Yo, B.

*heart* Pickled

Ah, Pickled…

I so dislike this question because the answer is, “Why would you EVER provide the agent with a single shot you would not be blissed out to use, ever?!?” So… go back in time, ONLY give them stuff you’re “hell yes” about, and then they’ll pick from that.

I know, I know, sometimes your agent is actually given the login for proofs BY the photographer (which is bizarre; it shouldn’t happen like that, ever), so in that situation you can’t really prevent them from choosing something you never would choose, but man, I sooooooooo dislike this question (and it comes up a lot). It’s weird, because you’d think when you have a hell-yes agent and a hell-yes shoot, the hell-yes SHOTS would be clear.

So, the answer NOW is: You give your agent what he or she wants because we’re assuming you’ve signed with a hell-yes agent and that means they know how best to market you for your goals and would never select something BECAUSE it sucks; they’d select it because — based on what they see in the breakdowns and how they see you — it’s the right shot for the job you’ve all agreed they’re on the team to help do.

And you TRUST THEM. Because you signed with a “hell yes,” you trust them to guide this path to the next tier. So, you give them time to be wrong.

Sure, you can meanwhile send out postcards that have a better shot, select better shots for your website and social media presence, even show up to auditions with better shots in hand, but what you provide your reps with at the casting submission sites that THEY will be using on your behalf every day is what THEY say helps them best do their job FOR YOU.

If, after six months, you’re getting nowhere, momentum hasn’t increased but has instead decreased, and you’re sitting down with your team to try and figure out what to change up, the convo THEN *has to be* about using different headshots… and at THIS time, you ONLY provide them with shots you’re over-the-moon blissed out for them to choose from.

Either they’ll be right about these shots you hate and you’ll be a booking machine and have no time to stress about how much you dislike the shots they chose *or* they’ll be wrong and in six months’ time, you’ll get them to use the shots you prefer because you’ll have data to back up your current feelings.

And, of course, if this ISN’T a hell-yes agency match for you, THAT’s the bigger issue to deal with right now than their choice of headshots. But you know that.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!