When we wanted engagement photos taken, I turned to the first place that I look for ANYTHING (including my husband... long story) - CRAIGSLIST! I put a posting under Gigs:Creative saying that we would be happy to be the subject for any photographer who wanted to have some engagement-type photos for his/her portfolio. I got a TON of responses and chose the one who was the most professional and energetic in her emails. She did a GREAT job and we used those photos through out our wedding planning process. We also just did family photos with a friend who is trying to break into the photography industry and wanted baby & family photos for his portfolio. He was cheap (35 bucks) and we both gained a TON from the experience!Some great places to ask for free photos - or offer to be guinea pigs for free, however you want to look at it:
Some suggestions for making the experience good for both you and the photographer:
Example: 4-5 .jpgs on CD, both high- and low-resolution
Example: I always use blue, white and khaki for photos with more than one person in the shot - it brings variety, softness, and makes for a clean photo
Below are some examples from the shoots that I mention above.
Good luck with your "new" modeling career - Say Cheese!