photog, his or her personality, and their shooting style. This will allow you to find the right photographer and be safe at the same time.

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AristotleOlay

My name is Aristotle. I'm a fashion writer and photographer. I'm almost 30 and shoot many of subjects using really cheap and sometimes disposable cameras. These days I write for FASHIFY to share my experience with other fashion professionals.

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Modeling Chooses Beauty Or Do You Choose Yourself? – FASHIFY.com – FASHION Magazine – Atlanta & Miami

01.13.09

[...] to check out your local Photographers for TFP shoots and your communities event coordinators, women’s groups and boutiques for your own modeling [...]