March 12, 2013 @ 10 a.m.
in The Marketing Lab
by Christine Andrews | Agency Access
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An Interview With Photographer Matt Dutile

 Lifestyle and travel photographer (and Agency Access member) Matt Dutile recently tweeted a photo of his newest direct mail promo:

March 6, 2013 @ 11:15 a.m.
in The Creative Lab
by Nannette Patridge | Nice Little Picture
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Question: What are some production strategies for managing medium to large shoots?

When it comes to managing any type of shoot, you need two things: organization and a strategy. As the size of the shoot increases, so do the complexity of its logistics and the details you and your team are responsible for. Hiring the right crew - and enough crew - will be a key part of a successful strategy and well-executed shoot.

March 1, 2013 @ 11:15 a.m.
in The Business Lab
by Nick Moy | Agency Access
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Question: What’s one piece of advice you would give a photography student to help them understand the business of photography? 

"The best advice I can give to a photography student is that commercial photography is mostly not photography. You'll spend the vast majority of your time not taking photographs.  There is an awful lot of work involved in promotion, management, digital image workflow, client services, and more. Make sure you're prepared to do a great job not just at taking photos but at all the other aspects of the job. However, don't let this be a license to spend all day on Twitter and photo blogs. Make sure you set limits and work efficiently so you can get back to the part of the job you look forward to the most - making photographs."

February 20, 2013 @ 11:15 a.m.
in The Business Lab
by Suzanne Sease | Suzanne Sease Productions
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Question: How should I follow up with a job that fell through post-bid?

When you asked to bid a job and it’s awarded to someone else, there are many factors to consider, from how you handled the creative conversations to your estimate to how you presented your work.

But the most important factor to remember is that the client has seen your work, liked your work and considered you as a realistic candidate to shoot or illustrate the assignment. Whether you got the job or not, you have opened a door to this client.

February 15, 2013 @ 12:30 p.m.
in The Creative Lab
by Brian Taylor | BTillustration.com
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Opportunity. That’s the keyword in today’s industry.

As Agency Access’ digital marketing associate, one trend I have seen grow over the last year is the rise of collaborations.

One group of illustrators – or, as pro illustrator Brian Taylor would say, “collective” – that I’ve been fascinated with is Illo Confidential. The collective started up in January 2012 and is comprised of 21 award-winning illustrators with various styles and impressive client lists. So what makes a group of illustrators who work in similar markets pair up on the same site? We asked Illo Confidential’s founder himself.

February 7, 2012 @ 12 p.m.
in The Business Lab
by Corina Marie Howell | Corina Marie Photography
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An introduction to the "Generation Hustle" blog series, which intends to be an all-encompassing look at what many young, talented photographers of this generation are struggling with in this economic climate and age of technology.

I’m in my pajamas with a takeout coffee cup next to me and Crouton, my cat, is perched on a pillow right next to me intently licking his toes. I’ve sent out hundreds of personalized emails to potential clients and subjected myself to a many a cold call on this fine morning. The nibbles come, and jobs do happen, but great success still evades me. Perhaps I will not change out of my pajamas today.

I’ve fought the good fight for more than a few years now. I’ve had some quality advertising gigs in the entertainment, beauty, and fashion industries, met hundreds of top-level creatives, and done some fabulous editorials for local and national magazines. I am a former magazine photo editor for both Movieline and The Hollywood Reporter and have great connections. Yet here I sit, on this plateau. Oh, and you’re here with me? What’s up?

February 5, 2012 @ 2 p.m.
in The Business Lab
by Bonnie Brown | Bonnie Brown
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Question: What are some surefire ways to overcome obstacles when trying to form new relationships with people who have long-established relationships with other artists?

Think about it this way: hopefully you have at least one loyal, long-term client who loves and adores you ... maybe several! So what do you offer these clients to keep them coming back to you?

January 31, 2013 @ 10 a.m.
in The Business Lab
by Judy Herrmann | Herrmann + Starke
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Question: I try to be as active as I can in the photography community, but I also have assignments to complete and marketing to attract new business. What are some areas I can cut back on or add in (such as attending specific events or reducing my social media efforts) to make managing all three a bit easier?

There’s never any shortage of good ideas or good activities to pursue for managing your business. The hard part is figuring out how to allocate your most valuable resources – time and money – so what we’re really talking about here is prioritization.

Without knowing you, your business, your financial situation or your goals, I can’t tell you to spend more or less time doing social media, attending events or servicing your clients. Everyone’s priorities are different and our priorities frequently change. But regardless of your specific situation, this three-step process can help you find the right answers for your business:

January 17, 2012 @ 1 p.m.
in The Business Lab
by Ilise Benun | Marketing Mentor
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Question: Can I make changes to my brand gradually, or, if I decide to make a change, should I make it suddenly and across the board?

As always, it depends.

What I’ve noticed, in the 25 years I’ve spent growing my business and helping creative professionals grow theirs, is that evolution is the hallmark of a successful business. And evolution, we have learned, is a series of small changes that takes the best and brings it into the future.

January 15, 2013 @ 11 a.m.
in The Business Lab
by Simone Friend & Beth Johnson | Friend + Johnson
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Question: I have worked with some major illustration publications. Work has been a bit slow lately and I’m taking on some smaller clients. I don’t really want to adjust my rates, but at the same time I understand that budgets vary from client to client. What is the best way to educate a client on my pricing structure, as well as to charge a rate that is appropriate and not too low?

Illustration is one of those subjects where clients have a hard time understanding the price structure, since there are no hard costs to accommodate pricing, like hard drives, equipment rental, etc. The best way to validate your worth for a job is to base it on industry standards for illustration projects similar to what you’re doing for your client.

The Graphic Artists Guild is a great starting place to justify what rates are acceptable in the marketplace right now. The problem is, editorial and other publications tend to pay editorial rates, not advertising rates, and these rates can be half the costs of an advertising project.