Need some good advice on building my portfolio?

I am looking to venture into portrait photography but like many artists, I don't have the resources to pay models. i am of course willing to do an even trade, i.e. Time for CD images and of course I treat it as if it was a paid job.

Other than craigslist, where can I advertise my services to get models. I am mostly interested in aspiring models. I live in New York as well.

Thanks so much.

Your best source to start out shooting "models" would be some of your friends, sister, brother and they might even know somebody that you could also shoot. If not then you will have to hire a couple of models to get what you are looking for.

Why don't you look at this website and look over some of the portfolios in there (models and photographers). Find a couple of models in your area that would be interested in doing a TFP (Time For Prints) or TFCD (Time For CD). You will have to have them sign a model release so that you and he / she can use the images.

If you do join as a photographer do not just go with the beginners portfolio but maybe at least silver level and update regularly.

http://www.onemodelplace.com

Hope that helped,
Kevin

There are hundreds of model agencies that you can contact. See if anyone is willing to do some free lance work, or to help a starving artist. Also, plenty of magazines in NYC that you can put "wanted" ads in.

No model at any agency is going to do something for free, the agency will make sure of that. Ask your friends to help you, walk around with your camera and ask people on the street. Give a dollar to a wino if he's interesting. You are going to need some "studio" shots too. You need to show your ability with lights, a low and high key backgrounds and so on.

Go to http://www.onemodelplace.com, and http://www.modelmayhem.com.

They are industry standard model/photographer networking, profile and public portfolio sites.

OMP has photog memberships starting at about $80, and MM has free memberships. They are great places to find TFP candidates.

Agencys would be a waste of time for TFP searches. They have their own opinions about copyright/ ownership of photos produced, and they dont always benefit the photog.