Finding and working with a rep is a common question that photographer's ask themselves. For some it means they've "made it to the top." For other it is a validation that the work they are doing is at the highest level. Whatever the reason, getting and maintaining a rep is all about a relationship. In this 10-part series Rob Grimm meets with the founder or Wonderful Machine Bill Cramer and producer of Craig Oppenheimer to cover a series of questions that many photographers have.

Just how the heck do photographers know they are ready for a rep? Furthermore how much work are they going to get me? I hate to be the bearer of vague answers, but that also can depend on many factors. There is no such thing as a black and white visual of being "ready for a rep." In this section Bill lays down some truth about what some reps may expect photographer's to do and begins to lay down some expectations about roles and some advertising strategies that may cost the photographer time and money.

Are photographers known for being great in business? For some yes and for others hell no. The business side of photography is where many photographers end up spending a lot of their time. When you think about it, the vast majority of a creative's time is running the business and working on the business, not taking photos. 

Rob drops a banger question in this episode and asks Bill to whip out his crystal ball. Bill drops more knowledge nuggets for photographers with some 20 year tips about culture, social media, and tools photographers need to be aware of.

Figuring out pricing is a lot like riding a horse, if you're comfortable doing it then you're probably doing it wrong. The concept of pricing is hard because there really is no norm. For some companies they may expect to pay a huge fee for a job that other companies would only pay a fraction. Pricing, no matter how much you try, is still an art and not a science. While we try to use things like formulas to help estimate what that might be, it's still basically impossible.

Have you ever been asked to give a creative brief or a creative treatment? Knowing how to put them together is an important part of establishing yourself as a commercial photographer. When bidding for a job at the highest level, you need to know the expectations clients might have of the photographers that they ask to bid.

Where the heck are we headed? I will give you a hint and it rhymes with A LOT OF CONTENT! As a creative you are a problem solver first and photographer second who needs to understand the tools available at your disposal. Today's market is moving faster than ever, and being agile has never been more important. At the end of the day, many believe that you need to become a specialist in your craft.

If you made it this far, congrats and please get yourself a beer, on us! We hope you liked the series and the fish joke above. Do you feel any better about how the rep game works in photography? Do you feel like you need one? Make sure to join us on the private PRO EDU Photography Community to continue the conversation, free with any purchase.