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Garry Black Photography

Question:

I was wondering what advise or tips your can give me on submitting my photography to a agency.

Also if you wouldn't mind breaking down how the photographer gets paid.

Answer:

There are many different types of agencies and their market greatly varies. The agencies that sell (license) images mainly for advertising, represent most of the "big name" photographers, it is difficult to get a contract with one of these agencies. While other agencies like Valan Photos & Spectrum Stock (small Canadian agencies) are more editorial based and would probably be easier to get your material into their files. It all depends on what you shoot and how well you shoot it. You should contact some agencies and ask them for their guidelines for submitting a portfolio. Most of the agencies vary greatly in what they want to see. The only solid bit of advice that I can give is to make sure that all images are technically perfect, if they are soft or the exposure isn't quite there don't include them, no matter how much you may like them. One thing to keep in mind is that you will be competing with every other photographer in world when it comes time for an art director to buy an image. Make sure that at least 50% of your submission is in the vertical format. Vary your material as much as possible. Do not include many similars from one location or shoot, I would include a horizontal and a vertical and that would be it. If the stock agency that you are approaching has a web site, look at the type of material that they have compared to other agencies and to what you have - can you compete? Judging from what I saw on your web site, I think that you can!

Every agency has it's own methods. I get a royalty cheque once a month for accounts that have been paid and also a sales statement for each month for sales during that month. Some other agencies only give reports every three months, while others only when you have any sales.