I Trade.

My compensation for photographing models is being able to continue to produce art that is important to me while working with talented, creative, interesting people.

For your compensation, other than the same, I trade, but I can't pay models out of pocket.

Usually this means TFP (prints), but I'm open to alternatives, such as:

• Accommodations for traveling models in Beaumont. We have a comfy guest room, and provided you have references, we're happy to host you (and if someone is traveling with you, that's cool too). Beaumont is between Houston and the Louisiana border, on IH-10.
• Photography, Lightroom, or Photoshop lessons. I know a number of models who are also photographers, so if you want to learn some mad skillz instead of getting more prints, I'm happy to show you some stuff.
• A few photos in another genre. As long as there's no retouching involved (Lightroom adjustments only, and you choose the final shots at the shoot), I'm happy to work in some glamour, boudoir, fashion, erotic, "sets" for a web site, lifestyle, or whatever else you have a need for that I don't do as part of my normal work.

In some cases, I can help cover minor travel incidentals (subway, parking, gas).

I'm not just saying this to talk down your rates, and there are no exceptions. Literally, the rates I could afford to pay a model are what it would cost me to have the prints made and shipped for TFP. This is lunch money, so unless you're looking for lunch-money rates, I'm not going to insult you by offering them.

FAQ

What kind of prints do you provide?

For most shoots, two or three signed, archival-quality, numbered 11×14 prints. If you need 9×12 or 8×10 instead, just let me know at the shoot.

Do I get JPEG files too?

Yes, you'll get get web-resolution JPEG files of the same retouched photos as the prints, which you can use on sites like Model Mayhem.

How long will it take before I get pictures back?

It takes 4-6 weeks to choose and retouch the photos. It's a process, I don't just bang out some edits the next day. This isn't my day job, so it takes several dedicated sittings to work through a shoot. For a 3-hour shoot, I'm likely to spend another 8-12 behind the scenes.

If for some reason I'm backed up (business travel, etc.), I'll keep you informed on the progress. And if we're shooting a concept that needs to be embargoed until I can work out an entire series, I'll let you know when we plan the shoot and we can plan another concept to shoot as well that I can turn around more quickly for you.

Once the JPEGs are delivered, it'll take another month or two for me to get you the prints, since I order and ship them in batches to save on shipping.

Why can't you pay, don't you sell expensive prints?

The sad reality is that artists who are unrepresented by galleries or agents have little chance of selling prints to art collectors. And since my work isn't erotic, it doesn't interest the other type of collector.

The only income I make from photography is private boudoir shoots a few times a year. This revenue almost covers my yearly expenses to make and send prints to models, mount and frame prints for gallery exhibitions and juried shows I enter, host my web site, maybe squeeze another day out of a business trip on my own dime to shoot while I'm in that city.

But this is my job!

If you believe we can create quality artwork together that you can't get from the paid work you're booking, let's trade! But if not, no worries, I totally respect that.

Isn't "trade" just another word for free?

"I get annoyed by TFP being referred to as "working for free" so I did all the math to figure out exactly how much money Richard Tallent's photos were directly worth to me based on people directly telling me they hired me based on them specifically, and it worked out to $1400 and a trip to Vancouver so far. You can quote me on that shit." — Damianne Abel, MM#1467115

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