For all but the most famous models, it's nearly impossible to pay your rent with signed 8 x 10's. Everyone else needs cash. If you've decided to approach modeling as a business - a money-making venture - rather than as just a hobby, I'm sure you're looking to get paid for your contribution to the artistic process.
Most photographers, however, cannot afford to pay cash for every minute of time a model stands in front of their lens. This is why, for as long as there have been photographers and models, there has been a basic barter system. Many photographers offer to exchange time for prints (TFP) or time for CD (TFCD). This means you contribute your time and expertise in front of their camera, and in return they give you copies of the best of the work as either prints or as digital copies on a disk.
Many beginning models make the mistake of looking at the TFCD exchange as getting ripped off, especially if they know the photographer is a "name" in the industry, someone who usually gets paid for their work. While it's true that there are some people out there who refuse to pay for anything they can get for free (we've all met people like that), there are many valid reasons for a lens jockey to offer TFCD.
The first reason is that the photographer doesn't have enough money. This group usually involves students, people on a fixed income, and beginning hobbyists. They may have spent all their money on equipment, and the most valuable thing they can offer you is the result of your collaborative time and efforts.
All new models are an unknown quantity. They have a small or no portfolio, and no professional references. Look around - there are literally thousands of aspiring models coming into the industry every day, all scrambling to build a portfolio. Any given photographer simply can't afford to pay every model who approaches him for work. However, in exchange for the chance to practice their art, the photographer should be willing to share your combined efforts with you as either prints or digital copies.
Many "name" photographers are hired to produce specific images for advertisements. They may be working on developing a concept for the image, and simply need stand-ins so they can work out lighting, location, camera angles and a million other technical aspects. Or they may be testing out new lights, a new camera, or a new technique. For whatever reason, they need a body in front of their lens. Since they're not getting paid to practice, they may not be able to afford to pay those who collaborate with them.
Every photographer who offers TFCD or TFP has their reasons. They usually have nothing to do with you or any other particular model, so don't take an offer that doesn't include cash as an insult. But since we all have bills to pay, how can a model go about making money from a non-cash shoot?
1 Book a paid shoot before or after your TFCD shoot. This is the easiest and fastest way to make money from a non-cash shoot. As soon as you book a TFCD shoot, go looking for photographers in the same area who pay. Tell them you're coming into the area for a shoot, and are looking for other fill-in work while you're there.
2 On commercial shoots where a photographer is looking to make his bones, most of the budget may go towards props, costuming, location and travel. You might be able to get other forms of compensation in addition to images. Depending on what their expenses are, you might get a hotel room, or be able to take home the costumes or props the shoot uses. You might be able to get free transportation to an exotic location, or just to somewhere else you need to be. Even a meal at a four star restaurant is worth something.
3 Act professionally, and you may be able to ask the photographer for a paid shoot in the future. "Please keep me in mind," along with a follow-up hand written note goes a long way to getting you paid work. Make sure you treat everyone on set nicely, and before you leave hand them each a business card and ask them to keep you in mind. Nothing would make a prop guy's career like having a black book full of attractive, professional models he's able to call when the photographer's star flakes out.
4 A knockout image in your portfolio can get you paid gigs.
5 Don't wait for someone else. Take all those non-paid images and add them to the paid area of your web site. You DO have your own web site, right? In addition to various portfolios and fan pages on social networking sites, you should have a web site with a paid-members-only area. Make sure you credit the photographers.
6 Turn the best of your TFCD images into products your fans will pay for. Coffee mugs, mouse pads, and especially calendars are examples of products that people will be willing to pay for and show off at the same time, gaining you money and exposure. (You can send these out to photographers and advertising agencies as promotional items as well.)
7 Use an image from a non-cash shoot to promote your appearance at a function. If you help promote attendance, the organizers of almost any event will love you for it. Maybe even enough to pay you to come back as a speaker at a future event.
So now you have seven quick and easy ways to turn a TFCD or TFP shoot into cash in your pocket. Each of these will help you build relationships with photographers, talent buyers, and your fans. Relationships lead to cash gigs, and you can pay your rent from those!
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