CHAPTER 14
The New Breed of
Agent
Talent reps have been around for the last thirty-five to
forty years, and in that time the rules of representation became
fixed (some might even say rigid). Reps handled mostly top-end
ad photographers, and lots of shooters were left to develop new
business on their own. Although responsibilities varied, most
reps concerned themselves with tasks directly related to obtain-
ing assignments and licensing imagery.
The rep’s role was once limited to bringing in new work
and negotiating fees. It took much time and effort to perform
these tasks, and agents were continually busy performing
them while fielding inquiries from new talent looking for
representation.
Today, the responsibilities of agents include the traditional
responsibilities and talent is still knocking at their doors, but as
the business has shifted, agents have found that their role has
shifted as well. A new a breed of rep has emerged and new busi-
ness models have been created. This shift has created a new
look to the team approach. Where the operative word was once
purchase order, these folks now speak of relationships, collabo-
ration, and vision—and some now extend their services to art
photographers, selling their images to consumers and indus-
tries for interior display.
There have always been fewer reps than those seeking
them, and while the ratio of reps to talent hasn’t improved,
the rep-talent relationship has changed. We’ll look at twoChapter 14.qxd 6/25/07 7:19 AM Page 84