Having a photo agent can help propel your photography career to new heights. What exactly do you need to do to get one?
A good photo agent's reputation and relationships within the industry can go a long way in opening doors to clients you would not normally be able to get close to. They can help with many of the tasks that we photographers don't like doing, such as marketing, billing clients, and even drawing up contracts. If you like the sound of all this, then you are in luck, as photographer Kevin Patrick Robbins has distilled how best to get a photo agent in his latest video.
Robbins talks about the importance of having both a physical portfolio and website as a minimum to get the attention of potential photo agents, which will come as no surprise. He goes on to tell us how he has hidden sections on his website, which allow him to show interested parties more of his work in-depth if he happens to find himself talking about certain shoots he has done. This is a great idea we should all be doing, as it helps us to keep our digital portfolios streamlined with our best pictures while still having the depth of additional work to show as needed.
The video goes on to talk about having a database of industry contacts, including advertising agencies, photo rep agencies, and makeup artists, in one handy place and how he uses the likes of LinkedIn to find these people to add to his list. I really like how he has tick boxes within his database to help filter out certain people he may not want to contact for certain mail shots he may be doing. Robbins also very kindly shares his database templates for those who would like to start building their own lists.
All in all, this video contains a good plan of action for getting a photo agent. While Robbins is based in Canada, the suggestions he makes apply to just about anywhere in the world. One idea he mentions in the video is that of using a forwarding service for your phone so you can essentially have a local phone number in the areas where you are trying to build relationships. This is something I hadn't thought of doing before but is actually a great idea, as many clients will not even entertain a photographer if their area codes don't match their own.
Robbins is always thorough with his explanations and honest about the climate of the photo industry we find ourselves in. If you are looking for advice on how to get a photo agent, this video is well worth a watch.
What are your thoughts on having a photo agent in 2024? Is there anything else you think photographers could be doing to help further their careers? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section below.
