Monthly Archives: January 2012

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Solving Mysteries with freelance art buyer Andrea Flaherty

© Kevin Twomey - http://www.kevintwomey.com

Andrea Flaherty  gives freelance a good name.  Not only is she a freelance art buyer, but a freelance producer and project manager as well.   She has partnered with  clients such as Venebles Bell & Partners, MRM Worldwide and Pottery Barn to name a few.  And, her client list is long having worked on some creative favorites such as Audi of America, HBO and Microsoft.  Knowing her experience, we were honored that she contributed to our Solving Mysteries series.  Thank you Andrea. 

How do you search for photography nowadays?  I keep a fairly extensive ‘library’ of bookmarked websites that’s organized by city and specialty. I typically search there first and then review photographers on photography agent’s websites.  I also post on an art producer’s online forum if I am having difficulty sourcing a really specific style. It’s a great resource.

Where do you find inspiration?  I enjoy reading Communication Arts  and seeing the types of photography ads that are being produced around the globe.  And, starting this year, I will be attending student shows at Academy of Art College and CCA as well.  It’s a good way to find up and coming talent.

Which outside events do you find most useful for finding photographers?  When I worked as a full-time employee at ad agencies, I would attend the portfolio shows.  As a freelancer I attend – APA shows or any type of portfolio show or social event that brings together art buyers and photographers together.

 What are you reading online?  APA Forums, Creativity-Online.com, Ads of the World, Artbuyermag.com, various photography representative blogs including Heather Elder Represents (wink wink).

What are photographers doing lately to stand out from their competitors?   I always think it’s good when a photographer accompanies his/her rep to agency portfolio shows.  The art directors and other creatives viewing the portfolios really enjoy speaking with the artists about their work. It’s a good way for the photographer to make a connection with the people at the agency that play a big part in selecting photographers.

Currently I work freelance, so I am not doing portfolio shows or on the receiving end of photographer’s and agent’s marketing efforts.  I was at an APA event where a local photographer did a presentation on himself and his work.  I believe he started booking the presentation at ad agencies in lieu of a portfolio show.  It’s a different way to showcase his work and the agencies to get to know him better.

What do you wish photographers would try harder not to do anymore?  Or, maybe do less often?  That’s a tough question. I think photographers should shoot and showcase what they know and love. I fully support the creative evolution of photographer. I think it’s great that a landscape photographer may want to explore shooting portraiture. But I think some photographers try to show too wide a range of ‘specialties’ in their books in an attempt to cover their bases and obtain more work.  In my experience each ad campaign calls for a unique look and feel and specialty be it lifestyle, still life, portraiture etc.  As a producer I need to know that the photographer I hire lives and breathes his specialty, because they will be collaborating with the art director on set.  Photographers are hired for their expertise and the agencies rely on this heavily.  The more diversified a book, the less I trust that the photographer is an expert in all types of imagery that they are showing.

What does your client value most from a photographer?  Does that differ from what you value?  And, has that changed over the years?   In my experience clients value competence from a photographer.  They want to know that their money is being well spent.  Even though a client agrees with the agency that a photographer is well suited to shoot a particular ad or campaign, they always worry about the details.  And most of the worry comes from inexperience. “Will he/she be able to get all of our shots each day?  Will he/she be able to elicit the expressions we need?”  An early client pre-pro meeting typically sets their mind at ease.

As a producer, I also feel that the photographer’s competence is extremely important.  Equally important to me are the photographer’s personality and professionalism. Let’s face it, some clients are difficult. I need to know that the photographer I hire is going to be patient, friendly, and professional during the shoot.  I can’t run the risk of hiring someone with a huge ego or that hates working with people that may snap at the client.

In my experience these needs have not changed over the years.

To learn more about Andrea Flaherty, please link here.

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Great imagery always tells a powerful story. Blurb wants you to tell yours.

Recently, Justine Barnes,a producer at Duncan Channon in San Francisco reached out to us to see if any of our photographers had exsiting imagery for an upcoming campaign for Blurb photo books.  We were honored when they chose an image from Andy Anderson and one from Richard Schultz.

Thank you Justine for seeing the story in their imagery.

© Richard Schultz - http://www.rschultz.com

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Even when nature doesn’t cooperate, David Martinez finds warmth for his imagery.

After a recent shoot with Lucy Activewear, David Martinez sent along these images and his thoughts on the shoot for us to share with you.

“As a photographer who shoots a lot both in studio and on location, I’ve always loved the inherent conditions each environments brings – the science of shooting in studio and the trials of being at the mercy of weather and nature outdoors. On a recent shoot in Point Reyes for Lucy Activewear, Northern California weather conditions were less than favorable – rain, wind and cold – a veritable ‘wintry mix’.  Our stellar crew and hardy models made the shoot a real success. We smiled the whole way thorough despite the calamity of cold. I think you can feel this warmth in the images – even if nature didn’t provide it to us on those days on location.”

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Just sharing: Andy Anderson shoots for Garden & Gun and Wildrose Kennels

If you didn’t get a chance to see Andy Anderson’s spread in the December of issue of Garden and Gun, take a peak at the photos here.  And, if you know anything about gun dog training, you will know that Mike Stewart is indeed “The Leader of the Pack.”  Be sure to seek out the article online  to read all about it.

© Andy Anderson – http://www.andyandersonphoto.com
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Was all that effort worth it? An inside look at what we shared with our photographers about 2011.

© Richard Schultz - http://www.rschultz.com

At the end of every year, Lauranne and I meet with each of our photographers to review the current year and plan for the next one.  During that time, we offer insights into what we see happening within the industry, within our group and with them individually.   We analyze what worked and what didn’t and we present a marketing plan for the New Year.  It is a great reset button for the year.

To prepare for this, we create a report that outlines everything that was accomplished for the year.  We detail what trips were taken, which agencies we visited, which events we attended, how many mailers and e-mailers were sent, and which publications and websites we were present in and so forth.  It is great way to see the big picture of what actually was accomplished from a marketing point of view for the year.  We can then make recommendations on what should be continued or cut. 

Every presentation starts off with a brief summary of what we noticed over the year within our group and the industry.  This summary sets the tone for the rest of the presentation and the plans for the New Year.

Below, please find the summary that we shared with our photographers at the beginning of the meeting.    We hope you find it as helpful as they did.

“This year began with a very powerful group meeting.  The purpose was to outline how to shift our mindsets so as to identify emerging opportunities in the then new media market.  We all tried on new glasses so that we could reframe how we saw our own businesses.  And we offered new tools to help everyone succeed.

The to do lists after that meeting were long but everyone came away with a clarified list of priorities of how to be competitive and stay inspired.  It is exciting to look back over the year and see what worked, what didn’t and what still needs to be done.

We felt that this year was a year in transition.  Photographers in our group transitioned their websites, their portfolios, and how they communicate.  Agencies and clients transition more towards library shoots and incorporated video even more.   Clients continued to look for ways to get as much value from a  shoot as possible and therefore embraced the idea of library shoots even more.

In addition, we saw the “treatment” take on a larger role and become expected.  Photographers began to focus on designing them in keeping with their brand; indicating that they too appreciated their purpose and wanted to make sure to stand out on the table.

As well, we saw portfolio shows dwindle some and the “Pay to Play” events rise in popularity.  The idea that photographers could gain access to top-level creatives by paying into a marketing program is gaining more and more momentum.  At Edge’s Face-to-Face, Le Book’s Connections events, NYC Fotoworks and Debra Weiss’s portfolio shows are proving that artists need these connections and are willing to pay for them.  They are also proving that creatives recognize the importance of these connections as well and are willing to make focused time for them for a price.

All of this translated into more effort in every aspect of our jobs.  More new imagery needed to be created.  More marketing needed to done, more treatments needed to be written, more calls needed to be made to yield even one show, more websites needed to be joined and more mailers and e-mailers needed to be sent out.  More of everything needed to happen.

Seeing that we are at the end of the year, it is natural to ask, “Was it all worth it?”

Our answer is. “Yes.” 

In order to answer this question fully, it is important though, to look beyond just the bottom line.  While we would all like more jobs to be offered and more to land when they do, we need to remember that overall the quality of what is being offered and the budgets to get them produced are increasing.   The high profile and long-term projects, as well as the repeat clients and fabulous creative opportunities that came across our desk was proof enough that all the effort is worth it.

Keep in mind though that even with all the transition and added efforts, the one thing that never seems to change is the power of new work.  As the case in any year in our group; no matter a recession or a dot.com bust, those photographers in our group that produced and shared new work saw the strongest returns whenever they did.

We look to this New Year with just as much excitement as we did last year.  The to do lists are far from complete but we are that much farther along than we were last year.  Our new glasses have worked well for us and we will continue to wear them to look towards the future.

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How does Photography + Missouri Wine = Solar Panels?

Recently, Ron Berg shared with us the story of how being inquisitive and asking the right questions can lead to unexpected surprises.  On a recent shoot for a Missouri wine, Ron learned that photography + wine really can add up to solar panels.

Here is what he had to say about the project:

“Yes, Missouri does have wine. It’s an oxymoron for sure. But, it IS the Missouri grape that saved the French crop in 1872. Look it up.

So I digress…

I’m a very inquisitive kind of person, almost with a kindergarteners enthusiasm. I love to learn about people, their professions, and where they grew up. That’s one of the great things about photographing people and getting to the root of what makes them tick.  I am always intrigued by how is it that their life lead them down the path to where they are today.  Whether I’m in a factory or in a vineyard I am enthralled by this and therefore always try to get to know the people I am photographing in a more personal way.

So it is not surprising that on a shoot in a vineyard with a wine maker, I start asking questions.  The setting is a Fahrmeier Family Vineyards, a Missouri Vineyard where I making photos for their wine label near my boyhood home. As we chat, we remind each other of relationships from our past.  I of course start asking questions and wonder aloud how and why a working farm turned vineyard decides to fill the roof of their barn with solar power.

Brandon Fahrmeier explains to me that “it is free in more ways than one.”  Of course I want to know more.

Brandon says, “As we know the sun’s power is free and so are solar panels.”

My reaction is WHAT?! …with confusion. How in the world could he get all those solar panels for free?  Brandon explains further that there are   Federal Grants for Solar Power to satisfy Federal guideline quotas annually.  That is all he needed to say and I was sold.

Needless to say, we are now proud Missouri wine consumers with our photo handiwork on the bottles, and solar energy gatherers with our 42 new solar panels.  All because I kept the conversation going.

The Power of Being Inquisitive never ceases to amaze me!”

To see more of Ron Berg’s work, please link here.

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Diary of a freelance art buyer: Freelance Life = Balanced Life?

Julia Cunningham continues to make her mark as a freelance art buyer and in doing so realizing that it isn’t just the clients’s time that she has to manage.  It is her own time that needs managing as well.  Anyone who is freelance out there will tell you that is sometimes one of the hardest things to get used to when you are on your own.  Here is what Julia has to say about her experiences.
“Now that I am working for myself, I have discovered yet another schedule that needs to be updated regularly… mine! The assurance of picking up the phone to ask a co-worker for assistance is no longer an option.
The upside? I actually feel I’ve become more adept at multitasking than when I was working as a full-time employee. However, I am still trying to figure out the matrix — How many projects I can take on at once? Can I commit to additional work when a current job is “tentatively” on hold? Can I still work, effectively, while on vacation?  I assume the answers will come more easily with time, but I admit it can be a struggle right now.
With my first holiday as a contract employee behind me, I found the most important part of keeping my schedule organized was persistence, perhaps bordering on annoying.  It wasn’t long ago I would lose patience with multiple calls from a photographer’s rep to inform me another client was prepared to book. Now I’m an empathetic freelance Art Buyer on the rep’s side. There is definitely a strategy in making sure clients maintain project schedules while getting others to commit to actual start dates.
I wish I were able to provide a perfect summation, especially because I know I’m hardly alone in this freelancer’s dilemma.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite content being self-employed; I just hope I’ll eventually discover the perfect balance.”
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Want to market your personal work to art buyers? Consider these 8 tips.

© Hunter Freeman - http://www.hunterfreeman.com

Our latest contribution to Agency Access’  blog The Lab is posting today.  It tries to answer the question of how to market your personal work to attract clients.   Be sure to link to the blog directly to read answers from industry experts on many more questions.


Question: How can I make my personal work work for me – as in how do I market it to attract clients?

We believe that it is often personal work that attracts creatives and the assignment work that sells the client. Because of this, we encourage our photographers to shoot personally as often as they can.

There are many different ways to market your personal work. Here are some things to think about when deciding how to do so:

1. Consider a Blog

Blogs are great ways to share work that doesn’t necessarily fit within your current strategy or vision for your work. They provide an opportunity for you to share the story behind the image and engage the viewer on a different level. They also allow you to be more casual with your work and experiment without the confines of any current perceptions of your work.

2. Add a Personal Work Section to Your Site

Creatives are always seeking inspiration and a personal work section on your website would be the natural place for them to search for it.

3. Print a Personal Work Portfolio

If you have a large enough body of work, you can print a portfolio that showcases your work. Use the portfolio as a reason to reach out to clients and other creatives you would like to have as clients.

4. Create a “Coffee Table” Book as a Promotional Piece

This is a great way to share your work without the need for individual appointments. It could get expensive, but if you are very-targeted with the list that you send them to, you can control the costs. Creatives hold onto these books for quite some time when they are relevant to them.

5. Create a Unique Mailer

Similar to the coffee table book, a unique mailer allows you to showcase your body of work and add a personal flare to it that will help you to stand out. You can also keep costs manageable by sending it to a very-targeted audience.

6. Keep the Series Going

Do you have a body of work that people like and often talk about? Do they call you and ask you for prints? Do you see your mailers hanging on their walls, or do people often tell you that they have seen that image or series before? If they do, it would be worth considering how you can continue the series. Looking for ways to evolve the idea will help keep the viewer’s attention. Hunter Freeman has been taking photographs of astronauts in everyday life situations for the last ten years. People still ask for prints and wonder what is coming next.

7. Submit Photographs to Contests and Websites that Share New Work

It is always nice to be recognized for your hard work. There are countless contests available to enter. And, websites such as PDN’s PhotoServe allow photographers to submit their new work for consideration on their website.  Having someone else brag about your work is always a great thing.

8. Share the Work of Others

I know this might sound counter-intuitive to marketing yourself, but it could be a powerful secret weapon. If you are active in social media, the idea of sharing someone else’s work can bring attention to yourself. Not only does it show your appreciation for the craft, but it may motivate someone else to share your work as well.

We hear all the time that the to-do list of a professional photographer is long – and personal work is often at the bottom of the list. We encourage our photographers to make shooting personal projects a priority. Not only does it provide them with more work to share with their clients and prospects, but it also allows them to explore their creativity. And doing so often leads to great things.