COLLABORATION FOR PROFIT (CFP) ON FINE-ART SHOOTS

COLLABORATION FOR PROFIT!

This is a very general-purpose casting, to propose a mutually profitable way of working with models, and other creatives, on fine-art photography projects. I call it "Collaboration for Profit", or "CFP", for short.

On Purpleport, A "collaboration" shoot is defined as one in which "no-one... will directly get paid nor pay for the shoot. Everyone is working on the shoot in exchange for images, whether printed or digital."  

When the aim is simply to add content to each others' portfolio, this seems perfectly fair - because the benefit to the photographer and the model is basically the same.

WHAT ABOUT SELLING IMAGES FOR PROFIT?

There are, of course, many ways that creative images can be sold for profit, for example:

• On high-end, fine-art stock photography websites
• As "pay-per-view" images on sites like Clickasnap
• As digital artwork, on sites like BentBox
• As fine-art prints - typically, limited editions
• As other printed items, such as photobooks, calendars etc.

But here's the thing: it's normally only the photographer - having copyright on all his/her images, whether or not they're shared with you - who can make money by selling your photos (subject to a signed model release form, in the case of stock photos; not usually required for fine-art sales*). In other words, you can only use images you get from a TF shoot for your portfolio; you're not allowed to sell them... but the photographer can!*

Now, suppose instead of a TF arrangement you are paid some standard rate for a two-hour shoot, say, £60 - and then the photographer puts some of your photos on a bunch of stock sites - making an average of, say, £20 a month - over the next 10 years... a total of £2,400! And suppose he also saves some of the best images from the shoot, picks out one of them, and sells a set of 50 limited edition prints, on a fine-art website, at £200 each. Assuming his costs are £100 per print, that's £5,000 in income from just one photo.  In all this time, all you made was £60.

Does a situation like this seem equitable, to you?  Or would you rather have a fair share of all that action?

COLLABORATION FOR PROFIT

My aim in proposing a "collaboration for profit" agreement is not only to generate a healthy income for myself, from the artwork I create, but also to allow models and other creatives partners to enjoy a fair share of this income potential. This could be done in at least a couple of different ways:

• LICENSING: On terms we agree as fair, mwe divide the best images created in a photoshoot between us - and I sign a licence giving you the right to sell your set of images in any way you see fit
• ROYALTIES: I handle all sales myself, but sign a royalty agreement giving you a share in the profit from sales.

It could also be a bit of both - for example, licensing for fine-art stock purposes, royalties on prints. For the present at least, I'm entirely open to negotiation.

THE BENEFITS OF CFP

Models are conventionally paid only for their time - and everyone's time, of course, is limited - so whatever your hourly rates are, however hard you work, there's always an upper limit on what you can earn. When you only have this kind of "treadmill-income", whenever you're not working, your earnings are zero. And modelling careers are often short, compared to other lines of work.

However, if at least some of your modelling work is done on a CFP basis, then for an ever-growing body of work you help to create, you have licensed rights to earn royalties from your images and/or sell prints and other products. This means you can profit from the same set of images over and over again, without ever having to lift a finger. Rather than "treadmill income", this is "passive income." You can earn money in your sleep, when you're on holiday, even when you've retired from modelling... And the more CFP work you do, the bigger this revenue stream will become.

GETTING STARTED WITH CFP

There's nothing to stop you proposing CFP agreements with any photographers you want to work with - and I don't mind if you do - but I'd recommend trying it out with me, for starters. And not just because that's only fair!

To being with, I'll be happy to help participating models in setting up their own stock photography accounts, websites for fine-art print sales, social media marketing etc. - basically, all of the things I'll be doing for mself, anyway. I'm also planning to set up my own crowdfunding account Patreon - giving subscribers access to exclusive content and discounts on prints etc.. The aim here is to set-up a system that basically runs itself, producing a regular passive income, with minimum effort.

If all goes well, you'll soon have proof that your images can generate this kind of healthy income, for everyone creatively involved in the shoot. You'll then be in a strong position to propose CFP agreements with other photographers. If you have a substantial portfolio, you may even be able to negotiate CFP deals with photographers you've previously worked with, in order to profit from some of your finest work.

STYLES, LEVELS, CREATIVE CONCEPTS, LOCATIONS, TRAVEL

I believe the CFP approach can work for many different styles of high quality, fine-art photography. Original, imaginative images which command the viewer's attention, express a clear and simple idea and, above all, evoke emotions are always likely to do well! The level, for any shoot I participate in, is entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with - and the concept or theme... well, that's where creative collaboration really begins. You tell me your ideas, and I'll tell you mine!

I've specified several alternative locations for this casting - these are all places I can get to quite easily - and I'm willing to travel further afield for worthwhile CFP projects... at least within about two hours travel from Bradford-on-Avon. I'll be glad to talk to people who are further away, if you have some really special creative idea you'd like to propose!

OVER TO YOU!

So, If you're interested in discussing or arranging a CFP shoot, please get in touch...

I can't wait to hear from you!

Kind regards,

Andrew

* Disclaimer - I'm not a lawyer, nor any sort of expert on the relevant laws of copyright and individual privacy etc., either in the UK or elsewhere; my comments here reflect only my own limited layman's understanding, and they don't constitute legal advice of any kind. If you're in doubt about this stuff, ask an expert!