Article originally posted on October 18, 2023 - Updated with new information
Recently a photographer I follow on social media who focuses on fashion & workshops reached out about an experience using an agency model booked on a TFP basis. It seems the experience wasn’t as smooth as they had hoped. This surprised me because the photographer is an “influencer” and I would have thought knew all about hiring an agency model. The photographer wondered why the agency asked lots of questions about the assignment and they ultimately didn’t get the model they requested. The photographer asked for my comments knowing I work regularly with agencies.
If you are new to using a model agency, don’t have experience working with a signed models or just starting out I wanted to share my insights and experiences working with agency models and agencies. Note, the following comments are from a photographer’s experience. Opinions, especially from an agency’s perspective may vary.
There are several important points to know about model agency business:
Model agencies are businesses and must earn a reasonable profit to be successful. They do this primarily through commissions earned booking their models at a paid rate or through mother agency fees.
“For exposure” is an overused & misused term that does not always result in paid bookings for the agency.
Model agencies make an investment (both money & time) in their represented models and try to effectively manage this investment. Models also make an investment in themselves and their brand.
Many agencies want to protect their investment in signed models so they will take a keen interest in the model’s image & reputation. They may scrutinize the client, the project, the budget and photographer booking a model.
A well-run model agency will book out their models for unpaid assignments (TFP or collaborations) for the right assignment, photographer or brand
Agencies want their models to have camera time & generate social media content which can be done through both TFP shoots and paid bookings.
Agencies have the right to restrict image use to what was agreed during the booking on both TFP and paid shoots.
If you don’t hear back from an agency that generally means NO or they have no interest in what you are requesting.
There are always exceptions to these points, but this is the norm. At the end of the day a model agency wants to book out their models, but would prefer to do this on a paid basis. It’s a business.
If you reach out to a model agency requesting a model for a project they may ask:
Your budget for the model,
Your mood board / vision board or concept,
Will hair / makeup / fashion be provided,
Casting requirements unless requesting a specific model / models,
The photoshoot details including date / time / location,
The image use (may impact rates),
Additional information specific to the agency, photoshoot or model.
Your response will determine their follow-up. An established client, known brand or photographer that has the appropriate budget or appropriate concept will improve the chances of follow-up and a successful booking. All parties are happy.
Now let’s say you want to book a model for a TFP assignment. This was the situation that prompted the initial questions. The model agency is going to ask what the model and the agency will receive in return. Here are some things a model agency might want to accomplish if considering a TFP for a model:
Practice for a new / developing model.
Photographic content for a model’s portfolio or social media.
Developing a relationship with a photographer, brand or business.
Exposure for the model or the agency that leads to paid bookings.
An agency will decide if your photoshoot accomplishes their needs. If not, the chances of following up or getting what you are looking for are reduced. You need to anticipate their needs in your opening request.
This will vary between agencies but if the agency doesn’t feel your photography quality is good enough for the model’s portfolio or the TFP booking is unlikely to lead to paid bookings then you may want you to pay to book a model.
If you have a reputation that the agency can not verify or a poor reputation then the agency may not book out models even if paid. If you overstate your reputation or send up red flags it won’t help getting TFP. Remember, the agency MUST feel what you offer in return for booking a model TFP is something they or the model needs.
Also, if an agency agrees to a TFP assignment it’s best not to ask for a specific model, but allow the agency to let you know who’s available. Some models don’t do TFP.
Therefore, when reaching out to an agency for a TFP (or any booking) you should provide as much information you can about the booking, your photoshoot concept & your casting needs.