Japanese Beautiful Model

Is it possible to have a free model/glamour portfolio with a professional photographer?

Public Comments

1. Only if you are good friends with a professional photographer. Or alternatively, if you can barter in trade. For example, I've a friend who is a photographer. When she was starting out, she would trade with a makeup artist. He would do the makeup for her sessions, and in turn she would give him the finished photos so both of them could expand their own portfolios. Be very wary of anyone offering you a deal that is too good to be true. If you want to have a good portfolio to use, then be prepared to pay for the service.
2. The clue is the word "PROFESSIONAL" - top ones are always busy and charge like wounded bulls If u ya a girl + sexyyyy then I take some pics for ya - I'll get me camera!! I'm looking to get into this business....hmmmm
3. TFP or trade for portfolio shoots are available with famous photogs... but you must have what it takes to woo him into the suggestion. But they will be worth it. Beaux
4. You can post an ad on www.craigslist.org for your city, specifying "TFP" in the ad. The photog will most likely be someone starting out so ask to see work before you accept. Also, be sure to find out about make-up and hair (don't do it yourself unless you are really good.) If you have a friend who does hair/makeup get her help. You should pick your clothes carefully-avoid both white and black clothes. And for heaven's sake make sure they are clean and well pressed-A trip to the dry cleaner is money well spent. (I shoot and you wouldn't believe how many people show up with rumpled clothing for fashion shoots. I don't do ironing!) If you are doing full body shots, shine your shoes. Its little details that will give away an amateur job. Also, you should have pictures from at least 4 photogs as the look will be different. Good luck
5. YES. Below is how I got into it. You need to be VERY careful because the moment you put your pics up on OMP stating your desire to do glamour, every dirty old man, amateur, con artist, etc will contact you. Use caution and BE safe! Treat it like meeting anyone off the internet- preferably in a public place FIRST! Anyway.... this is how I did it.... 1. Take the photos you have, or some cheezy snapshots. Make a free "model's" account OneModelPlace.com or one of those similar "portfolio" places. 2. PRETEND TO BE SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN MODELING!!! If you're a larger person, you are an "aspiring plus sized model". 3. Very Important: TFP means "Trade for Portfolio"- where so-called photographer and so-called model get together and shoot with the goal of creating portfolio quality images. You should receive a cd of images or quickly emailed "touched up" images. 4. Browse photographer portfolios and show "desire to work with" and inquire if they would be interested in doing a TFP shoot... Read emails from interested so-called photographers who are interested in so-called shooting with you. Follow safety tips below this list and use your best judgement in working with them. 5. Go on "TFP shoots" until you have the great photos of yourself that you really want. BE SAFE. I've included some safety tips below. 6. Remove your "portfolio" if you're no longer interested in so-called modeling. Now, Safety is MOST important, because these guys may or may not be on the up and up, and you wouldn't be doing this if you could afford to shell out bucks for Glamour Shots, Olan Mills, or one of those types of BUSINESSES. Photographers are individuals, and there's a portion of poseurs, cons, and talented-but-messed-up ones who are creepy at the least, and rapists/murders at the most (read my blog on "scammers"- there are a zillion more of them, even fairly talented ones, who aren't worth the trouble of anyone working with). Here are some Modeling Safety Guidelines that I've learned: 1. Take someone with you, or meet in public to discuss the shoot first. Coffee shops are good places to meet. Sometimes it's not possible or comfortable to take along a friend, in that case, you need to be really careful. 2. Ask for details (either on the phone or meeting at a coffee shop beforehand). If the guy is an amateur with good pics in his online portfolio, what is his day job? What are his goals? What are his favorite things to photograph? Why is he interested in photography? What is his idea for a shoot with you? If you only ask one question, ask him how he feels about you bringing along someone and answering your cell phone during the shoot (ask this even if you plan on not bringing a friend, his answer will tell you alot). I've never shot with anyone who had a problem with me bringing along a friend- I don't reccommend you do either. 3. Make him aware that a few friends know about the shoot, have his number and information, and will call if they don't hear from you. This is especially important if you are shooting alone. 4. Give his information and shoot information to atleast one friend. 5. Call a friend and answer your phone during the first shoot, assuming that you're shooting alone. 6. About the "model release", if there is one: Assuming that you didn't get undressed, pose in lingerie or swimwear, it's probably the courteous thing to go ahead and sign it. You might end up as stock photography, though. Some photographers make up TFP "contracts" which just clarify that neither party will profit from the images without the other one's permission. With No Contract, images are legally for portfolio and personal use only. 7. Use your intuition and go by your gut feeling! If something doesn't "seem right" or "click", don't give the guy a second chance. There are too many nice so-called photographers out there who will not give you bad gut feelings to settle for the possible criminal who doesn't "click". Note on "glamour", lingerie, and nude modeling: If you're wanting some good photos of these kinds, I reccommend saving up and paying a studio operating as a business. If it's your boyfriend's Christmas/Birthday present and you are totally broke, then here are some more safety tips and info, from my own lessons learned: 1. Do not sign away the rights to use your images for any type of "sexy" shoot. This is usually in the form of a "model release". If they want the rights to resell, alter, and commercially benefit from your partially-dressed-to-nude images, make them pay you. In NYC the going rate for nudes is $100 an hour, in Buffalo it's around $50-$75 an hour, and in Springfield Missouri it's $80-100 an hour (the economy is better in Springfield than Buffalo and fewer girls will get naked out there). 2. Be aware that consequences of signing the typical "model release" and relenquishing rights to your images include: ending up on a porn site (as teaser material if you aren't nude), ending up on sites advertising prostitution and escort services, your pictures portraying a phone sex gal... and any number of ADULT Related Products, Services, and Web-Content. 3. If the photographer starts pressuring you to do more than your limits, which hopefully you've made very clear beforehand, then LEAVE. If your limits were "no spread leg", then the so-called photographer should respect that without questions. 4. I would reccommend asking these kinds of questions before the shoot (in addition to their feelings on you bringing a chaperone): Do they use an SLR camera with a flash and backdrop set up (if they DON'T, then you don't want to work with them- too many guys with good equippment doing TFP- read below). ... and hopefully you have a great experience and come out with some awesome pictures from all of this! Please note, that professional photographers are as often creepy as amateur photographers. I think that guys with cameras/amateurs are often as pleasant (and sometimes preferable) to work with; and if they have the money to be spending on good equippment, chances are that they have good employment and don't want to end up in the news as the Morning Rapist, or ruin their professional reputation. This is all I can think of to write at the moment, but I know there's a ton more that I've learned!
6. A comment on the answer above... Why 'pretend to be seriously interested in modeling'? Someone doing TFP is trying to build his or her portfolio and gain experience. How serious you are isn't really that important, what counts is your attitude, personality and whether you have whatever look the photographer is trying to capture portfolio wise. One of the first things that makes me think twice about taking on assignments (and sorry - I only work for pay), would be someone who is dishonest with me at our initial meeting. If you just want some nice photos but have no interest in being a model, why not just say so. A photographer building a portfolio by doing TFP won't care and may even do a better job of getting you what you want if they understand exactly what you are trying to do. Succeful portraiture, wedding photography and many other types of photographer are highly dependent upon open, clear and honest communication between the photographer and client. Why start off anywhere else? Good luck (and please be careful - sadly - all the other advice there is spot on...)
7. It is possible. Some photographers will shoot some of what you want if you do some work they need. I would suggest sites like http://www.onemodelplace.com or http://www.modelmahyem.com rather than craigslist though. And to get a whole portfolio I would suggest shooting with several different photographers