Interview: Jen Jenkins

Today’s interview is with Jen Jenkins, founder of Giant Artists, a full-service artists agency. I especially love the following line from Giant’s mission: “We are connected in the spirit of creating art, working with a supportive and innovative community of artists and clients, helping others fulfill their vision, and, simply, making a living doing what we love.”

Scott Toepfer, a solid member of the TMC discussion board, was interested in interviewing Jen because Giant reps photographers in all stages of their career. Since I’m looking to make TMC as much of a co-op experience as possible, I was all for it. There is a ton of curiosity about how to approach agencies, what agencies can do for emerging photographers and at what point in one’s career they are needed (if at all). Scott’s conversation with Jen starts here:

Scott Toepfer: Giant Artists has been on the forefront for representing photographers with a new, more artistic aesthetic. What can you tell us about the process of bringing new faces from the low budget editorial world into advertising photography? What can be said for bringing new, creative faces into the commercial market? Can it be risky?

Jen Jenkins: I started the company with an eye toward establishing a small group of artists I truly admired, who took photos or had a style of design & illustration that I’d like to see more of.  So in that respect, the roster reflects my own aesthetic, and I hoped others would connect with their work in the same way I did.  Some of the artists were more commercially established than others, but each had gained a certain level of respect among their peers.  I saw my job as helping introduce them to a wider audience.  In terms of it being risky to bring new faces from editorial to advertising, I don’t see those categories as opposing ends of the spectrum.

Almost all of the art buyers and art and creative directors discover new (and existing) talent in the editorial world.  An editorial or music shoot can lend itself perfectly to advertising.  Recently, one of my photographers did an in-studio celebrity portrait shoot for a magazine.  I showed it to an art buyer I knew, and the artist booked an ad job almost immediately.  Celebrity portraits, lifestyle, reportage, and fashion, for example, all of which might originate in the editorial arena, can translate easily to advertising.  It’s more about the style and tone of the work, or the photographer’s ability to connect with their subject, for instance.  Clients in the editorial or advertising world are constantly looking for fresh, creative talent, and I wouldn’t say that having years of experience or having a rep necessarily makes you more or less of a commodity.  If a client is looking for a specific style and a younger artist fits that style, they’ll want to consider them.

Jeremy and Claire Weiss/Giant Artists

ST: So many new professionals find it difficult to break through into commercial work, and see a representative as being a ticket to success. How does Giant Artists go about discovering new artists for representation? What are some qualifiers that you look for in new talent?

JJ: Having a rep is not a requirement for booking commercial work.  Ad agencies work with unrepresented talent all the time.  They might discover their work through a blog, in a magazine, or on a CD cover, for instance.  Although, a rep might be viewed as a safety net, in terms of vouching for the artist, handling the billing, and offering production support.  A good rep will help an artist navigate the waters and get strong talent in front of the right eyes.  But it’s absolutely a team effort, and I try to make that clear when I sign new talent.  It’s my job to get them a job, and their job to keep it!  I also require my artists to keep current portfolios, images on their website, and promotional materials, and most of all to get out there and network.

How you represent yourself is as important as the work you do.  People want to work with who they know and enjoy, and that’s also often how I discover talent.  If a friend in the industry recommends I take a look at an artist’s work, I always make a point to.  I also discover new talent looking through magazines, blogs, catalogues, etc.  I try to set aside some time each week to sit quietly and research.  That doesn’t always happen, but I try!  Before I sign new talent, I look for someone who has developed their eye, their ability to see a photograph and capture something in a unique, artistic way.  I also look for someone whose work translates commercially, and I mean that in a broader sense.  Advertising isn’t the only commercial outlet. But by the time an artist comes to me, they are usually hoping to make money.

I look for a photographer, though, who’s laid the groundwork by him or herself.  I look at their existing clients, at their personal work, exhibits, awards, etc.  It’s not about the amount of awards or exhibitions, but the fact that they’re self-motivated, dedicated, and garnered a certain level of appreciation out there.  The personal work is important to me because it tells me a lot about who they are and what they strive toward.  It’s also generally what makes them happiest doing, and that’s something that I encourage them never to lose sight of.  I keep my sight on an artist’s long-term career, what they’ll be doing when they’re fifty or sixty and looking to retire.  Ideally, they will have built a name for themselves and a quality archive, and hopefully can kick back on a tropical island, drink pina coladas all day, and sell prints!  That’s the dream.  I’ll be there with them, of course!  But I look for a well-rounded artist, and one that has not only natural talent but drive and determination and vision for the long haul.

Lauren Dukoff/Giant Artists

ST: Do you approach photographers that you are interested in, or do you prefer that they get in touch with you? What is the one thing that a photographer can do or accomplish to get noticed by an agency such as Giant?

JJ: Sometimes I approach a photographer directly, if I’m particularly interested to learn more about them.  Sometimes I go back to a photographer who approached me, and check to see what they’re up to now.  Some artists need a little more time to develop to the point where they’re ready for a rep.  The best place to start is to email me.  I try to look at every email, but some days I’m busier than others.  Wait a couple of weeks and then try again, if you don’t hear from me the first time around.  If my roster is full and I don’t have the time or space to sign anyone new, I will likely bookmark a site that I want to go back to when I’m looking to fill a slot on my roster.  Giant Artists is still a fairly young company, and I’m trying not to grow too big too fast.  I never want to grow so big that I don’t have time to talk to each of my artists every day, if needed.  We’re in this together, so the minute I get too busy to pick up a call from one of my artists is the minute I need to downsize.  I’ve been told we’re a pretty approachable, friendly agency, which is one of the greatest compliments I could receive!  “No jerks at Giant Artists” is rule #1.

ST: How do you like to be approached by a photographer that is interested in getting involved with the agency?

JJ: Email is the best first step.  If I like what I see and the timing is right, I’ll ask for the photographer to send or bring me their portfolio so we can meet in person.  The portfolio tells me a lot about the photographer and how ready they are for representation.  I’ve seen a lot of top-notch websites and then really poorly compiled portfolios.  The artist portfolio is just as important, and should be professional and well-edited.  The prints should be of a consistent and high quality.  This tells me the photographer is willing to dedicate the time and money into building their career and promoting themselves.  It takes quite an upfront investment to pull together your promotional materials, which is so so important in competing in this industry.

ST: What services does Giant offer to its talent?

JJ: We promote our artists to potential clients through avenues like in-person meetings, phone, email, and direct mail.  We also offer production support and services, handle billings, life coaching, and relationship advice.  We’ll also walk you down the aisle when you get married.

ST: What is your relationship to your shooters? How do they contribute to the marketing process

JJ: Shipmates, brethren, “more than friends.”

ST: You’ve seen my portfolio and website, and I’m sure you spend more time with new talent than most. What advice can you give on new photographers’ portfolios, and what is the one thing that could be improved on the most?

JJ: Consistency, a strong edit, and a high quality portfolio and prints.  I want to see a consistency in terms of the photographer’s style, and I want the client to walk away from a portfolio review confident in what they’ll get if they hire that photographer.  It’s important to invest upfront in the right presentation, in order to get taken seriously.  If the prints look cheap, so do you!  Similarly, the website should give me an overview of the artist’s abilities, eye, and experience.  The website should be EASY TO NAVIGATE.  You don’t know how many sites I’m directed to that take ages to load, are difficult to navigate, and just plain badly designed.  I just want to get to the work as quickly as possible, and get a sense of who this photographer is in five minutes or less.  Please no sound.  I don’t need to hear clicks and whistles while I navigate through the site.

Seth Smoot/Giant Artists (he did the Interpol cover too)

ST: Where do you see your artists going in the next 5 years?

JJ: I see their careers continuing to grow, both in terms of their personal/fine art work and commercial work.  I’d love to see more publish monographs, exhibit their work at galleries around the world, and gain the kind of respect and attention they all deserve!  And it goes without saying, I’d like to see them make a living doing what they love.  As technology and art change and merge, it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years.  Already several of my artists have branched into other areas.  Photographers are directing, illustrators/designers are dipping into motion graphics & interactive….  These arenas will continue to expand and integrate, I’m sure, and Giant Artists will grow with them.

ST: Any last words of advice for the young emerging photographer?

JJ: Don’t turn down work when you’re just getting started!  Shoot everything you can.  You never know what will be the shot that gets you the big job, or who you might meet along the way.  Keep in touch with the people you meet, and just keep going.  It’s a long & dusty road for most…stick with it.  It can also be extremely rewarding and a heck of a lot of fun!