Stylist @mairaolliveira with videographer Castiel Wilkin, model @tamararezvova and hair & makeup artist @hodosandia at @hairbyfairy
What actually is TF?
Time For Print (or test for print, trade for print, TFP, TF) are essentially collaborations where everyone put in their time and effort for a project, in exchange for images.
Often these images are used to expand personal portfolio as a way to promote each individual within the collaboration. The benefits as a result from such projects obviously should be mutual for everyone involved. Everyone should feel the gain something from it for themselves. Getting work published in a magazine is often the reason from a TF collaboration.
So what’s the difference between a collaborative shoot and other photoshoots? Well, since it is a collaborative effort, everyone should have a say in the project. The wardrobe stylist may want certain brands to be used to create their look (sometimes to plug in certain brands if they are brand ambassadors). The model may want some specific shots to fill deficient parts in their portfolio or just to update their work. In collaborative shoot, the photographer may ask more of the models input during the shoot and give them more freedom to try different poses.
You all should be along the same wavelength however, therefore planning and communicating with your team is very important before the shoot. Sometimes, people don’t have an opinion and that’s totally fine, if they are happy that someone else make the decisions.
For creatives just starting out in the industry, trade shoots are really useful to get your career started, as you may have very little budget to hire a full team (including stylist, makeup artist, assistants etc) in addition to hiring a location (if that is needed). Before you can get people to collaborate with you on TF however, your work and concepts firstly have to be good enough so that other people would feel it is worth their time. Whether someone joins you for collaboration also depends on how experienced the person you want to work with. (It is highly unlikely you will get a highly published agency signed model to work with you for TF if you are just starting out with no published work under your belt.)
Does anyone get paid?
Technically no money is exchanged at all. Everyone is putting their expertise and own expense into the project. The photographer would have spent vast amount of money buying, insuring and maintaining their camera and lighting equipment, spent time planning the shoot, and then likely spent hours afterwards to retouch and submit images to magazines. Hair stylists and makeup artist would have to use their stock during the shoot, spent time cleaning their equipment before and after the shoot. Sometimes high-end makeup and hair products can be extremely expensive. Stylists often have to do a lot of leg work, sourcing all kinds of clothing items, spent time and money obtaining these, and then return them clean after the shoot. (It also takes a lot of trust in the team to prevent items being ruined during the shoot) Models have to spend time training in gyms, mastering their poses and spent money and time on hair and skin care. When you look at it this way, certainly everyone have their values. Sometimes photographers are willing to pay for travel expenses and provide refreshments for the shoot, and that is totally reasonable if the shoot location is closer to the photographer. There are also times when a specific member is hired in for the collaboration (e.g. an agency model who might not need any TF shoots for their portfolio but the rest of the group wanted a specific look). You are then effectively hiring that person to do a job.
What is important to clarify before a TF shoot?
It is important when you are working with someone new, that you all clearly state your goals from the collaboration and what you wish to do with the final images. Everyone has the right to obtain and use the final images after a TF shoot *(but the copyright remains with the photographer). If you decide to use the images somewhere other than your portfolio (e.g. promoting an event, submitting to a magazine etc), then you must discuss this with the photographer before you do so.
You should all decide roughly how many final images are expected from the shoot. Often, from a editorial photoshoot with 5 to 6 outfits changes, out of 500 clicks taken, you may only get 8-16 high quality fully retouched photos. This really depends on the photographer, and so it’s important to discuss that so no one have unusual expectations.
You should also talk about how the images will be distributed. Most people now use electronic transfer online via cloud storage (e.g. dropbox, googledrive etc). I like to use wetransfer, which allows large file sizes (up to 2GB on the free version).
The other thing to clarify is the when you can use actually use the images. If the collaboration is for publication, often the images have to remain private (unpublished on social media publicly) until they are released by the magazine. Submitting to a magazine and waiting for a response takes time, and if they are rejected, they process is even longer. Once they are accepted, it can still take weeks to months for a magazine to release them. If you use the photos on social media publicly before they are released, you risk the whole shoot being pulled from publication, and that is definitely not a situation you want to be in. If the shoot is not for publications, then there should be much less waiting before you can share your images. Some people will advocate using an agreement form before the shoot, so every agreement is black and white written down for records. This is advisable especially if you are working with someone you have not worked with before.
Model @cwmoss_x with stylist @annalizesenolconsultancy, makeup artist @bryanna_angel_mua and set designer @freyavonbulow
Professional conduct
Most trade shoots are a bit more laid back, but that can still depends on who you are working with and how well you all know each other. Everyone however should still be expected to act professionally (i.e. turn up on time, be friendly, respect one another etc.).
A clash of opinions during the shoot are not unheard of, but that is why you should discuss your ideas before your shoot. Sometimes during a shoot, someone will try to “take over”. A prop stylist may over clutter the set, a photographer may keep shooting without listening to others suggestions, a makeup artist may over do the makeup, etc. All of these can lead to the shoot moving too far away from the original concept. To maximise the creative outcome of your shoot, you should step back and listen to one another. Try out each other’s suggestions. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t, and just move on.
Once the images are released, it is professional courtesy to tag and credit your team if you decide to share the images on social media. This is to appreciate the time and effort your team has put in. At the end of the day, its teamwork and you should be proud that everyone has created such a beauty image. However, this does not mean you have to tag in every single post related to the shoot until your dying day. You just have to use common sense. If the images are to be published, fully crediting your team is extremely important. (Once it’s in print you can’t change it, so you must get it right on submission).
Photographer @robertlipnicki with hairstylist @fitimiti, accessory stylist and makeup artist @stefanijamakeup and model @noemieasbyornsenmodel
Ethics of TF shoots
Trade collaborations are getting more and more common now a days and this really can be a love and hate thing. For hobbyist, armatures to semi-pros, collaborate work is a great thing for building portfolios. However, more and more often now TF collaborations are being abused resulting in less paid work. You should have dignity in your work and become more and more selective as you progress when it comes to working TF. If you already have a full portfolio and the project does not add any new elements to it, then you don’t need to work TF. If you are already getting hired left right and centre and think your time is better spent elsewhere to make money, then you don’t need to do TF. If you feel the concept is not your style or stand for your brand, you don’t have to do TF. There are many more reasons, but the bottom line is that, you should not be used to do free work unless you feel it will benefit you in some way or form. There is nothing wrong with some people doing TF strategically just to meet people and get into a social circle, because you never know, someday in the future, the favour is returned.
Lastly, beware of “commercial TF” work. This is where a client looks for a professional team (models, photographers, makeup artist etc etc) to create a set of images for their use commercially (e.g. lookbook, adverting). They often state that it will be good for “exposure”. You have to be very careful with these, as you are giving someone the ability to make money out of your hard work for maybe a few mentions that is just glanced upon. Who is their target audience? Are they going to see those photos and think of hiring you as a results. In these "commercial TF" shoots, there is usually very little to no creative input from your side as it has all been decided upon, therefore strictly it is not a collaborative project. If everyone keeps working TF for “clients”, then the creative value is severely demised. Even if you need the “experience” and “exposure”, there is very little reason why you should allow someone else to make the money from your work, and not gain anything for yourself.
You may ask “Well, how is this different to working to get published? Isn’t it letting the magazine make money from your work?” Well, yes and no. It depends on the type of magazine. The ideas of editorial magazines are to consolidate great images to one place where readers can get inspired from your work. The focus is on your photographer, your makeup, your styling and posing etc. It is showcasing the whole package of creativity. Submission based magazines are good place to showoff your work to people in similar circles as yourself. This may or may not result in potential clients in the future. To get published, you work essentially are being reviewed and rated as good enough for commercial standards. Getting published is almost like a rite of passage for most successful creative talents out there. Of course, there are many ways to gain exposure other than publishing in a magazine. You are not obliged to get published in magazines to become successful.
Submitting to magazines is very different to “Commissioned shoots”. In a commissioned shoot, you are paid to shoot, model or style something specifically designed and planned by the magazine creative directors. You are there to do a job and the rights of the images remain with the magazine. This is a whole different matter we wish to address in more depth in future blog posts.
Summary
So to sum up, there are many ways to make the most out of your TF shoots. Select you team carefully. Make sure everyone is along the same lines and have clarified the expectations before the shoot. Be professional during your shoot. Make friends, create contacts. Be aware of “commercial TF” work but understand this is different to magazine submissions.