Level playing field.

Supply and demand. Provide what models want but can't get paid for, and you might be on to something.

You are absolutely entitled to only work for pay or trade. It's your choice what basis you work on and it's totally okay to exclude paying for models.

As a model, I only work for pay. This is job rather than my hobby - although I am just as passionate and in love with it - therefore I have to prioritize only paid work.

As Sensual Art said all, it's supply and demand also

Your hobby... your expenses.

Models who work on a purely TF basis may do this for fun/creativity but many others are full-time, or at least part-time, and modelling fees are their income.

I have multiple hobbies and all of them incur costs. I expect and allow for those costs in my budgeting. I don't expect someone to provide my art materials, walking boots or guitar strings on a TF basis just because I spent money on those hobbies and enjoy them.

B.

If you are good enough, models will be desperate to shoot TF with you.

Thats’s maybe 1% of the photographers on PP.

People usually pay to do their hobbies.

nikontogf

You may need to get better at approaching folk who don't consider modelling as a FT job. You may fair better.

Sensual Art

While I used to agree with this, after conversations with others...I don't believe there's anything that can be provided.

It's been discussed before several times... But as others have said, for a lot of models it's a job, so they want paying (you'd not expect your mechanic to work for free just because he's also a car enthusiast)

For those that do *some* tfp, you'd need to offer something they want.

You also don't know what deals people strike between themselves; it's not uncommon to see the odd photographer who works for pay-only and shoots models who also work for pay-only. In theory that should mean they never work together, but evidence suggests it's a problem solved :)

nikontogf

Not sure if a "level playing field" is needed. Personally think there's just an oversaturated market and folk who don't necessarily fully understand their part of said market.

There’s been a noticeable decline in TF shoots, shifting towards a 'paid work only' mentality, especially since COVID. Many models bit the bullet during the pandemic and started platforms like Patreon or OnlyFans, shifting their revenue streams. Additionally, many models have become quite capable of creating their own high-quality images using modern smartphones and a buffet of apps available to them, making it easier to self-promote without the need for professional photographers.

Back in the 80s, every woman wanted to be a model, and photographers were the gatekeepers. Aspiring models needed a Carbon portfolio to approach agencies, and photographers were essential for creating that. But those days are long gone.

Yes, photographers do invest in equipment, and that's part of the cost of creating art. But let's not forget that models also invest—whether it's in makeup, outfits, or keeping themselves in top shape for shoots. It’s a collaberation, and we shouldnt forget that. 

And I’m not saying this because I’m rich—because I’m not. In fact, I only work TF these days as I can’t work anymore, so I have little money to spend on shoots. I rely solely on models who think my work is worthy enough for them to be featured in, which happens less and less these days. The big shift for photographers came when platforms like OnlyFans, Instagram, and Patreon launched, giving models the ability to sell their own images with little effort. The next major turning point will be when digital AI models are perfected, which will likely force real human models to work incredibly hard to continue making a profit as the fake ones oversaturate the internet and platforms like onlyfans and instagram etc, Instagram is already saturated with AI models making in excess of 100k per month.

It's a matter of supply and demand.
Seems like you have a professional career and shoot on weekends - Your supply of 'life sustaining' cash is fulfilled on your weekdays

However, most models here may be depending solely-on or supplementing her 'life sustaining' income through posing for photographers

So expecting models to do TF, unless they are brand new and need to have a few pics in their port to get started - is frankly unfair.

For what it's worth, the shift away from models doing tfp on a regular basis came with the ubiquity of the phone camera, which brought a democratisation of picture-taking, making it freely accessible to all, though not necessarily producing results of the same quality. This is why there is still a market at the top end for photographers to get paid for their work.

Andy has got it absolutely spot on.

Sad fact is that models do not need photographers anymore to produce good quality images.

You only need to look at the vast majority of models online and the equipment they use and how good even basic equipment is to see that they can achieve alot of what they want themselves.

Not everything of course but for most, the standard that they can achieve is enough for their business or what they want to achieve for themselves personally.

And if they do want to collaborate with a photographer they will probably contact them directly.

I do think there was a huge shift during COVID because models had to start looking at other ways of doing things and become more reliant on producing images themselves and most probably realised that they could do it and do it quite well with a bit of practice so they probably didn't see the point of going back to photographer / model based photography.

In addition I do think that some of the photographers in the industry do have a very dated style of photography, very 80's/ 90's, probably because that was when they first started out and haven't changed with the times whereas most young women are very modern and forward thinking and perhaps what a model wants and what a photographer can achieve for her are now different styles.

She can basically get what she wants doing it herself.

Plus it can't escape most peoples notice that there are some extraordinarily good models out there who do their own photography. Skill, knowing light and good equipment make it easier even if they are just using a phone camera. In some cases they are better than photographers doing it 40 or 50 years (hence the not moving with the times / progressing comment higher up).

Obviously my comments are a huge generalisation and not reflective of any individual person, just thoughts that have popped up into my mind watching the decline of TFP shoots since the start of the pandemic.

I don't think you are kicking a wasps nest. There are models that will tf if you can offer a great location or concept, you have a style they like or a large instagram following. If you shoot weekends rather than in the week there are also more opportunities because so many models have full time jobs now. 

The market has also changed glamour modelling has become Onlyfans.  You don't need a photographer for that. Women that wanted to be models previously don't want to be models now they want to be "influencers" or "content creators" some actually are and do well out of it some are just on TikTok posting videos of their cat, I suppose that is posting content so they can call themselves "content creators"

Your location possibly doesn't help either.

For a lot of models on here, it's their full time job.  How many photographers on here have photography as their full time job?  That will explain why the money flow is the way it is, it's nothing to do with a level playing field.

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15 years ago I was very in demand for TF shoots. Even back then photographers never got paid. These hobbyist models now earn a second or even main income. I enjoy being creative. You might need to search elsewhere for models to shoot. Pubs are a good place. If you use one regularly, sitting at the bar you get talking to loads of people. Don't rush, get to know potential models over a few weeks. You get to enjoy a few beers and be sociable as a bonus. I even found a MUA in my local.