TFP Shoots: Photographer's Dos and Don'ts

TFP: Dos and Don'ts

For those who do not know, TFP stands for "trade for prints." Meaning, everyone puts in their time and talent for trade, no payments involved. Collab or collaboration, is another term for it as well.

How to get started:

Do: PLAN! First what is the shoot for? Is it for a magazine submission or just portfolio? This will help you determine if you need a team or if the model will provide everything (wardrobe, make-up, and hair). Have a theme or inspiration prepared beforehand.

Do not: Contact a team or model with no specific direction. This is confusing and it wastes time. When in doubt, say it's model's choice.

Do: Tell team/model ahead of time this is for trade or collaboration.

Don't: Assume the team/model knows this is trade. When contacting be up front. Are they getting paid or not?

Location:

Do: Pick a location that is close to everyone or that everyone is willing to travel to. Set up a carpool. Keep in mind if you have a full team, you may need several locations. One for prep and one to shoot at. If shooting at a studio, they typically have prep areas.

Don't: Pick a location that is far away or difficult to get to, unless team/model is willing to go there.

Communication:

Do: Keep in contact before shoot. Discuss ideas, backup plans, wardrobe, make-up, everything!! Confirm the day before and give team/model an additional way to contact you. Don't: Say nothing and show up to the location the day of the shoot. What should they bring? Nothing apparently, they don't know. This method usually leads to a no show model or team.

Before the shoot:

Do: Make sure your equipment is charged and ready. Check your camera settings. I highly recommend everyone shoots in RAW; it is the best quality photo. Any lower, you can basically only share on social media only. AS A NOTE: Be sure your team/model knows what quality you shoot in beforehand. It may not matter to them but some (like me) it does.

Don't: Show up to the shoot with uncharged equipment and expect to shoot for hours. I've done this mistake in the past, it doesn't last long.

During shoot:

Do: Stick to your theme and ideas you discussed. Doing something different than planned confuses your team/model. If you want to do something completely different, perhaps schedule another shoot.

Don't: Go from cowgirls to mermaid theme. Firstly, your team/model prepped for the desert, not the ocean. Secondly, different poses and vibes going on now. This will upset your team/model. They weren't prepared for this change.

Do: Discuss poses and wardrobe while shooting. If your model is uncomfortable in a certain pose/outfit, do not force them to do/wear it.

Don't: Pressure your model to pose/dress in sexy/suggestive posing unless they want to.

Do: Have an good attitude. As a photographer, you have a vision but so does your team/model. Be kind and open to their ideas too. Relax, photoshoots are fun.

Don't: Dictate the whole time and be rude. I get having a bad day, but don't boss around your team/model. No one will want to work with you again.

After the shoot:

Do: Thank everyone for their time and talent! The shoot hopefully went well, and if there were some hiccups, you still had fun. Give everyone a hug if they're willing.

Don't: Bash everyone on everything that went wrong and leave. Things happen at shoots, frustrating things, but always thank everyone, no matter the outcome.

Do: Communicate when the photos will be ready. 1 week, 1 month, tomorrow? Let them know!

Don't: Edit whenever without saying anything. Communicate your estimated editing time. If you fall behind, tell your team/model.

Do: Give good high quality, edited photos back.

Don't: Give low res, small, half-assed edited photos back. You just wasted everyone's time!

Remember: This is a small community. Your performance will get back to people. Be the photographer people want to work with. Happy shooting!