Comments on Fluffytek Art Blog: The great TFP debate, or why I don’t shoot TFP!

I'm not aware that I commented on equipment at all...

2006-12-19T19:55:00.000Z

I'm not aware that I commented on equipment at all. If you charge models for their images, the you are a professional and outside the scope of this post which is aimed at those who obtain the majority of their images through TFP.

Charging models is the industry standard and if you can get two per week then kudos to you my friend.

So you're saying that a photographer should spend ...

2006-12-19T19:39:00.000Z

So you're saying that a photographer should spend all his money on his equipment, and then never expect to get paid for doing shoots?

How can one survive long doing that?

I started shooting TFP in July of 2005. Since January of 2006, I started charging models to shoot with me. I have averaged 2 shoots per week since then.

I take the moeny I earn and put it back into buying better equipment. So are you saying what I am doing is wrong?

-Jeff

You are posting anonymously so there is no way for...

2006-12-19T16:34:00.000Z

You are posting anonymously so there is no way for me to look at you and have any idea what you are doing.

But. Look at your portfolio. Is it full of TPF images of models who stand no chance of getting in a magazine, but will server the hobby lobby? Are you a member of the hobby lobby? Are you simply funding your hobby with free models? If so, then ask yourself why you should not pay them just a little for their time.

Maybe expenses and lunch is all it takes. It shows your giving a little more to them. A decent meal, rather than burger, would seem appropriate if thats what the model would like.

I personally am very grateful for models who will ...

2006-12-19T16:24:00.000Z

I personally am very grateful for models who will shoot TFCD with me.
So grateful, in fact, that apart of covering their expenses, and buying them lunch, I often give them something to help with their career. Is this wrong?

Taking such a broad-brush swipe at all those who u...

2006-12-19T03:05:00.000Z

Taking such a broad-brush swipe at all those who use TFP and TFCD as a legitimate means of satisfying all parties concerned was wrong.

You raise some good points and from a position sim...

2006-12-19T00:57:00.000Z

You raise some good points and from a position similar to mine. Perhaps I'll re-evaluate and follow your lead.

Thank you for addressing the topic.

(I've not seen this website before and followed a note on the Glamour1 forum. Hence your comments may soon get wider attention.)

Steve
Life Is Great Images
Bozeman MT USA

On the contrary. Like you, I shoot for art and not...

2006-12-18T08:35:00.000Z

On the contrary. Like you, I shoot for art and not for money. I have 3 kids and very little spare cash. Hence I don’t shoot very often.

I have seen some cases where photographers pay the model a cut of any money they might make from the images. But this isn’t strictly TFP but is the ethical way for a photographer to go.

However, if you do find models that are desperate to shoot with you and don’t want to be paid then it means your work is good enough for them. My post was aimed mainly at those hobby photographers who won’t pay the models even though they should.

By the same token, a good art photographer deserve...

2006-12-18T00:05:00.000Z

By the same token, a good art photographer deserves to be paid too, but that dosen't seem to happen very often either.

I'd love to pay everybody I work with bucketloads of money, but I haven't got any money, so I only work with people who don't mind getting ripped off. I'm just lucky there are so many gullible