Comments on: A Note From A Young Photographer On The Way Up

By: Jim Powell

Jim Powell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:57:35 +0000

As someone who is trying to develop a career in photography, this was a good e-mail to read. A few great points in there. Thanks for posting it!

By: Fashion Photographer

Fashion Photographer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:03:04 +0000

I can tell you it was a lot easier when I started out in the mid-eighties. As a young photographer I often felt intimidated by the senior photo editors. But now it's almost more difficult, my name has been established for years however now many of the editors (to me) are kids! I have nothing in common with them, it seems to get harder and harder. Time to redesign and reinvent, yet again :) Jerry Avenaim Jerry Avenaim Photography Blog Jerry Avenaim Photography Site

By: Amy Harris

Amy Harris — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:57:21 +0000

As a photographer’s rep, I am struggling with the same thing. Phone calls and or emails with no response. . . I have fantastic photographer’s that I know they would love, but it’s not been easy.

Thanks for sharing – keep up the good work

By: Matrix Catering Equipment

Matrix Catering Equipment — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:03:46 +0000

Hi,

I want to be a professional photographer. Should I join any school? Can any body tell me a good school?

By: How To Meet With New York Photo Editors | David Degner

How To Meet With New York Photo Editors | David Degner — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:32:28 +0000

[...] “A Photo Editor” blog just had a post by a much more experienced photographer on how meeting with editors has changed. It gets interesting near the bottom. I remember my first trip to NY in the fall of 2000. I was halfway through school, wide eyed and optimistic, sitting in Starbucks on my phone, cold calling and people were answering their phones saying “come on over.” I scored 35 meetings that week including my first editorial gig. [...]

By: Durston

Durston — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:53:54 +0000

After every portfolio showing, I always ask the CD/AD/PE for three more contacts they think might be interested. I always follow up each meeting with a thank you call/email and let them know how there contacts panned out. A lot of times they will pony up a few more leads. I find it goes much further than mailers and really qualifies the lead.
Thanks for all the great work Rob.
R.

By: Davin Ellicson

Davin Ellicson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:43:32 +0000

I am just scraping by myself, but luckily it’s the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism so sales are up for me! Not enough for an M9, but up.

By: Davin Ellicson

Davin Ellicson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:39:53 +0000

The issue could also be trying to do this all from Starbucks. You might try a locally owned coffee shop :)

By: kevsteele

kevsteele — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:12:36 +0000

Referrals and word of mouth are key – from the other side of the fence it’s how I seek recommendations on so many things: from choosing a new dentist to signing up with Adbase or Agency Access.

Every assignment I do I follow up to make sure they got their money’s worth – my value to them. And it keeps me going when I hear good feedback – more often than not they are happy to provide a few sentences of a recommendation that I keep in my back pocket to share and use as needed.

By: Brady

Brady — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:46:47 +0000

I’ve had similar experience….Work overall is down for me compared to last year but, the jobs I’ve gotten this year are higher caliber and most have been multiple days along w/ more traveling. Also am bidding more and bigger commercial jobs than last year.

I think you just have to keep pushing and working at it. If you buy into to whole industry is dying thing you will not make it. Someone is always saying the sky is falling. I mean sure, maybe if you do try you still might not make it but, no harm in trying and at least you will know you didn’t chicken out. I’d rather put everything I have into trying to do something I love versus giving up and finding another less fulfilling way to make a living.

For me at least part of the attraction to this career is the struggle of it all. It’s a constant challenge and constant change. No dull moments.

By: Cormac

Cormac — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:37:22 +0000

@Grant,

Hi Grant,
I agree. Fashion – another planet it certainly may be.

My thinking was that a shift over time of even a few degrees in the focus of emphasis of either photographer or rep can make the difference between your book getting requested and ultimately the fit you enjoyed together when starting out.

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:25:00 +0000

@Cormac, fashion is it’s own world, but most reps have in their stable a broad range of styles of photographers. So I am not sure that is entirely the case.

By: craig

craig — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:44:48 +0000

@Jake Stangel,

You can still do the moleskine at starbucks thing, but you run the risk of becoming this guy: http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/privileged_little_artiste

By: Jake Stangel

Jake Stangel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:33:36 +0000

Funny, I just wrote a post about this yesterday, because I just got back from my first major trip to NYC. Wrangled 28 meetings in 1.5 weeks, so it can still be done sans referrals or reps.

I was too young to know about those moleskin days, but in 2009 it takes alot of time and patience, plus you’ve gotta have a knack for good timing… you can’t be overly aggressive but you’ve got to show you care and that you’ll keep gently getting back to them (unless all signals point to ‘no). You can read about it here: http://toomuchchocolate.org/?p=1625

By: James Godman

James Godman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:35 +0000

Thanks, I hadn’t thought of referrals in that way before. Having trusted clients call to make appointments could be cool. I wonder if my clients love me that much?

By: Chris Schultz

Chris Schultz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:54:28 +0000

@m2, Me too! This is such a critical supplement to this post.

Personally, I’m pretty confused these days why editors are choosing certain shooters over others for magazine content.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:47:41 +0000

This time of challenge has reminded me of childhood lessons of perseverance. The one currently ringing in my head:

“When the going get’s tough, the tough get going.”

By: m2

m2 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:59:44 +0000

I wish you put his name so i could check out his work!

By: m

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:51:21 +0000

Recent trips made to NYC. Moleskin at Starbucks. Cell phone plastered to head in front of laptop. Very very difficult to get e-mail reply’s or even phone time. Actual appointments were worthy of celebration.

But I found that there are still (albeit fewer it seems) good editors/orgs that are open to unfamiliar talent… thankfully.

Certainly not like years ago:

“I scored 35 meetings that week including my first editorial gig.”

By: selina maitreya

selina maitreya — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:49:37 +0000

BINGO !BINGO ! BINGO!!!
Our photographer is working, he’s putting fear aside and promoting, he’s recognizing its tougher to get apts, but he perseveres AND thinks of other options (referrals) as well, he is aware and responds to the shifts in the industry and knows we all need to be creative in our approach.My thanks to him and you Rob for posting this realistic view of the photo business.

By: Patrick Cavan Brown

Patrick Cavan Brown — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:47:55 +0000

it gets harder and harder to wake up some mornings! been thinking of shopping around for a rep myself…now that everyone and their sisters are photographers, the need to creatively differentiate oneself from the masses is crucial… maybe a rainbow colored fohawk?

By: Donnar Party

Donnar Party — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:08:38 +0000

So true. I have similar memories of sitting in Starbucks with a list of PE’s and fashion eds written in a moleskin, cell phone pressed against the ear. Calls were returned, you could drop by and press the flesh. Ah, the Analogue Days.

By: Cormac

Cormac — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:08:13 +0000

Great post – thanks.

‘Young photog’ is spot-on about the right Rep for the right kind of work.

Its worth bearing in mind since over time if the emphasis of your work shifts you may find it out of sync with that of your Rep.
Eg. if your Rep is known mainly for Fashion and you are their only Still Life shooter – does that mean you are going to pick up more work or less than if you were with a Rep known for Still Life photographers?

Tricky.

By: jurgen

jurgen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:29:09 +0000

Referrals, in my opinion, do work wonders! It’s been my preferred method of contacting people and it works so much better than cold calling or anything else.
If you want to find out how to work with referrals, try “what’s the color of your parachute” by Bolles, it’s worth a read and so true!