How many images should I be showing on my website portfolio?
My advice with portfolios is not to show too many images if they make you look like 2 or 3 different photographers. Have a strong and cohesive streamline, and fro that, you can show as many as you have on a scroll-down website because the viewers can stop scrolling if they’d like.
I am setting aside my marketing budget for the rest of this year, but I don’t exactly know what to spend it on. Our marketing options seem to change, or doing one thing isn’t enough to really bring in the attention I want to be getting. Help!
You are right. Our industry continuously adapts over time, and we must stay ahead of the curve. My method is to try everything like I’m throwing pasta against the wall to see if it’s cooked. What sticks is what I follow and invest in. The more we can isolate what works by analyzing where success comes from, the better our budget management will serve us.
I’m a freelance photographer who recently took an in-house photo producer job because my area’s industry has been slow, and I need a steady income to get back on my feet. Did I just set my photo career back by taking a temporary in-house producer job? In the future, will clients hire me as a freelance photographer again after they may see me as a producer?
The plain and simple answer across the board is dependent on your branding, which is dependent on two sticking points:
How exactly do I find a Rep? I’ve had several of them reach out to me over the years but didn’t hear anything back after replying to them. I want to take my career to the next level and I feel like I need some kind of representation to do that. Is there anything you could recommend I do or is there someone you recommend I reach out to?
My general assessment of your described situation is that you are close, but your images or presentation need refinement to get you to that next level. Get feedback from clients and trusted consultants on how to perfect your portfolios (website + IG). If reps are in touch with you, you are near ready to be repped.
I have a question regarding media kits. I’m a photographer who wants to make pictures rather than focus on getting followers (or being an influencer). The last brand I worked for shared the images and got so many likes, but when I post the same thing, crickets. What should I put in a media kit to turn this around and spin other benefits like hiring a creative team who can think bigger?
Most will not like my answer, but it is all about back-and-forth ENGAGEMENT. Client connection is the name of the game for creative freelancers. It’s what every rep is doing, and most photographers don’t invest the time researching, contacting, and engaging in communication targeting potential clients. Whether you hire someone to do this for you or do it yourself – the answer is simple, but it takes time and focus.
I am a commercial animal photographer in the early years of my commercial photography biz. I signed with a rep last year, and it has been nothing but crickets. I understand it takes time when signing with a Rep, but I would have expected at least 1 or 2 bids after a year. Are my expectations too high? Or should we see more movement?
Questions strategizing who is the right rep for you:
I discussed with other photographers whether putting other artists’ work in your treatments is acceptable. I’d love to know your perspective on this. Also, if you do, how should it be said that it’s not your work?
The treatment goal is to sell yourself through a fast-read, clear, concise artistic format. Categories and sections, like “Sample Locations,” “Prop Examples,” or “Wardrobe Styles,” are clearly general public images. Any blurry unclear info will get in your way and could be marked as a RED FLAG for a client. Even when it makes sense for the treatment message to show another photographer’s work, the quick read of a client could make this more of a problem vs. a solution.
I want a rep to help me get larger brand clients. I’m working with good mid-level clients, but I’m at the cusp and ready to see which larger clients I can work with. What steps should I take to find the right rep to help me take my career to the next level?
Reps can open doors that may be tougher for a photographer to do themselves. The key is to find an agent who will see your talent as a potential income stream for both of you. Who are the reps who work with clients you can be working with? Do you match their branded style and fit within their roster? Do you have anyone in common who can recommend you to the rep? Have a short list, focus and engage, introduce yourself, and communicate on all platforms to see who is interested in your work.
Thanks for your OVERTIME post for photographers; do you also see OT charges for producers? Never once in my career have I charged OT for me. Have I been shorting myself all these years??! In my experience, the Photog and Producer are the last to get paid and never get OT. I hope I am wrong.
I’m with you. This is a new one for me, but I’m noticing some producers (and photographers) now charge for overtime. Some (or most) clients will reject this, but if some accept it – we should all try it and go for it! Perhaps it’s a new norm, so let’s join the OT trend and get paid fairly for your time over 10 hours.
Do you have advice on preparing for and making the most out of Zoom portfolio reviews? Do photographers create a slideshow that they present and click through? It feels very different and possibly harder to stand out/be memorable than an in-person review.
Make the most of the marketing wave of Zoom calls:
