Model test shoot: what it is, what it costs and how TFP works

A test shoot is one of the most important steps at the start of a modeling career. Good pictures by a promising photographer go a long way at castings. A test is a rehearsal for photographer and model before the real jobs: the model gets used to the camera while the photographer looks for the model's best expressions and lines.

New models and their parents often do not know what a test costs, who pays for it or whether it is needed at all. This guide explains what a test is, what the price is made of and how to choose a photographer.

What is a model test shoot

A test, or model test, is a set of pictures that represents the model. Tests often make up most of a first portfolio. In a test the model shows character, different emotions and how well they pose, while the photographer looks for their strongest sides. The main rule of a test is variety: different clothes, make-up, backgrounds and light, so the pictures look as if they came from several shoots.

Test shoot vs paid shoot

	Test shoot	Paid shoot (a job)
Purpose	Pictures for the model's portfolio and posing practice	A client's order: catalogue, campaign, magazine
Who pays	The model, the agency, or nobody (TFP)	The client pays the model a fee
Who creates the look	The model and photographer, sometimes a stylist and make-up artist	The client's team
Length	About 1–1.5 hours	A few hours to several days
Result	10–15 pictures for the model	Pictures for the client; the model keeps the job for the book

How much does a test shoot cost

The price depends on the photographer's experience, whether a stylist and make-up artist are needed, whether a studio is rented and how many pictures you receive. It also differs a lot between markets. As a concrete example, these are public service prices in Lithuania, where our publisher, the Supermodels agency, is based:

Service	Price in Lithuania	Average
Photographer	50–100 € per hour	about 78 € per hour
Studio session	70–150 €	about 106 €
Studio hire, if charged separately	about 30–40 €
Make-up artist	25–50 €	about 38 €
Stylist	by agreement

That gives three typical cases:

• TFP test. 0 €. Photographer and model work without a fee because both are building a portfolio.
• Natural test. Roughly 80–150 €: an hour or an hour and a half of the photographer's time, no studio or team.
• Fashion test with a team. Roughly 150–350 €: photographer, studio, make-up artist and sometimes a stylist.

In the big fashion capitals a test with an established photographer costs considerably more. Always agree the price in advance: how long the shoot lasts, how many pictures you get, whether they are retouched and by when.

Who pays for the test

• The model or the parents. The usual case with a professional photographer.
• The agency advances it. If the model cannot pay, the agency may cover the test. The amount then goes on the model's account and is deducted from future earnings, so check the terms in your modeling contract.
• Nobody. In a TFP shoot ("time for print") no money changes hands. New photographers who need models for their own book often work this way.

An agency that demands payment for an expensive shoot as a condition of signing you is not acting honestly. Digitals are enough to apply. How to tell a reliable agency: how to choose a modeling agency.

How to choose a photographer for a test

An excellent wedding, event or portrait photographer often cannot produce the pictures a model needs: model photography requires knowing the fashion business.

• Check that the photographer's portfolio contains model tests and fashion work, not only families and weddings.
• Ask your agency: most keep a list of photographers they recommend.
• Agree in writing the length, the number of pictures, retouching, the delivery date and where the photographer may use the pictures.
• If the model is a minor, a parent should come to the shoot.
• Avoid offers to shoot in private apartments with no team and without your agency's knowledge.

How to prepare for a test shoot

1. Bring several different outfits: fitted black, a white shirt, jeans and one bolder look.
2. Arrive rested, with clean skin and tidy hair and nails.
3. Practise posing beforehand: our guide to model poses shows 12 of them.
4. Discuss with the photographer which pictures your book is missing. The six you need are in modeling portfolio.
5. Do not freeze: keep changing poses and expressions so the pictures differ.

For skin before a shoot some models use an at-home LED light mask such as the Photon therapy mask from the Mind University shop, for cosmetic facial skin care. Supermodels teaches posing and camera work in person in its model training.

Do you need a test to become a model

No. An agency judges a new face on digitals and a meeting, not on expensive pictures. A test makes sense once the agency sees potential and knows which pictures your book needs. If you are only thinking about it, start by applying: Supermodels open call.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a model test shoot cost?

From nothing (TFP) to a few hundred euros. In Lithuania a natural test without a team costs roughly 80–150 € and a fashion test with a studio and make-up artist roughly 150–350 €; big fashion capitals cost more.

What is a TFP shoot?

TFP, "time for print", means working in exchange for pictures: photographer and model work for free because both get images for their portfolios.

How many pictures do you get from a test shoot?

Usually 10–15 selected pictures, sometimes more. A test takes about 1–1.5 hours.

Can the agency pay for the test?

Yes. An agency may advance a test; the amount goes on the model's account and is deducted from earnings.

How is a test shoot different from digitals?

Digitals are plain pictures without make-up or posing that show how you really look. A test is a shoot with a photographer made for portfolio pictures.