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| Time
For Prints (TFP) by Mary Erickson / www.TheMakeupArtist.com |
You cannot
get work because you do not have a portfolio, so how do you get a portfolio
if you cannot get work? Test or on the internet, sometimes called TFP
(Time For Prints). This is the most common way to obtain prints for your
book, but watch out for the very common pitfalls that come with this practice.
A typical scenario:
You get a call or email from a photographer who is coming to your area
from out of town to shoot models. The photographer needs a makeup artist,
but does not have any money to pay for one - and of course everyone is
working free for prints. In the industry this is what is called a 'test'
or TFP (Time For Prints). This is how most new artists get their portfolios
started, and many artists do it throughout their careers because they
have more artistic leeway, and can have more control over the shots and
what ends up in their books. Usually the photographers are local, have
a good reputation, and all is well. The problem is usually with out of
town photographers or the ones you do not know.
In my experience, the chances of getting good shots from an out of town
photographer (working TFP) are very poor. I have had a few photographers
skip out on me, never to be seen again, and some that just were not good
photographers. I came back with nothing usable for my book, and at one
time or another this has happened to just about every artist I know. This
problem can be avoided by following some very basic guidelines.
I recently saw a post from a photographer on a makeup bulletin board,
which I am including for you here along with my reply. These are the questions
all makeup artists should ask, and take note - if you follow these guidelines,
you are in a win-win situation - and you will get paid for your work or
you will get the photos you were promised. If you do not follow these
guidelines with out of town photographers (and even some local photographers
that are new to you) there is a good chance you could be wasting your
time.
This is the post that I responded to:
I am a northern California photographer coming to
the San Diego area 11/27 to 11/30 and need a makeup artist/hair stylist
for my photo shoot(s) TFP only. If interested please email me asap.
Here is the letter I sent to the photographer:
Hi xxxxxxxx,
I am a San Diego artist, I am not interested in doing TFP at this time
but I have a few assistants that need prints for their books and they
may be interested. Please let me know what you are shooting and I can
find you a good artist that will work for free. I need to give them the
following info:
1) What is the shoot for, a models portfolio, or an ad?
The reason I asked this is, if it is for an ad then there should be a
budget, and perhaps the artist should be getting paid.
2) What type of photos will
you be shooting? Close up headshots, partial nudes, mostly body shots?
A lot of TFP is nudity, is that what you want in your book? Do you want
shots that are distant and do not show the face and hair? This is up to
you, but I would not put nudes in a portfolio I am showing to potential
clients unless that is what they are looking to shoot as well.
3) Are you using a professional model or an amateur?
If the photographer is using a professional model (Agency Model), that
is good, as she will make your work look better. If this is an amateur
then you need to see her before you agree to do the shoot, you would need
to approve any model before you shoot, but your best bet is a great model.
If she does not have a good look (if she has lots of blemishes, etc.)
then you probably do not want her in your book. Keep in mind that your
idea of beauty and that of the photographer may be worlds apart.
4) Do you have any samples of your work that I can
see?
You cannot be real picky about the photographers you work with when you
are a new artist, but you should make sure the photographer has the ability
to shoot the kind of shots you want in your book. No matter how good the
makeup and hair look, the people looking at your book will sneer at a
photo that is considered bad photography. A photographer that is not good
with lighting can make your work look bad.
5) Will it be all location or in a studio or both?
You need to know if you will have access to electricity to do the hair.
Will you be out in the freezing cold or melting heat trying to make this
model up? These things can affect the way your photos turn out.
6) How many prints if any will you get for your book
at no charge? What size will they be? Black & white, or color? If
I want to buy extra shots, what would my cost be?
Very important to know this and have it in writing up front, for obvious
reasons.
My assistants are very good, and have been properly
trained. The artists take a $100.00 deposit from out of town photographers
until they receive the agreed upon photos. The artist refunds the money
when her or his photos arrive. If this is ok with you I will help you
find you a good artist.
This is the most important part of the negotiating if you do not
know the photographer you are dealing with for this transaction. You must
have a deposit! If the photographer will not or cannot come up with a$100.00
deposit then he or she is not someone I would even consider working with
on a shoot.
Consequently I did go to this photographer's web site and found that his
use of lighting was poor, the models he worked with were not professionals
and his photos looked very amateurish. I did not tell him that in my opinion
his work was not good enough, because someday it may be, and I don't want
to burn my bridges - but for now his work is not sufficient for a good
portfolio, so I passed on this opportunity in a polite fashion.
Take control of your time and your work situation!
To sum it up:
1. Work with only good photographers
2. If you don't know the photographer get a deposit
3. Work with only good models
4. Make sure the photographer is shooting things you need for your book
5. Be specific about what you expect out of the shoot and then deliver
what others expect of you. Get it all in writing if you can so there is
no question later about what was agreed upon at the beginning.
Good luck!
