Quick answer
A model test shoot explores presentation and adds work to a portfolio. Agree the goal, references, payment, selection, retouching, timing and usage before shooting. Calling it a test does not make the work free.
Write a short brief
Identify what your book lacks: a calm portrait, movement, full length or a different direction. Pick a few references with meaningful differences. Discuss wardrobe, lighting, number of looks and available time before shooting.
A reference communicates direction rather than promising an exact recreation. Check which resources the team actually has. One completed series is more useful than a list of looks that cannot fit the session.
Agree the deliverables
Confirm payment, selection size, retouching, timing and image-use rights in advance. TFP also needs clear agreements: unpaid participation does not automatically settle publication or commercial use.
Ask who selects the final images and whether you can receive the framing your book needs. Keep the confirmed brief and correspondence.
Edit after the session
Review recognisability, expression, pose and quality, not only unusual lighting. Compare the material with your existing book: it should add a direction rather than duplicate a section.
Credit the confirmed team. Do not describe a test as a commercial campaign when none took place. An AI concept needs the same clarity about its provenance.
Before sending
- Gap in the book identified
- Brief and references agreed
- Payment and usage discussed
- Deliverables and timing clear
Common questions
Are test shoots always free?
No. Agree the terms with the team; the word “test” does not set a price.
Is an AI series a model test?
It can be a concept, but does not establish real on-set experience.