Greetings MMs. My name is Leena (sworble is a nickname)
I'm friendly, outgoing, open minded (that tends to think out loud!) and goofy at times. ^_^ I'm a pseudo model- I only do it for fun. I don't take it seriously. I'm not tall enough to make modeling my career. ^_^ But if I can get paid while doing this, that's a bonus.So, this is how it works. If you like to shoot with me, let me know what kind of shoot you have in mind. Let me know if you need to be provided with a MUA or a wardrobe stylist. This way, I can capture what it is that you have in mind.
The last time I was at this beach, I saw a sunset. I watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon and the sky turning into shades of stale gray and navy blue. I walked along the shore, walked passed the pier, walked for as long as I could before I felt the desire to return. I felt the ocean waves brush against my feet as they hit the shore, and each time, my feet would tingle slightly, sending a shiver spiraling through my spine. I felt the rain softly falling upon my skin, and each raindrop felt like a teardrop. I remember hearing Augustana's "Boston" in my ears, and I remember hearing the line, "I think I need a sunrise / I'm tired of sunsets."I remember thinking about the summer of heartbreak, and how summer was finally coming to an end. I remember thinking about how life can change so quickly, and yet, people don't change quickly enough. I remember staring at the wet sand beneath my feet, feeling the cool slickness of the sand against my skin. I remember with every few steps I took forward, I would stop and look back at the footprints left behind. I stood there, waiting for the waves to hit the shore again. When they did, they washed away the footprints, making the wet sand a clean slate again. Just like that, the waves washed away the footprints left behind. Ironic, all of it, it was terribly ironic. Life is a beach, I thought to myself.I can still recall that day clearly in my mind. If I close my eyes and just listen to the quiet beating of my heart, I swear I can hear the ocean waves in my ears. Sometimes, I can still smell the ocean breezes too.The next time I visit this beach, I want to watch a sunrise instead. I've already seen a sunset, and it's not quite as beautiful as I had imagine it would be. Instead of watching the day come to an end, I would like to see how it begins.A sunrise would be a nice change from a sunset.A sunrise at the beach would be lovely.After all, life is a beach.
Now, I'm going to do some venting that has been bothering me for quite some time. I have never signed a model contract, but I think it's time that I did. As I stated before, I'm not your 5'8, blue eyes, blonde hair kind of chick. And usually when I agree to work with a photographer, it's a TFP/ TFCD. What is it and why do I care?! Let me refresh your minds.
TFP - Time for Prints, Time for Portfolio, Trade for Prints, Trade for PortfolioTFCD - Time/Trade for CDWhatever the particular phrase the letters stand for, the basic idea is simple: In a TFP shoot, no money changes hands. The model doesn’t get an hourly or session fee, and the photographer doesn’t get an hourly fee, a session fee, or any pay for providing the model with prints and/or digital images (the “CD” part – usually the model gets a CD-R with her image selection burned onto it.) All participants are doing the shoot in hopes of getting good quality images for their portfolios, which they can use for self-promotion to get more, and hopefully paying, work.TFP is usually the domain of amateur photographers and/or beginning models, although many pros will do a TFP shoot with an amateur model (or an amateur photographer) who can’t pay their usual rates but whose look or previous work the professional finds intriguing. That doesn’t mean that outstanding work can’t be produced at a TFP shoot: many amateur photographers are “amateurs” only in that photography is not how they pay their bills, and have talent and equipment equal to most professional photographers. Images obtained through TFP sessions are in many a model’s portfolio and have earned many a callback from an agency or pro shooter.
What a model should expect from a TFP shoot:
1) A friendly, professional demeanor from the photographer. Even if the photographer is an amateur, or a beginner, that’s no excuse for not treating the model as the valuable contributor to their work that she is.2) Work that is a reasonable approximation of the photographer’s talent and expertise. TFP is not “second-class” photography and it should be of good quality. Why shoot if you're going to half @ss your potential?3) A signed release specifying what the model is to receive as her compensation in the form of prints or digital images. This protects both the photographer and the model by making their rights and obligations clear to each other.
What a model should not expect from a TFP shoot:
1) Any money. That includes revenue from later sale or license of the photographs in most cases. Many photographers have a policy of giving the model some percentage of revenue from such sales or licenses, but unless the model is a pro and the photographer is not, this is not something the model usually demands. It is more in the nature of a pleasant bonus.That being said, I would like to address a disturbing trend which has developed in the "Internet" modeling world and is starting to cross over into lower-budget print modeling: "Commercial TFP." This is where a client seeks a model (or a photographer) for advertising or other commercial usage but only wants to pay in "tears" and/or prints as opposed to compensation in money or at least in desirable products and services (it's quite common for models to get paid with a designer dress for walking the runway at Fashion Week, for instance, and while they're harder to spend than cash designer dresses are certainly not something to idly turn down.)In my opinion, commercial use is not an appropriate venue for TFP because it's bad for models, and photographers, and makeup artists, etc, to give other people the means to make money from their work without getting money in return. Trade for portfolio, fine. Trade for art, fine. Trade, or work cheap, for an editorial tear, fine. But the line should be drawn at trading for commercial advertising use. It results in an inferior product and diminishes the overall power of models and photographers with relation to commercial clients.If you're good enough to be in an ad, you're good enough to get paid. Now if a client has no budget to pay a model for an ad, I can sympathize, and I don't blame somebody for trying to get the best deal they can for themselves. But I don't have the money for a Lamborghini, and I suspect that this fact will be notably unhelpful if I try to use it as the justification as to why the dealer should give me one for free. Nor is "experience" or "exposure" a good reason to do commercial work. You need experience and exposure to get commercial work. Once you've got good enough to be in commercial work, it's reasonable to require some economic benefit for yourself in exchange for the economic benefit you provide.
2) Unlimited rights to the photographs. It is the law in most countries that photographs are the property of the photographer. The model may have the right to have some say in how they are used, but the photographer is the primary rights-holder. Most TFP releases provide that the model may only use the photographs for self-promotion and may not sell or relicense them. However, some models, especially models who are already under contract or hope to submit photographs to a specific user, will specify that certain uses (for example, print use of nude shots) are not allowed.
3) Unlimited prints. Prints, especially portfolio-quality prints, are not cheap. The photographer should offer a reasonable quantity, perhaps based on the total number of usable images captured. If the model wants more prints than are agreed upon before the shoot begins, she should expect to pay a reasonable price for them.Probably the most common complaint about beginning models doing TFP is that they are unreliable and sometimes don’t show up for scheduled shoots. The usual reply to a complaint of this sort is that since the model’s not getting paid, she doesn’t have a real obligation to the photographer. This is, bluntly, wrong. The photographer has committed to the shoot. If they did not believe that they were going to have a shoot with that model at that time, they could have scheduled something else. A no-show model represents time and opportunity wasted, and both of those have a very real monetary value. Models with reputations for dependability get callbacks and referrals: models who don’t, don’t. The world of photography is surprisingly close-knit and it doesn’t take long at all for word to get around.It is also important for the model to understand what will be expected of her at a shoot. This should be agreed to ahead of time and both photographer and model should honor the agreement. If the photographer specifies “figure studies,” expect to be asked to remove your clothes. If you told the photographer “no nude shots,” and they press you to undress, leave. If the session is going well and you are both comfortable with each other, you may jointly decide to “kick it up a notch” and do a lingerie shot, or an implied nude, or whatever you are both willing to do. There’s no harm in either party asking politely, once, and you shouldn’t be offended so long as the inquiry is polite. If it’s not polite, or if the photographer won’t drop the subject after you’ve made your limits clear, you should end the photo session.Let me give you an example. I worked with a photographer that is reputable. I modeled for him, and he gave me 1 photo of that entire shoot. I asked him when will he send me the rest of the photos. He replied "give me your email and I will send it to you..." It's been almost 2 years, and he recently emailed me, wanting to work with me again. I politely declined. I've been waiting on photos that I took over 2 years ago that I have not yet recieved. What makes you think I'll work with them again??? I also collaborated with a MUA as well. When a MUA agrees to do TCP, that means pictures of their work is promised so they can use it for their portfolio. So let me make it clear- if you're going to give me an excuse like "I'm busy" anywhere after a month of the shoot, don't email me. Why would you want me to model for you if you're only going to half @ss your work?? You're taking more pictures, and you're behind of the work that you previously did. I'm not here to waste your precious time, and don't you waste mine.And for those that has been loyal to me, been consistent and getting back to me, thank you. And if the opportunity ever arises that we can work together again, I would love to.
10.29.09
SICK... I got sick. Got better. Got sick again.. got the flu shot, and i'm even worse... if I haven't gotten back to your emails, please forgive me. I lost my voice, and i've been down in the dumps.... the down side of the Autumn Season... *sigh*
