This is the first, of what I hope to be, many guest posts on the blog. I will try to focus on teaching something specific that you can take with you. I read this post earlier by CLreps and I thought it was useful. I asked Conor if I could repost it on my blog so that more people could read it. If you enjoyed this post, please consider Retweeting it or let us know!

Andy, Conor

Here is the first in a series of posts regarding photography representation.  It is meant to be utilized by photographers who feel they are in “need” of a rep.  We will cover a number of issues, questions and stories all related the odd relationship between the shutter monkey and portfolio schlep.

Lesson 1:

Finding a rep is not as simple as Googling reps in your area and choosing one at random.  Your rep should have similar views on business ethics, marketing methodology and commitment to career advancement.  Understand you are getting into a long-term relationship.   There needs to be a “like mindedness” that transcends a mutual desire for boundless wealth.  To this end you are going to need to spend some time getting to know a potential rep beyond their reputation.  Who are they as a person?  If you find yourself thinking you would never spend time with this person socially – perhaps this isn’t the person who should be representing your work.  Conversely, if there is a solid chemistry coupled with a strong reputation for success – perhaps this is the rep for you.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg…

How do they look for new talent?  What kind of photographer will help grow their business and what kind may hurt their overall ability to sell to various clients?  It has been my experience that the most successful reps have a wealth of talent to pull from; rarely do they have photographers that “overlap” in their disciplines.  Namely, having ten amazing product photographers is not the way to go.  Rather a diverse stable of talent to offer to potential and existing clients allows for a more impactful presentation of work.  This should lead you to start thinking how your genre and style of photography fits in with what kind of talent your potential rep is already promoting.

Conor Lawrence is a rep, consultant and producer based in Minneapolis, MN.  He currently representsCallahan & Co., Maki Strunc, Lucas Saugen, Nicholas Marshall, George Caswell and Audio Altimeter.