TFP (Time for Prints)

I am sometimes able to offer Time for Prints; contact me if you are interested.. This page explains the concept of TFP and gives other general advice for models. Please do not solely rely on the information here but use it help you become better informed about modelling.Time for Prints (or CD) is basically co-operation for mutual benefit between a model and photographer.

The model puts in her/his time, resources and effort. The photographer does the same. No fee changes hands. Both the model and the photographer cover their own expenses and benefit from each other's skills and talents. As the name suggests the model's fee consists of photographic prints or digital images. TFP/CD is meant to be a low budget affair. More often than not, the model will be required to do her (his) own hair and make-up and supply her (his) own clothes.

Approach a prints for time shoot with professionalism. You should of course have fun but a good photographer is not going to want to waste his time. In my case I could be using several thousand pounds worth of equipment exclusively on your shoot. There has to be a shared balance of responsibilities. Don't expect the photographer to do all the work and do not expect the photographer to treat the shoot simply as a free portfolio shoot for you. You should not have to pay any money to the photographer! The only exception to this rule is when you want to buy additional prints or digital images, but you should always receive some free photographs. Although how much post shoot processing is included will be open to discussion.

The model should have no expenses other than travel (I am only two hours by train outside London) and the normal expenses involved in 'looking good'. You should bring a pre-agreed selection of your own clothes and bring your own make-up kit. I welcome models who want to explore their own ideas with me and who want to contribute their own ideas. If you believe that modeling is simply standing around and having your photograph taken then you have not understood what it is about! If you haven't had much experience, it is not a bad idea to learn from your mirror image. Watch how you move, turn, sit and read your own facial expressions. Learn how different moods affect your body language. You should have a range of poses ready, poses that can be developed, as the basis for some truly exciting photographs.

It is also important that you feel relaxed and comfortable at a shoot. A photographer should always work and behave in a most professional manner. He should respect you and your profession, if you are unused to the studio he should explain why he is doing something - such as holding a light meter close to your face. Under no circumstances should he touch you (without asking your permission for example to move a stray hair) or make suggestive comments about you. If you encounter behaviour of this nature or in any way feel uncomfortable - make your excuses and leave! That said there does need to be a certain level of rapport between a model and photographer but remember you are just acting to the camera.

I always recommend that models bring a friend to a first shoot (this is particularly helpful if they can assist with makeup etc.). If you have any queries just ask me. The following page of advice about safety etc. is from the web site of a model I know. She has kindly allowed me to include it below.

Safety On line and off
When meeting photographers online, always ask them to forward you at least two references (e.g. email addresses of other models s/he has worked with) and a URL to their online portfolio. If they can't supply both, forget them Here's a good page of info on avoiding scams and staying safe.

If they have no references (i.e. no experience) then, at best, they will be so inexperienced that the photos won't be much better than what you could just get a friend, parent or partner to take of you. There are lot of 'GWCs' (Guys With Cameras) about online. While not necessarily dangerous, they like to get naive models to pose for them just to collect a range of photos for their private collection. On a practical note, they are shit photographs, too! If someone's online 'portfolio' seems to consist entirely of snapshots of nervous looking women in compromising situations in someone's crappy looking bedroom... need I say more?

Don't ever think that you have to accept an offer from a substandard photographer because you're "new" or you "need" photos. You'll get good photos eventually, so just be patient and don't do anything you'll regret later. Similarly, don't ever let a photographer attempt to pressurise you into posing in ways that you're not comfortable with, even if you did agree to it beforehand! It might feel a little embarrassing to have to refuse outright, but you'll thank yourself later. Always bring a parent/ friend/ partner with you when meeting a photographer for the first time. You wouldn't normally agree to turn up at the house of a stranger you met on the internet all by yourself, take off your clothes and let them tie you up, right? Make sure your chaperone is happy to sit quietly, without fidgeting, or wait in the next room, and not try to chip in with their advice on how to make the shoot better, or in any other way cause distractions! I usually prefer it if my boyfriend waits in the next room and reads a book or something, because even though he sits still and keeps shtum, I always find myself looking at him! Remember that unless agreed to the contrary, the photographs are the legal property of the photographer. This means that you cannot use them for commercial ends without permission, and perhaps even more importantly, that they can sell them to whoever they like. It is best to have a clear TFP/CD agreement.

If you ever feel threatened, intimidated, frightened or are in any other way concerned for your safety at a shoot, then leave immediately. It's always better to be too vigilant, than not vigilant enough. Remember your mobile phone. Don't give out personal information online. No-one needs to know your bank details, see photos of you naked to see if you have what it takes to be a FASHION model, or details about your personal life, whatever they say. I recommend setting up a separate email address to deal with modeling stuff, so you don't have to give out your personal one. Having said all this, don't get arsey with photographers (or anyone else you're working with) for not treating you like a celebrity, because you can always be replaced!

Be Careful Out There!
You cannot buy star status. So don't believe anyone who says they can do 'this' or 'that' in return for a fee. If you have the potential to be a model today well you will still have it next week. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING IMMEDIATELY. Think carefully about how you were approached was in a crowded street? How many others were being approached?

Scouting scams are common. The idea is very simple. People are told that they have the potential to be models. The plan is to get the victim to sign up for any number of things which will cost hundreds of pounds (if not more). In the main you will be invited to a 'test shoot'; but will have to pay a lot of money for the photographs for 'your portfolio'.

Money to go on their books. Model agencies are not allowed to charge you money just to go onto their books but some of them do it anyway.... they may manage to stay just within the law by charging you a fee (sometimes a very high one) for publicity - putting your face on their web site or in their brochure, their wall chart or whatever. The way that honest agencies usually work is that they will only charge you a percentage of your earnings (usually around 20-25%) and this is perfectly O.K. The dishonest ones aren't interested in finding you any work so there won't be any earnings for you and they won't be getting any commission - and that's why they want you to pay them up front! How to check Don't bother to check, just make sure that you don't pay any money up front for any reason!

Training Courses. You don't need an expensive training course to be a model, either you've got it or you haven't! These courses are a complete waste of your money.

Premium rate telephone calls. It's illegal to make would-be models use a premium rate phone No. (starting with 090) but some agencies try to get round this by making the models use a premium rate number once they've registered - usually the calls are from the models asking why they haven't been offered any work yet, and they may be kept hanging on the phone for ages, which will bump up the cost! This may or may not be legal but it is certainly dishonest! We know of one so-called 'model agency' which uses all of the above scams! They charged one model we know £116 to join them, then kept sending her 'special offers' on training courses she didn't need. Then they wrote to tell her that she had won a free model portfolio. It was only the photography that was free and her father ended up paying £500 for the prints - the photos were useless anyway and were more like glamour makeover portraits than portfolio shots. When she rang up to complain she had to use their premium rate No., and as they kept her hanging on and on.... that cost her another £45. This 'agency' doesn't seem to try very hard to get work for their models, and because they offer their models' services at well over twice the normal rate they don't get very much work for their models - but they don't need to find work because they scam their models! This particular 'agency' advertises extensively and are believed to defraud many thousands of models a year!

Portfolio photos (known in the trade as 'a book'). Agencies do need to have photos of course, but the dishonest ones will tell you that they should be taken by their own photographer. The photos are usually overpriced and very poor quality. In addition to this they may refuse to let you have any extra prints (or they may charge you a fortune for extra prints) so that you can't take them to other agencies. Some of the more subtle conmen will offer to take the photos 'to help you out' but say that they will be happy to accept suitable photos produced by another professional - but if you actually take them up on that and go to another photographer they will tell you the photos aren't good enough! Model assessment Here you pay them a fee to be 'assessed' for your suitability as a model. Charging you for this assessment is illegal, so they try to make it legal by taking a couple of snapshots and charging you for the photos instead. How to check. Model assessment is something that all reputable agencies do as a matter of course, and they do it free! Our advice is to avoid anyone who wants to charge you for this.

The Shoot
Come to a shoot with clean hair and skin that is free of makeup and products. Remember to remove any hair that you don't want the camera to see in plenty of time. You can shave at the last minute of course, but if you prefer to wax then you'll need to do this a couple of days in advance so you don't still have the waxing rash when you turn up! Give yourself a manicure and a pedicure, paint your nails, if necessary, and pluck your eyebrows. Get a facial 4-7 days in advance (depending on how long it usually takes for your skin to settle down afterwards). Trim off any split ends, and if you dye your hair, make sure you have 'done' your roots. Don't turn up looking a mess on the principle that the photographer ought to spend hours on end airbrushing the photos to death to save you a bit of time in the salon/ bathroom! Find out in advance whether there will be a stylist and/ or MUA (makeup artist) at the shoot, so you know whether or not you're expected to bring your own styling stuff and makeup, and do it yourself. If you are, try and do as much as you reasonably can in advance to save time when you get there.

I always bring the following to shoots: flesh coloured tights, flesh coloured stockings, black tights, black stockings, black knickers, a suspender belt, flesh coloured G string, flesh coloured bra with removable straps, black high heels... and a packed lunch. Modeling is surprisingly hard work and you'll need your energy! I also wear a comfortable dress and no bra when I travel to shoots, so I won't have marks on my skin from the clothes.

Find out in advance if you're expected to bring anything in particular, like clothes, shoes or props. If you get any new body modifications between the time you arranged to shoot with the photographer and the time you arrive at the shoot, tell them. If you know that you tend to get spots when you're on your period, then don't arrange shoots at those times. If you can't make it, or you're going to be late, let the photographer know as soon as possible.