There is no single answer to what a “test shoot” should cost. In part it depends on the experience of the photographer and his place in the food chain. Commercial photographers who frequently use models in high-paying jobs demand more than
“test photographers”. New York prices aren’t the same as those in Oklahoma (sometimes New York is cheaper). Your
desirability in the portfolio of the photographer, and your willingness to shoot something they want to do, changes your
negotiating position. It’s entirely possible for an appealing model to get a free test from a good photographer. Some New York fashion agencies have a list of photographers who will shoot for free just to have agency fashion models in their books. Even for paid tests, fashion models usually pay less than commercial models do. The “average” is something like $250-$450 for a fashion model, and double that for a commercial model. Hair, makeup and styling may be extra, or might be part of the package. Additional prints may be extra (and perhaps add a lot more to the bottom line for the shoot). Some photographers charge much more than this; a few of them are even worth it. Some charge much less, and often that is what they are worth too.
