Alright ladies and gents, here we come to a question that seems to cause a lot of confusion with people because one person thinks that everyone should know what they are talking about and the other person does not want to seem stupid by asking questions. Depending on who you talk to, a test shoot may mean a variety of different things.
In the internet modeling world, the words Test, Trade, TFP (trade for print), TFCD (trade for CD – digital files), etc. are often used interchangeably and tend to mean the same thing: A photographer and a model set up a photo shoot and in return for the model releasing her likeness (Model Release), the photographer agrees to provide the model with a certain amount of images. Easy enough, right?
In the real world of modeling and photography, a test shoot can have a variety of different meanings. In commercial photography, a test shoot is usually considered is preemptive test before the actual photo shoot without an exchange of images. These test shoots are usually done several days or weeks in advance of the actual photo shoot for the photographer to determine if he has chemistry with the model or if the model can deliver what the photographer expects her to. A large-scale commercial shoot can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars per day, so having to work with a model who can not deliver as asked may be a pretty big waste of time and money. Usually it only takes 30 minutes to an hour to determine if the model is suitable. Sometimes the model is paid for her time, but mostly it’s just considered some sort of job interview.
In the world of model agencies, a test shoot generally refers to a new model working with one of the agency’s approved photographers. This is done to have the model start building her agency portfolio and to see if the model has the talent and the personality to succeed in this industry. In this case, it’s basically the same as a TF* shoot in the sense that the model receives images but it’s up to negotiation if the model will release her likeness or if the photographer will be paid. Usually the model’s likeness is released for all non-commercial purposes and the photographer charges a discounted rate as determined between the photographer and the agency.
Lastly, many professional photographers do test shoots to try out some new equipment or some concepts that they may have. Some photographers will pay models on these kinds of shoot, others will give the model pictures from the shoot, some will charge the model at a discounted rate because it benefit from the shoot as well, and the fourth group of photographers will charge the model their usual rate.
So next time someone talks about a test shoot, take a look at the person’s background and if you don’t know what they mean, ask questions. It’s always better to get these things taken care of beforehand.
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