Are you interested in modelling?
As a hobby photographer, I am always looking for models to work with and I work on either a time for photos basis (TFP, where we collaborate to create the photos and we both have a full licence to use all the photos) or a paid basis (I pay you to model, I never charge for a photoshoot). How do I determine if we will work TFP or on a paid basis is a bit of mixture of factors. Things that will go into the determination are as follows:
- Are you an experienced model that brings experience in posing and giving good face to the camera? Obviously, experienced models provide me with a degree of certainty as to what the final results will be in the photos and they also tend to model as a profession and for their income.
- Do you want access to all the photos for your own personal use? Some models are looking to create content for their own websites and will be using the photos to earn income for themselves. If you want the photos for this purpose, I am less likely to both pay you and give you access to all of the photos for selling and will probably look at shooting TFP where we each contribute our time to creating the images and earn our own income from the photos.
- What type of shoot are you interested in doing? Are you looking to do a relatively simple casual fashion shoot, a boudoir style shoot with implied or art nude or a more explicit type shoot. While it may sound harsh, there are a lot of people that want to be models and finding someone to pose for a casual clothed shoot for a modest fee is not very hard. Similarly, there is less demand to view fully clothed/casual fashion type shots so my chance to recover anything on those is less. Basically, the wilder you want to get in a photo shoot, the more likely I am to pay for your modelling and the more casual clothed you want to stay, the more I am likely to look at TFP.
- What are you going to bring to the shoot? I will be brining probably in excess of $10,000.00 of cameras, lighting, backdrops and wardrobe. I am not the proverbial “guy with a camera” who will show up with his cell phone to take naughty pictures of you. My goal is to take quality pictures that we can both be proud of. Despite what many people think, modelling is difficult work. Models have to be able to contort themselves into awkward poses and then give a face to the camera that says it is natural, they have to brave elements of cold, rain, wind and snow, they have to get wet, muddy, dirty and climb. When shooting in public they have to be able to forget about people staring and play solely for the camera. If you bring all of that to a shoot, I will lean more to paying you. If not, I will lean to TFP.
- Are we both collaborating to create something special to us? I often work with models to create outfits and concepts that will be meant to be published in a magazine. In these cases it is not uncommon for me to invest hundreds of dollars, or even thousands in wardrobe, MUA and location rentals and at the end of the day, you are going to be the star everyone remembers. The reality is very few people know the photographer, they know the model. For collaborations that we both believe in and want, those are usually TFP.
- And lastly, do you want me to shoot you or do I want to shoot you? Yes, basic law of supply and demand. If you are someone I WANT to work with, I am more likely to be willing to pay you. If the tables are reversed, I will be more likely to offer to shoot you TFP.
As a last qualification, if you are turning to modelling, particularly nude modelling, because you are looking for fast and easy cash and not because you enjoy being the star and centre of attention for the camera, chances are we are not going to work together. I do this as a hobby and simply for fun so at a minimum I want to work with people that also want to have fun doing shoots.
So what can you expect if we work together?
When working with us or any photographer, you should be able to expect the following:
- Firstly, our shoot will be subject to the terms of a Model Release Contract that you will be provided with prior to the shoot and will be completed and electronically signed after the shoot. It will outline the basic terms of what our agreement is and will be agreed to before any photos are taken.
- Secondly, the location of the shoot will be provided to you as far in advance as possible so that you know where you are going to be for the shoot and, if you wish, can advise a safe contact of where you will be.
- Thirdly, you are welcome to bring a chaperone to any shoot. My only conditions are that they not interfere and that they do not take photos of our shoot. For my own safety, I may inquire as to who they are so I know who will be present.
- Fourthly, you can expect professionalism which means providing you with privacy for changing, not touching you and not making inappropriate comments during the shoot. I will be there to take photos and I expect that you will be there to model. My goal is to have a fun and professional shoot and create quality photos. I expect the same in return.
- Fifthly, and lastly, I will communicate with you and trust you will communicate with me. If I am late or have to cancel I will inform you. If I have an idea for the shoot, I will communicate it to you and you are welcome to either say yea or nay to the idea. Again, I expect similar communication from the models I work with.
If you have gotten this far and you think you still want to apply to work together please feel free to complete the application/interview for me to consider whether we can find time to do a shoot.
Please note that I mainly shoot in the Greater Toronto area but do travel to Barrie, London (Ontario), Kitchener/Waterloo, Ottawa and Montreal on a quasi regular basis. If you are in those areas there is a better chance of us working together.
This form will collect information such as your personal details, measurements, and provide an interview that will assist me in understanding what type of shoots you are open to doing, what your qualifications are and what your expectations for a shoot are.
