# TFP - What If They Want Printed Copies?



## littlesandra (Aug 6, 2007)

97% of my work at the current moment is TFP, TFPCD. (All digital)

I'm coming to a point where my clients are asking for printed copies of my work that I've done of them.

Since it was a TFP, do I charge them the price I normally would prints? Should I provide them with a copy, free of charge, of their favorite say.. 5? 

I'm a photography student and we all know that usually means not alot of money in the pockets, so I'm not sure if I could go dishing out free prints to everyone who wants them.

Would I be wrong in charging for any printing they want done?


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## Peanuts (Aug 6, 2007)

Sorry, I am crazy, what does TFP stand for?


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## littlesandra (Aug 6, 2007)

Time for Prints. Basically "the photographer agrees to provide the model a certain number of prints of the best photographs from the session and a limited license to use those prints, in return for a broad model release"


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## Peanuts (Aug 6, 2007)

Hmm.. sorry I am still not familiar with the term. Do you subjects sign model releases or any contract that states what they get in addition?  If so you will want to follow that obvioulsy, however, if people are asking for additional prints, I would definitely look into picking up some extra change!  Possibly get a pricing chart established and for all portfolio building shoots you will take 50%, that way, when you are actually starting a business you can justify such a large increase in cost and people will be expecting it  (Let' see if that made any sense with all of my babbling! )


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## littlesandra (Aug 6, 2007)

I do have a price chart done up, and it's pretty cheap, as I am not finished my course and don't refer to myself as professional. I'm amature/semi-professional. Ha ha.

I've only had one model I've set up a model release with, as she was a professional model, and most of my other models are close friends. 

So in the new sets I'm doing now, for friends and random girls aspiring to be models or just doing the "Trash the dress" series for fun (I have about six lined up, doing one this evening too) the girls are asking about having an actual print instead of a digital copy. I guess techincally you can call my service "TFDP" hehe.


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## Peanuts (Aug 6, 2007)

I wouldn't be undervaluing yourself, it hurts the market more then anything.  From my little (very little obviously ) experience, it is best to establish portfolio building 'discounts', or 'new faces' discounts and then reach your previously set price when you have finished your courses and have a portfolio.  
Any future clients who may look at your prices now will be delighted with how low they are, and in 6 months time will be wondering why you just hyperinlfated all of your costs.


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## gtkelly (Aug 6, 2007)

Maybe I misunderstand here, but the TFP - Time For Prints - seems to spell it out pretty well. The model is trading their time for your prints. 

Seems to me that you are obligated to provide some prints. You are not giving them away - the model's time is worth something too.

You should probably decide how many prints in exchange for their time before the shoot. If they want more then they should pay for them.


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## littlesandra (Aug 6, 2007)

It depends on who's doing the prints, where mine are all digital, they get cd copies, or I send them via the internet. I usually don't include actual printed prints in my TFP sessions.


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## df3photo (Aug 6, 2007)

> Maybe I misunderstand here, but the TFP - Time For Prints - seems to spell it out pretty well. The model is trading their time for your prints.
> 
> Seems to me that you are obligated to provide some prints. You are not giving them away - the model's time is worth something too.
> 
> You should probably decide how many prints in exchange for their time before the shoot. If they want more then they should pay for them.



 I totally agree with this. I wouldn't print the whole session for them... but talk to them first. figure out a couple prints for them or what ever, you can negotiate a little. OR a Cd with some smaller images of the shoot and maybe a couple they can print them selfs.
 Some times when I do a TFP/CD shoot I will give them some proofs (edited down to some of the good shots) of the shoot then let them choose one shot to print (if thats what we talked about). that way if they see others they like then they can purchase them... but if its someone just getting into modeling I don't normally charge a lot for the other prints. because it was a TFP/CD shoot. when i do those, they are with models that I feel can help me out in my portfolio as well as projects and I may want to shoot them again for something else...

   hope this helped alittle.


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## littlesandra (Aug 7, 2007)

df3photo said:


> I totally agree with this. I wouldn't print the whole session for them... but talk to them first. figure out a couple prints for them or what ever, you can negotiate a little. OR a Cd with some smaller images of the shoot and maybe a couple they can print them selfs.
> Some times when I do a TFP/CD shoot I will give them some proofs (edited down to some of the good shots) of the shoot then let them choose one shot to print (if thats what we talked about). that way if they see others they like then they can purchase them... but if its someone just getting into modeling I don't normally charge a lot for the other prints. because it was a TFP/CD shoot. when i do those, they are with models that I feel can help me out in my portfolio as well as projects and I may want to shoot them again for something else...
> 
> hope this helped alittle.


 
Thank you so much, this helped quite a bit


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## df3photo (Aug 7, 2007)

no problem. just remember its a trade that helps both the photographer and the model.


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## DeepSpring (Aug 7, 2007)

When I have been doing these it was agreed upon that they would just get small digital files which they put on their model mayhem and myspace and such. If they wanted actual prints I would probably do it for costs as long as it wasnt previously agreed they would get prints. TFCD seem to make people happy enough, no reason why you should spend your money on prints if you can avoid it.


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## Nikon Norm (Aug 8, 2007)

TFP is an older term, but with the digital age has become TFP/CD. I give a CD of 10 full size fully retouched photo's on a CD to my Models I used. 

I also tell the model and write on the CD that the photo's are my copyright and they cannot sell the photo's. I do give the Models a written letter of permission to have prints done.

With some Models I have given the CD and a couple of large prints, partly because I wanted to see how they turned out on paper.

If you want to give some prints, Costco is a great place to get them done, they are very cheap and the quality is very good. You can download the printer color profiles.

I have thought about setting up a "store" on one of the hosting sites that do e-commerce, and password protect the file for each Model so they can buy more of the prints, that I don't give them. That way I'm not having to do anything more than uploading and setting the price.


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## littlesandra (Aug 8, 2007)

There's a great photographer here in st.john's, and she provided me with a copy of her model release form, which I readily switched around to meet my needs. 

I'm doing my first non-friend shoot tomorrow, so I'll make sure just to clarify what's included. My main work is TFPCD. It's just most people around here now use TFP meaning technically the same thing as TFPCD.


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## photogincollege (Aug 8, 2007)

Yeah I agree with most of the people here, maybe give them 1 or 2 prints, and if they like them and want more then you talk about money.


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## Nimitz (Aug 12, 2007)

You should definitely talk with the model prior to the shoot to discuss what she (he) is trying to get from the session.  Do they need prints to put in their model book to show to perspective agents/clients or are they just building a portfolio on OMP, in which case a CD works fine.  Make sure you specify in the release if they can make prints from a CD you provide, etc.  
   As for printing, you should check out White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com).  they are a large full-service professional print house for pros & hobbists alike.  their 2-day UPS delivery is included in their price (8x10 glossy is $2.00 as an example).  Setting an account is free.  you sinply download their s/w which is used to put together your order.  When ready you simply hit one button to upload and you're done.  thier minimum order is only $12.
   As a pro it is absolutely critical that I have a great print house behind me like WHCC.  Because of the low cost I usually make a print or two of the best images from an TFP session regardless.  The models really appreciate this and you'd be amazed what it does for your references ...


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