Trade For Print

From time to time, if it is beneficial to my portfolio, I will do TFP sessions with select models. If you are interested in a TFP session, contact me with the idea of the shoot. Also, please read the following FAQ so there is a clear understanding as to what a TFP session with me means.

What is TFP?

Trade For Print, Time For Print or TFP is a term used in many online photography communities. It describes a mutually beneficial arrangement between a model and a photographer where the photographer provides the model with photos in return for the model's time.

What do I get from a TFP session?

You will receive portfolio quality photos in digital form, both high resolution suitable for printing and low resolution suitable for the web. You can expect about 1 photo per hour of shooting. That's the industry standard. If time permit, I will prepare and print photos for you at cost.

Will I have to sign anything?

Yes, you will have to sign a Trade For Print Contract And Model Release Form. Click on the link to download that contract.

Do I get to see all the photos?

In the past, I would have created a private gallery for you to see. Not only that lead to many arguments but some models used, without authorization, unedited photos taken from the gallery. So, I am not comfortable doing that anymore.

Can I have a copy of all of the photos?

No. I will choose the photos.

Would you give me the raw files?

I never give away raw files. The creation of a photo does not stop with the shutter closing. The photos straight out of the camera are only a half-finished product. Would a movie director release a movie without editing it? Would a writer release a draft to the public? Photographers don't release unedited photos for the same reasons.

When will I get my photos?

Unless major problem, you will get all your photos within 2 months. I will send you the photos as soon as they are ready, so you can expect to see the first photos within 2 weeks.

Why does it take so long for you to send me my photos?

Processing photos takes a lot of time.

First, I have to go through all the photos and make a selection of the best ones. Depending of the number of photos, that can take a lot of time as I usually do a certain amount of experimentation:

• How will that photo look if I crop it?
• Can I recover the details in the shadows / highlights of that photo?
• Would that photo look better in black and white?
• Would I be able to recompose this photo by removing background objects?
• Etc...

After selection, I send the choosen photos to a photoshop wizard to clean up the skin, fix make-up problems, etc... Depending on his availability, his geographical location (think about the time difference and lag between North America, Asia and Europe) and the number of revision rounds we go through that process can take up to a week.

After clean up, I do a last round of editing myself (final crop, colorimetrie, film simulation, etc..) to get a perfect photo.

Why did you work on that photo first?

I send photos as soon as they are ready. Some photos only need one round of touch up. Some need multiple rounds. So, the order you will receive photos is kind of random.

Do you have any makeup tips?

Avoid shimmers or products with lots of sparkle or shine as that will appear as small white dots in a photograph.

Can I wear colored contacts?

Do not wear color contacts. Colored contacts do not let the eyes shine and reflect correctly. It is better to change eye color in post production.