Tfp

- tfp means simply time for prints.

- a photographer and a model each give of their time on a photo session, the model receiving prints as “valuable consideration”

Even that venerable website dedicated to the “disambiguation” (yes that’s actually how they describe themselves?) destruction and oversimplification of man’s knowledge defines tfp almost correctly as :…”a term many online photography communities use to describe an arrangement between a model and a photographer whereby the photographer agrees to provide the model with an agreed number of pictures of the best photographs from the session, and a limited license to use those pictures in return for the model's time.”

But of course just like any other internet website worth its disambiguous salt it also provides other “definitions” coined by the less intelligent and less informed as well.

And I have heard so many really great ones lately.

The most common misuse of the word is “trade for prints”..probably coined by those photographers, models, or model’s fathers even, who think “modelling” at it’s best always involves a bit of “rough trade”.

One of the silliest I've heard from a self proclaimed photographer recently who should have known better was “Tog for Port”. Equal with “Ten Finished Photos” or even “Test Foto Protocol” (how did he manage such a big word I wonder?)

My current favourite, and most applicable to the majority of facebook efforts recently is “Totally F**ked Photos”

When the term tfp was actually being formulated and in the process of reaching its pinnacle around the late 1960’s/70’s (I was there as it was happening, so you can take the following with a grain of salt because anybody who has had  actual experience of the way things were in the past is fashionably derided and dismissed as a “hater” expressing his “opinion”)…tfp was used by a professional and experienced photographer as a means of promotion by offering to a carefully evaluated and expertly selected girl who had genuine model potential, but little money or opportunity to get together a working portfolio.

What? If it's hard to believe that models once actually paid for portfolio shoots, here is a real bombshell: real beginning models still do!

NB: it was the prerogative of the photographer to offer, and certainly not a right of the model ( or even Make up artist, stylist, hanger on, assorted dogs body) to demand

The photographer donated his expertise and time for a shoot or two, in the secure knowledge that his work with the protégé model would return his investment and more with the sale of the first pictures of her…those were the days however when photographs had value: in the tens and hundreds of dollars, rather than miniscule fractions of a dollar a “capture” is worth today.

The girl on the other hand could be assured in the knowledge that she would be earning a decent and reasonably secure salary within a month or two of having a respected and reputable photographer take her ”under his wing” from what up until then she could only dare to dream of ever happening.

More than two or three tfp shoots and it would dawn on the girl that she just was not cut out to be a model. Contrast this with the three to four years of nothing but tfp shoots common today.

But things have definitely changed in other ways as well since then:

It has been many years now since the vast majority of reputable professional photographers worldwide, ( not just in Australia) offered tfp to anybody, and those rare few who still do on occasion, think long and hard before they do so.

However tfp, or at least a highly modified, corrupted, misinterpreted, and generally manipulative and exploitive form of tfp ,not only exists but thrives as a caricatured travesty of itself in the euphemistic world of “internet modelling”

Those who remember the Punk ethos of the 1970’s in which the belief was that “anyone who can do, or become anything they want” coupled with the pervasive idea that talent  was not necessary to succeed and indeed inability and incompetence were admirable qualities to be nurtured

This Punk attitude of course died its natural death very quickly except in two very obvious and far too influential places:

• the New South Wales education system which espouses the theory that everyone can be creative : it doesn't need specific training, knowledge, or  practice…it just needs imagination and the willingness to give it a go!
• the internet modelling craze, witnessed by the daily outpouring of thousands of images of graceless and vacant faces looking out of inept and uninspired copies of  derivative copies of unimaginative inspirations of photos from fifty years ago and beyond: mawkishly posed, badly lit, poorly composed, hopelessly photo shopped and manipulated all.

Don't get me wrong : I, like most professional photographers ( meaning those who earn their income from photography, not those who call themselves “professional” because it inflates their ego) have nothing against photographers, models and their entire entourage who want to play at being  glamorous, have a fun social occasion with a few laughs (known in the business as a “shoot”or even a “workshop”) and get a lot of ‘Likes” from their facebook friends and stalkers.

Let them play to their hearts content, as long as they don’t interfere with legitimate modelling photography.

Unfortunately though their influence on the real world is already manifesting itself in far too many ways, most importantly:

• the public, audience for photography and potential customers are becoming conditioned and indoctrinated by the sheer volume of “garbage in , garbage out”images flooding the internet, that this is the standard to aspire to , and there isn't any better.
• photography, especially the results , has no value, and is there for the taking and certainly doesn't ever need to paid for.
• girls with potential, who aspire to being real world models are drawn in to the internet modelling world because :

1. they don't know any different,
2. they are either promised , cajoled or plain bullied with outlandish fame and stardom,
3. great portfolio pics ( usually by a photographer who has never even set eyes on an actual working portfolio, and who believes that the amorphous conglomeration of usually dreadful images on facebook pages and in “model/photographer connection” websites are actually portfolios.)
4. that years and years of tfp shoots are normal procedure to “making it big”

Before long their dreams are dashed with reality, especially if they get too good, or become more knowledgeable about modelling than the photographers they 'work” with, but by the time the realise the jargon is nothing but BS they find that they are trapped, and their modelling aspirations are long over.

In reality, experience, research and fact shows (ahh! sorry “opinion”) that they would have more chance of success by entering those despised cattle call “modelling competitions”
and / or beauty pageants. And although it is hard to believe, occasionally participants of those dreadful and far divorced from reality “reality modelling” TV shows manage to land a little more exposure to legitimate modelling than the Internet modelling crowd.

And then there is the effect on potential models and wannabees: I was lucky enough to take part in this real, and ever increasingly typical exchange with a potential model within the last few days:

GIRL:
are you still looking for a model, I am looking for a photographer to take some pictures of me for my husband - I am open to ideas and types - some sexy would be great, thanks,

ME:
Thankyou for your interest in my advertisement for beginner models,
It seems from your message though that you are more interested in a portrait session than in starting a career in modelling.
I would be pleased to do a portrait session with you around the guidelines you mention
You can use the form on my website to book either a portrait session or a beginner model session
Portrait packages start at $xxx plus prints

GIRL: I was wanting the TFP picture - I will do nudes if that is what is required to get the deal

ME: NO comment necessary.

But lets just get this straight: an agreeable and satisfying (and indeed legal) transaction needs to be mutually beneficial to each side, with items of roughly equal value going to each participant.

Lets table it all out then:

What I would be supplying as my part of the bargain:

1. Three hours of professional shooting time…unpaid
2. Three hours of my assistant’s time…unpaid, or paid out of my pocket
3. Three hour booking of make up artist…Unpaid, or paid out of my pocket
4. The use of $20, 000+  worth of equipment, cameras, lighting, lenses etc.
5. 40 years of knowledge and experience to translate “girl next door” to “expert and accomplished model” via digital photo files….not relevant so not paid for.
6. At least 6 hours, (of course more), of computer time to translate digital “expert model” files into “divine goddess” via Photoshop…not seen as necessary by customer, so not paid for
7. Unknown number of finished prints…unpaid for, including outsourced printer and print shop (paid for out of pocket)
8. No doubt numerous digital files, to upload to facebook, which she will also fiddle around with to “creatively edit” herself against the usage license…unpaid for , and also print out for her relies and friends…also unpaid for.
9. Control of the almost uncontrollable  amounts of desperation and dirty old man frustration, which are apparently part of the makeup of all photographers of a certain age. …always paid for in the long run I s’pose

 

What ‘model ‘will be supplying as her part of the bargain:

• The right to not only be in the presence of, but to also photograph such a natural beauty
• A glimpse of her heavenly body adorned by nothing (if recent facebook posts are to be believed) but numerous tattoos; body piercings; fake tan; chipped, broken, chewed, or false nails, bleached and/or greasy hair; and vacant expression.

A real photographers dream, and all made possible by the wonder of tfp!

  

{ THINKS TO SELF: This “girl” sums up the entire fauxpro tfp internet modelling ethic and raison d'etre in one comment better than I ever could in pages of blogging}

POSTSCRIPT: The disturbing trend of using tfp shoots for commercial purposes: a simple contradiction in terms.

Assignments such as advertising for a company, calendar shoots, becoming “ the face of…such and such”. possible publication, representing a brand name, etc. are becoming increasingly common in the facebook modelling page ads…

• “Yep there are always the seemingly plausible excuses:
• “we are only a small start-up company, we cant afford to pay…
• “there is no pay now but you will be considered favourably for more work in the future…
• “just think of the exposure an association with us can give you…
• “it will be great for your folio…

Well come and sit astride my unicorn with me, and watch the majestic spectacle of the flight of the pink elephants south for the winter.

If however you choose to work under these false tfp conditions realise that you will be associating yourself with the lowest of the low, the cheapest of the cheap, and as it is your face which is promised to be on show, it will be your reputation which is at stake.

COMMERCIAL USES OF PHOTOGRAPHS SHOULD ALWAYS BE PAID FOR; BOTH MODEL AND PHOTOGRAPHER

But there is really little concern: Because of the usual extremely low quality, lack of thought, planning, and knowledge advertising and commercial printing needs, which  these shoots are usually based on, very few of shots ever see the light of day outside a vanity gloat pic or two on facebook.