How to find and select a photographer for a model portfolio shoot

Not many established, professional photographers offer "for time" modelling opportunities. I tend not to, but I may give a small number of images on top of paying a model.

The easiest way to find photographers who offer prints or digital images for time shoots is by searching the Internet. Search engines and modelling sites with notice boards are an excellent starting point.

You may need to search for different terms: prints for time, pft, time for prints, tfp, time for cd, tfcd. You could start with this search:

Selecting a photographer - once you have found some to choose from - is straightforward.

Don't worry too much about the photographer's professional status. It does not matter if the photographer is a pro, an amateur or a photography student - as long as he is good. Some amateurs are excellent, some professionals are truly awful.

Watch out for a professional attitude, irrespective of the photographer's status. You do not want to end up shooting with a photographer, to whom the results do not matter. A photographer, whatever his professional status, should take pride in his work.

The all-important criterium is the quality of the photographer's work. As an aspiring model, you have probably looked at hundreds of photographs.

View the photographer's portfolio on his website. Never consider working with anybody whose work you have not seen.

Photography is all about style. Find a photographer with a distinctive and memorable style. Ask yourself if you would like to be in one of his photographs and whether there is anything in his work that sets him apart from other photographers.

You do not have to be an expert. Follow your instincts - if you like the photographer's work, go for it.

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