Monday Q+A

Q:

Wait, so on one hand, we’re supposed to stick to shooting what we love rather than trying to chase trends, but on the other hand, we have to keep reinventing ourselves?

A:

I know this is a tricky situation that all photographers face to stay fresh in our business. Reinventing means growth, and that growth happens within your own style. Some ways to do this include diversifying the look of the talent, adding props, changing up the location, etc. Expand to constantly push yourself while staying within the cohesive feeling of your portfolio. 

Q:

I’ve had a couple of commercial jobs go to “another photographer” recently with the further suggestion that they would like to work with me in the future. I’m curious if it’s common practice to inquire as to how the client made their decision. Something like,  “I would love more information in your decision-making process to better shape my offering.” Is there a good way to do this, or do I thank them for the opportunity and that I would also love to work with them later?

A:

We all want honest client feedback, but the truth is, it’s almost impossible to get. I tend to get the real story when I know them personally, and it’s a one-on-one discussion instead of an email. You can ask, but unfortunately, I see it as a more general nicety that will not be taken seriously on their end. The best way I know to handle this is to find out who did get the job. You then look at their site to make a comparison. See what they focus on, their overall streamlined style, and what we can learn from this comparison.

Q:

If I think I would be a good fit for a certain client, what is the best way to approach them? Should I approach them directly or through their agency? If I should contact the agency, how can I best reach the right person there? Many companies have different agencies for various products or platforms. 

A:

Yes, approach the client directly and also get in touch with their agency. Try as many ways as you can think of. Be creative and innovative; find ways to get their attention. To find the right person, ask around. I highly recommend LinkedIn, as people tend to respond to it. Go get ‘em!

Q:

Is my work worth repping–as in, am I good enough to warrant a rep and good enough to get jobs?

A:

I’ll answer this one from the overall perspective of what every rep seeks. What is the ground-level first quick response that makes your portfolio “good enough” to warrant a rep and to get jobs?

• images are a cohesive unit summarizing what you do

• image grouping sections are a quick-read summarized to fit the topic at hand clearly

• the website presentation is clean, swift, and easy with high-grade design

• images are unique; style shows off a talent unlike others

• the artist is a high-level level, experienced professional to assure the client will get what they pay for

Q:

How would you advise a photographer to reach out to new clients to ask for a face-to-face meeting to introduce oneself?

A:

The best way to ask for an in-person meeting is to entice them with an easy and fun excuse, like bringing them a treat or taking them for a coffee/lunch. I would not ask via phone, but I would warm up your potential client with regular outreach via email, IG, LinkedIn, etc. As long as your portfolio pertains to their client needs, you may have a good chance of seeing them in person. 

Q:

Hi Andrea! I want to ask what your relationships are like with your roster. Have you met with them all in person, even those not in the same city/state? How often do you meet in person with your roster? Is this important?

A:

SternRep is a smaller agency with a smaller roster, and we like to keep it more personal in a teammate way. We don’t have to meet in person these days, but we all want to get a good sense of who we are and how we work. Knowing as much as possible before committing to a long-term contract can save us a lot of time. I like to ask around to get other’s input. When I started repping, I’d ask the photographer’s assistants and producers how the photographer treated the crew on set. That was my quick, detective way to find the kind people. Ask around!

Q:

How would you advise a photographer to reach out to new clients to ask for a face-to-face meeting to introduce oneself?

A:

The best way to ask for an in-person meeting is to treat your client as you would want to be treated. A phone call would annoy me so I don’t do many of them. If you can meet the person at an event, that could help, but otherwise, the simple answer is email them with your website as that is what they really need to see first. 

Q:

I have a question and be brutally honest. Is 45-years old too old to start a commercial photography career?

A:

NO! In contrast to popular opinion, our industry is not ageist. Clients don’t even know our ages until the creative call Zoom. The deeper answer is that clients seek young-minded, fresh imagery to match their goal of catching their youthful audience’s attention. You can do that at any age if you can explore new ideas instead of getting stuck on old styles.

Q:

I would like to hear about the importance of treatments. What is a treatment? 

Do photographers create their own treatment? What needs to go into it and what should it look like?

A:

A great treatment is one of 3 keys the photographer needs to get the job:

1. The Portfolio 

2. Creative Call

3. The Treatment

A treatment is a pdf full of all the info to show the creative how the photographer will approach the job. It will include samples of images, locations, talent, wardrobe, etc. 

Yes, photographers create their own treatment, and I have to say it’s like getting their teeth pulled. They are not writers and normally their portfolio speaks for them. This takes a sales type of “showing off” that photographers are uncomfortable with in general. 

It needs to look slick and put together because the creative will read this to know what the photographer is bringing to the project, how they work, how they see this job, and how well they can deliver a packaged expression of their work. 

Q:

Once you do a test shoot, what is the best way to get this new work in front of the right audience?

A:

As a rep, this is one of my favorite topics because this is the purpose of testing. Reps and consultants’ goals are all about shaping the long-road path. I call this- “growing forward.” Every test should have a client in mind, and with that comes the OUTREACH follow-through to share the images with the appropriate “warm” and “cold” potential clients. Outreach happens on all platforms, including personalized communication, to upgrade clients to a warmer level than where they are now. You want to be good enough to be on their list when that specific type of project comes up. This is either a monotonous process or a fine-tuned, distinct, mapped-out marketing plan.