What’s a good way to find some good models without paying?
ask your friends and relatives to pose for you for free. That’s the easiest and best way I could suggest if you don’t want to pay for models.
Try the local clubs 
Now , if you don’t wanna pay for models you should advertise on your website that you are looking for ‘good models to promote’ . They will be attracted to this and they will be available for 2-3 hours photosessions for free . The thing is that you need to provide them some publicity as well - place their name on your website, a link to their website eventually , and so on .
It has to be a mutual benefit if you want free service
Some good advice above; another way not free but probably cheaper could be to join a camera club.
Join the photography related forums or try to look at social networks like facebook, twitter.
Don’t forget options like Time For Prints or Time For CDs, where models get prints/CDs of the pictures taken of them that they can use in their portfolio, etc.
I get my models here, many will do TF (time for trade)
yeah model mayhem is the best choice. We’ve used them before.
And what did you like best about the service they provided? Please just don’t post “I agree” posts here. This is a discussion, not a poll.
Friends and family!
Asking them on Facebook or Twitter are a good way to go.
The thing about working with models is it is nearly always a waste of time with amateurs … sometimes you might get some good shots but it is night and day difference when you work with someone who wants to be a model. Its like : learning to play guitar on an inexpensive or toy guitar - it can be done but your job is ten times harder.
Often an amateur is someone who already has a day job and they are just helping out or testing the waters so to speak. But when you get to shoot with a good model its like a dream come true – they will be on time or early, they will pose for hours on end … even in discomfort, they will build a rapport with the photographer, they will often go out of their way to connect you with locations, network you with stylists, with wardrobe people … and other models who are their friends. Mainly because this is what they do, its their lively hood.
Having said that I totally understand if you are in a rural area its impossible to book someone who is … or wants to be a model. If you can’t book a model work with whoever you can until you can step up. Keep an eye on model mayhems searches as travelling models may pass through your area.
Be warned here are sh*tty models out there too - you need to use your judgement, check out portfolios and get an agreement between you and the model before the shoot. Agree on the objective and the compensation for each side. Often there is no money involved and its TF (time for trade)
For the photographer its all about improving your book - the better it gets then the better quality and more experienced models will want to work with you, even for free. Vice versa for the model.
I always credit the model in the photo on model mayhem and within the site photographers and models often check with each other for references. That way both sides can weed out the creepy photogs and flakey/time waster models.
Here are some shots I’ve done with with TF (time for trade, no money involved). These were for my own personal art book and for the model’s book
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note: always always always get an image release signed. Never forget this or you are wasting your own time. you can download one from the internet, plenty around, google search is your friend
- I forgot. Some of the models I’ve worked with also use http://www.onemodelplace.com/ although I haven’t myself
My friend always invite his friend to be his models including girls and boys. He’s a portrait photographer. And friends like to be a part of the albums anyway :).
You got to build your portfolio first, some models don’t mind free if they can be assured a certain level of professional photo as the outcome.
If your fresh, you should ask your friends, family to help you out. Take those pictures and place it on your website/facebook page/facebook album.
Once you have those you can than approach models on sites like modelmayhem where there would be some newbies who would not mine to pose for free.
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