Hello,

I'm still kind of new to the site but i was wondering when you do a TFP shoot on average how many images are expected to be given to the model? I recently had someone ask me for every picture unedited and I refused to give them all of the pictures. I did offer 15 images, and i had more if that wasn't enough, but I don't feel as if i should give someone 500 images. I don't think I was wrong for that but I would like to hear of a guideline for how many images are expected to be given to the model.

Thanks

Joe Matos

I would normally provide 2 or 3 edited images per look.  I would never give anyone all of the images.  Be sure that you and the model are in agreement on the number of images before the shoot.  You should also be in agreement on image resolution.

Thanks for the reply. I thought I was being fair with the amount that i was offering.

You might also want to consider who selects the images.  I think in most cases the photographer selects the images that will be delivered to the model.  There are however some photographers that are will to let the model decide which images she wants.

For a long time I gave all the unedited images with a signed agreement that they be used only for the model to study, not to be shown to anyone or posted anywhere, and so far as I know there has been  only one problem, where the model showed the unedited pictures, including nip-slips, etc to her boyfriend, who hit the roof.  He was mollified, however, when he saw the edited choices and as far as I know, everyone lived happily ever after.

Lately, though, I've been asking the models if they want them--some do and some don't.

As to the number I give, I normally take two to four weeks to select the ones I think will be useful to either portfolio, edit them and the model gets everything I edit, be it one or one hundred.  If I later  do a re-selection and/or a re-edit I inform the model, if I have current contact information, and if she wants them, send them.  I don't presume to decide what the model needs for her portfolio any more than I would allow her to dictate my choices.  Accordingly, she gets everything I consider usable and is free to make her own choices.

Personally, I consider it the height of arrogance to limit the number of pictures I will provide for the model.  Far from showing what a fine and discerning artist I am, I think that limiting the number of pictures I would give to an arbitrary 2 or 3  would merely reveal me to be a self-absorbed bully.  Since I'm not, why would I want to show myself to be?

All IMHO as always, of course.

I would delete anything that has technical problems. Not sharp focus, over exposure, blinking, etc...
Then look for duplicates or images that are very similar, and select the best ones. I select a few and do a retouch on those and send anything usable to the model.

If you send 10 very similar images to a model, he/she will post all 10 when they should just post the one best one. So I would pair down before giving anything out.

Models have a knack for posting the worst images for some reason. I sent some one time as an example of what not to do, and they posted it. So never send anything that is garbage or it will get posted.

One of the costs of working with newbie models is educating them, as Ray does, not to post everything or stuff that is not primo.

I generally give 6-12 edited images per outfit worn on the shoot.

Sometimes more, if it was a good shoot.

It really depends what you both agree on before shooting. However, if the model expects all of the pictures, that is fine, as long as she is willing to pay the standard rate for them! I bet that would reduce her desire in wanting them all!

Fuck quantity, it's about the ones you supply being useful. I average 5-10 retouched. I had a model question that, and told her wait til she got them from me and then decide if that was better than getting a bunch of the same images from someone else that are as good as unfinished. She saw my side of the argument once she got finished images back that were unique from the other.

Thanks for all of the replies. I like hearing everyones opinion on this matter. I see that it differs from photographers. For now on i will set a standard of what is to be expected and if someone really wants all of the Images then I like the idea of a Rate fee for them. I just want to be fair in the TFP process. I think this needs to work for both of us, the photographer and the model, and i don't think either of us should get ripped off in the process.

Below is my Workflow FAQ. Using Lightroom Plug-Ins it is a very easy process and takes no time at all. Most models like to collaborate. Some do not. I'd love to hear comments. Jeff

Workflow

After the shoot I  create a Dropbox folder with three subfolders: Small, Rough_Edits, and Final-Edits. I will also upload small JPGs of every image to the Small folder. I do this within a day of the shoot. These are really large thumbnails. When you receive the Dropbox message, please confirm that you can access the folders.

Also, please look through the Small folder and email me your 20 or so favorites. Use the last 4 digits of the image number. Sometimes there are as many as 400 images in a shoot and models find it difficult to cull such a large set; that’s OK.

Within a few days, I will upload medium resolution, cropped, and edited versions of our favorites to Rough_Edits. Again, please look through them and tell me your favorites or any comments you may have about the cropping and editing. I do want to keep the Final_Edits down to about 20 images. Each takes a lot of time.

Finally, after a few more days, based on your comments, I will select a subset for Final_Edits, do final touch up editing, and upload high resolution JPGs. Please download and save the Final_Edits to your computer. Sometimes models do not comment on the Small or Rough_Edits for weeks. If I do not receive comments within a month of the shoot, I will complete the Final_Edits and declare the shoot done.

I will leave the folder on DropBox for at least 2 months.

If you want even higher resolution images or the Nikon RAW and sidecar files, please ask and I can upload them also. Beware, they are BIG, about 50 MB per image and way too large to manage on laptop computers.

If you do not have a computer, we will need to make other arrangements.

If you want prints, I can do that also. They would be printed on 8.5x11 paper. When I crop, I do not stick to standard 4x6 format. While the prints can be displayed with pre-cut mats, museums would require that the mat be cut to fit each image. Let's keep the total number of prints to 5 or fewer. You would need to give me your postal address and I will mail them after the Final_Edit process.

For my own purposes, I put the Final_Edits on SmugMug in a password protected folder. If you want more prints, I will give you the password and you can order from SmugMug.

Technical Details: Small: 500 pixels on long edge, 40% JPG quality. Rough_Edits: 1000 pixels on long edge, 70% JPG quality. Final_Edits: full size, 95% JPG quality, about 11 MB each, suitable for 11x14 prints.

There is no correct answer to that question. It depends on what you have to offer, in terms of quality, training, and expertise, and which is more valuable to the model............quantity or quality.

Each photog has to decide what they are willing to provide, and each model has to decide what is fair for them.

The fifteen images that you nominated is perfectly reasonable, give or take 30%.

The request for five hundred images is perfectly unreasonable.

Jeff you have a great workflow and i would keep something like that in mind.  I am finding out that more models want more images, especially if it was a great shoot. 

I am reading all of the responses and taking in all of the advice. thanks to everyone who has taken a moment to respond to the question.

Joe