Becoming a model is challenging business. You need to find opportunities, get wise to scammers, outperform your competition, and come up with the money for outfits, hair, makeup, travel, and the all-important portfolio. The practice of Tfcd “time for CD,” also known as “TFP (prints),” or simply “TF,” has made portfolio building just a little easier, however. Here are some benefits you can receive by agreeing to work with a photographer in return for free prints.
- Free Photos!
Professional photography is expensive, sometimes prohibitively so. Unfortunately, a good Modeling portfolio needs more than some pretty senior pictures and flattering snapshots. When you work with photographers on a TFCD basis, she’ll get the shots she needs without the costly modeling fees, while you’ll get great additions to your portfolio–everyone’s happy!
- Working With Different Photographers I
As a model, you’ll deal with all sorts of people with all sorts of personalities; the better you can adjust to others’ foibles, the better it will be for your career. Working with different photographers will teach you how to accommodate others’ working styles and cooperate with them to create an excellent body of work.
- Working With Different Photographers II
Each photographer has his or her own unique methods and vision. By choosing different studios for TFCD work, you’ll be able to try out different styles of photography and learn which assignments, compositions, poses, clothing, and colors best suit your appearance and abilities.
- Learn to Be Creative
Being beautiful and knowing how to wear clothes isn’t enough. To succeed as a model, you must be able to able to convey mood and emotion, interact with the scenery and other models, devise your own poses and expressions, and find creative ways to display the clothing or other items you’re selling. In an ideal session, you and your photographer will inspire each other to achieve your best work. This kind of artistic expression doesn’t always come naturally, and you’ll find it’s easier with some photographers than others. But it’s always within your reach, and through TFCD, you’ll be able to practice until you’re perfect.
- Experiment!
As a beginner in the modeling profession, you may not know which looks are best for you, which photography style is most appealing, and which type of modeling jobs you prefer. TFCD shoots give you the opportunity to learn all of this and more. Try active shots, avant-garde fashion, hand or hair modeling, catalog work, product modeling, etc. Be adventurous!
- Learn to Be Professional
One of the most important things to learn about careers is that eventually, they become jobs. No matter how much you love modeling, a day will come where you just don’t feel like going in. But you’ll do it anyway. Just like you’ll make that face, put on that necklace, and wear that monstrosity. And you’ll do it to the best of your ability, because you’re a professional. A competent, proficient, and disciplined attitude towards modeling will give you more jobs than perfect hair or pore less skin. When you’re a pleasure to work with, people want to work with you. Cultivate that attitude during your TFCD shoots and it will serve you well in paid gigs.
- Perks!
Sure, you get free photos, but you may get some compensated travel and free outfits or accessories, if you can negotiate them into your contract.
- Learn About the Other Side
The more you can learn about how photography works, both throughout shooting and during the editing process, the better you will be able to give every photographer what he or she is looking for. You’ll also be able to pick the best photographers and shots for your own work. When your modeling days are done, you might even find yourself on the other side of the camera, in photography, production, design or publishing.
- Make Connections
Just as you won’t always have “aspiring” in front of your job title, neither will the photographers doing your TFCD sessions. Use this time to cultivate relationships. That guy selling stock photos online could one day be working for Vogue. The woman who can’t figure out exactly how to position your hands may know someone who works for W. You may have yet to win your first paid job, or even land an agent, but your opportunity to make a great first impression starts now.
- Paid Work
If a photographer likes working with you, he may be in a position to offer you paid work and/or recommend you to someone who needs a good model. And even if you’re just posing for an art student’s senior project, her quality work in your portfolio could lead to an agent or employment opportunities.
As you begin your modeling adventure, do yourself a favor and look into TFCD; you’ll get so much more than just free photos!
