The famous advertising photographer Erik Almas ponders the business question any commercial artist asks themselves: do I need an agent?
Having been three years without the mediation of an agency he asks himself if time has come to go back to focusing on what he does best and leave the marketing, negotiations, networking, and all other non-photography activities, to people who are good at them.
After 18 years working through agencies Erik Almas woke up with the unpleasant news of the abrupt closure of his then-current agency, Vaughn-Hannigan. Having options to join a few other agencies he decided to pass on and take a dive into the deep waters of being an agent of his own. He's been in the industry for more than two decades and back in the 90s having a representative has been the only way to make it as an advertising photographer.
One of the questions in that situation that still puzzles Almas is why that and other agencies close doors in the last years. Does this have anything with the evolving of the online network presence, websites, and social media? Are we on the brink of a major shift or it's just a transformation? Is it sustainable to do everything on your own and be an advertising photographer working with big brands? Continue to Erik Almas' blog and read what he thinks about his current situation and the business development of his career in the future.
Images used with permission of Erik Almas.
