TFP – ‘Time for Print’ – The Reality – In VERY SIMPLE terms!

TFP Tog / Stylist / H & MUA / Model / Designer etc – Please Consider – last updated 2017-03-13 @ 1800:

This article is designed to address the ‘TFP’ concept / mentality that exists, so very prevalently, in the Arts and Entertainment Industry.

1) CAUTION – do not be fooled by Photographers calling TFP Shoots Test Shoots now (As TFP has a bad name). A TEST SHOOT of a model is the photographer testing a Model for Commercial / Editorial work. No one gets free images in a Test Shoot, No one is allowed to use these images for Personal / Commercial Purposes etc – It’s  like a ‘trial shift’ to see how you work.  Otherwise it is simply a TFP shoot!

2) If an TFP seeking individual / New Business / Tight Budget etc approach yourselves for a TFP and, lets say, get the ‘TFP’ service they want.

3) Then they go and seek another ‘team’ to get another genre done for TFP (FREE) for the Benefit of ‘For your Port’ / ‘For your Experience’ / ‘For your Exposure’.

4) The process repeats itself – Ad Infinitum (Forever) – new Tog, New HMUA, New Stylist etc ‘For Their Port’ or ‘It will be Good Experience’ or “For Exposure’ or what ever else.

5) So – when your Port / Experience is Ready 6 months or 2 years later – there WILL BE a new (FRESH Unseen Faces, HMUA, Togs Sought after – re Models etc) crop of Artist’s behind you doing it for experience / port / cheaper etc whilst your (OVER EXPOSED, TFP Face – re Models) is now trying to get paid paid work, unsuccessfully. The TFP culture you helped promote is the same one killing your business endeavours now (other than getting paid to take your clothes off – re Models).

6) Models / HMUA Especially: Successful Models / HMUA  do NOT take up opportunities for lower paid campaigns (for exposure / images etc) as it dilutes there uniqueness and branding. The SAME effect as TFP does on the bottom end of the scale of modelling!

7) If you saw “Gigi Hadid”, for example, promoting everything and anything do you think big brands would approach / use her? I don’t think so as there would be no Freshness / Uniqueness / Attention Drawing  face to make people stop and take note of the Campaign. It would be a waste of time to use her! This is exactly what happens to TFP faces! They are of NO VALUE to any Serious Campaign.

8) Modelling TFP doing for it experience? Bollocks, video yourself modelling in your own room, review it critically, redo and keep going and it will achieve a MORE than 100 TFP shoots and save you hours in travel, makeup and clothes and time! Then cast for Editorials and Campaigns, with a still fresh and unique face, working with published and established professionals to launch your face and personal branding. Similarly with HMUA, do it on your friends (different skin types and ethnicity) and family for free to practice and they deserve it the most and then similarly cast for Editorials and Campaigns, with a still fresh and unique style and skill set ready to be selected and exposed through publications.

9) Why wouldn’t BIG COMPANY / BRAND Pty Ltd, or any one else, not do the SAME THING and call for TFP Tog, HMUA and STYLIST etc and say it will be good for their Port to say they have worked for / on a Project with BIG COMPANY / BRAND Pty Ltd? Where would ALL of us Artists be then?

10) H&MUA / Stylist / Designer / Model prepared to work for FREE for TFP Photographers BUT Expect PROFESSIONAL Photographers / HMUA / DESIGNERS / STYLISTS who could take them and their work to new levels to Pay them? HELLO!! Should be the other way around!

11) In REALITY, TFP Seekers,  ARE PAYING REAL MONEY for Materials for their products, Printing Business cards, Web Site Designs & Hosting, Rent, Gas, Electricity, Phone, Fuel, Mechanic, Plumber, Newspaper Adverts, Internet Connection, Mobile Plans , Rent, Car Repairs, Mortgage, Rates etc ALL ON THEIR TIGHT BUDGET … but NOT for ARTISTS … because they can always get them for FREE TFP … CRYING ‘TIGHT BUDGET’ and ‘I will Pay you for my next Gig’ .. and saying ‘Think of the Exposure’ … and If they don’t get it Free again .. They WILL just find ANOTHER Tog, HMUA, Stylists etc and sell the same DUD DEAL to them as the next team will also do it for the same reasons as the first team did … and so on ..

12) PLEASE VIEW BOTH VIDEO – WHY other Industries DO NOT OFFER, the Equivalent,  of TFP –
* AU Version – https://www.facebook.com/cameralla/videos/1327900990581419/
* USA Version – http://www.photographybay.com/2015/11/05/watch-what-happens-when-you-ask-non-creative-professionals-to-work-for-free/
* TEXTing / Messenger etc version – Experienced Every Day – literally – https://www.facebook.com/paulwilsonimages/videos/1345454408867711/?pnref=story

13) If you offer your services for free to people that would other wise pay for your services then it is is taking food out of your mouth and that of others in the industry.
If you want to practice – use people that are not interested in modelling or that would never look for / pay (for your service) and not because of lack of funds (but because they are NOT interested in those services) … Otherwise you will be making a name as free photographer / free hmua / free stylist / amateur etc and NOT Making MONEY / LIVING from your art – but from a Second Job. Using this this second job to survive and undermining (by doing TFP) people trying to make a living from their art – is just LOW!

14) Doing it for a Hobby / Amateur / Portfolio / Experience – Then Point 8) again applies

15) Bottom line why would ANYONE PAY ‘you’ when they know you do TFP and why shouldn’t, I as a potential client of yours, look for another that will do it for FREE for ‘Experience’ / ‘Portfolio’ etc.

16) Why would a client (another artist / industry outsider) want to ‘PAY’ you (as a Tog / HMUA / Stylist / Model) when they know you do TFP for their Competitors?

17) CAUTION – When you want to ‘TEST’ Lights / Lenses / Camera / Idea – Why do you ‘Require a Model & in Lingerie / Nude’ ? Test with you relatives and friends etc – otherwise it’s just another excuse for a TFP (Thanks for Perve) shoot! A good / typical example I saw the other day “casting for a model in Lingerie to test lights” and ” AND “Any models available …  test shots in Lighting … Must be comfortable with nude/implied ” is another classic casting! Their wife / girlie / cousin / sister / brother / father in a swimwear or activewear  would be all that is required – NOT a Model and NOT in Lingerie and NOT nude! So Point 18) comes into play!

My wife / girlfriend is tired of being a subject and that’s why I need a Model? BULLOCKS! Are you trying to say that you are doing  shoots to test lights / camera / lenses every day / twice a week to make your family so tired of shooting with you? If so should you be really trying to work as a photographer if you know so little?

18) I have another / more relevant name for TFP – These days I think it stands for “Thanks For Perve” opportunity Shoot – they way it is utilised.

19) Doing TFP for ‘Experience’ / ‘Exposure’ / ‘Port’? When you have gained that, so sought after,  ‘Experience’ / ‘Exposure’ and want to charge – Look behind you – there will be a  pile of others to replace you, offering TFP / Free Services,  for the ‘Experience’ / ‘Port’ / ‘Exposure’ … leaving you with less, little or no income, potentially.

20) TFP Models , in particular, that have shot with 10’s of TFP Photographers no longer have a unique / desirable look, with hundreds of TFP quality images out there. Why would a Professional Photographer want to use someone in a Editorial that is no longer unique / valued? Or why would a Photographer want to recommend that person to a Client as a Model, when there are 100’s of fresh faces to choose from?

21) How many Studios do you now that Hire out their Studio for Free for a every day TFP Shoot? NON that I know of! Studio owners, like myself, are the only ones that get paid in a TFP shoot and for that reason only do I support TFP! If not for the PAID Studio Hire from TFP shoots, most studios operations could be unviable! Next time you organise a TFP shoot in a Studio – ask the Owner to allow you to use it for free 🙂 as everyone else is  participating for TFP. (Don’t stand too close to the door as it may hurt your nose when it slams shut!) lol!

22) Please understand Professional Photographers do NOT Pay Models (Except in workshop scenario / Campaign). Clients seeking the services of Models pay for the Models, for a campaign shoot i.e. they pay for the campaign which has a component for models / talent. Being paid to take your clothes off, for example, for a so called ‘Photographer’ (other than in a  nude photography workshop scenario, for example) is NOT Modelling!  Paying a Photographer to shoot you nude IS Modelling, for your portfolio!

23) ‘Professional’ / ‘Working’ Photographers are NOT threatened by Hobbyist / Amateur  / TFP Photographers but annoyed by their deception in setting up Photography pages / Business names to gain credibility to ‘exploit’ the industry, with NO clear and readily visible / obvious disclosure in their castings / pages etc of the fact that they are hobbyists etc and effectively ‘passing off’, or trying to, as Professionals BUT only(?) doing TFP / FREE Photography with FREE Images! IN VERY SIMPLE TERMS also.

24) e.g. Professional Models PAY Photographers for Professional Portfolio Images + Combined with Test Shots + Combined with Campaign Images -> To  Seek New Paid Opportunities – See “Can I Be A Model – https://www.embodydenim.com.au/blog/Modelling/Can-I-Be-A-Model.htm” – There is NO mention of TFP path to Modelling!

25) CAUTION – TFP Photographers often:

a) Register business names and create Facebook pages to give you a false sense of working with a professional and to give themselves credibility.

b) encourage you to bring a chaperon to give you a false sense of security and comfort.

c) Put prices out there to make out they are getting paid shoots but ALL(?) of the work they display is TFP, misleading you into thinking they are working as a Photographer!

d) STEAL other peoples work and use them as ‘INSPO’ Images – Reasons are here as why they do this – http://www.theshedstudios.com.au/wp01/photography-videography/faq-frequently-asked-questions/inspo-images-image-theft/

e) If you feel you have to take a chaperon to a shoot – DO NOT SHOOT WITH THAT PHOTOGRAPHER! Simple as that! ONLY Exception – under 18 – I, personally, insist on parent / guardian being present for approval of any ideas / concepts that evolve during the course of the shoot. 

f) Professional photographers will NOT want a chaperon on any editorial / collaborative shoot as the chaperone will get bored, distract you, it’s one more person the photographer has to keep track of, and a million other reasons and resulting in a WASTE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHERS TIME from the LACK OF 100% Productivity.

g) If you are paying an hourly rate (for a minimum of number of hours – typically 3hrs or more) for a commissioned shoot then a Professional Photographer will NOT care if you bring 10 cats, your pet camel and Great Aunty Dorothy and Uncle Bert to the shoot as the Photographers time is covered and if you choose to waste it at least the photographer is covered for their time! Expect your brood to be requested to sign release forms as well.

26) CAUTION: Model Academy’s that Train you and then tell you go and do TFP – STAY AWAY! Why? NO Model Academy should be getting you to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to  train you as a model (A profession) and then tell you go work for free – simple as that!

27) Most of this is all really best understood by printing, and properly reading the diagram below. If you still have questions – please drop me a line on +61 421 286 200. ALL OF THIS STATED in VERY SIMPLE TERMS – otherwise it would be pages of Content!

BK@TheShedStudios.com.au | +61 421 286 200
BK@TheShedStudios.com.au | +61 421 286 200

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