Aside from working on your own as a freelance photographer, some may choose to work with an agency. A photography agency is much like a modeling agency or the like in that the agency represents you when it comes to the legal hurdles, customer acquisition, and payment. As a photographer with an agent, you wouldn’t have to register yourself as a business and search for your own clients. The agency will provide you with jobs, a schedule, payment, and if you’re lucky, they’ll even give you some equipment to use.
There are pros and cons to agencies, just there are with freelancing. Possibly the most obvious factor is the customer acquisition. With an agency, you’re given the work you need to do and when you need to do it. This structure can be nice for many people, but others may prefer to make their own schedules. Also, an agency will be the one paying you, not the actual client. The money will go through the agency before it gets to you.
Another thing to consider when looking for agencies is the clientele that agency serves. There are specialized agencies that tend to work with artists to produce certain types of content for their customers. Some may be privy to commercial photography, some may be focused on fashion, or some may focus only on stock photos. There are tons of niches within photography business and agencies can help you find your way into one of them. If your work is highly specialized, you will likely fit well into that particular agency.
You’ll also need to think about location. An agency has a physical office, which means they’re tied to a particular location. If the agency you want to work for is based in New York and you live in Montana, that could be an issue. But if your areas are close to each other, you can definitely keep them on your radar.
Agency work definitely has its benefits. If you like having structure in your life and don’t like the idea of dedicating a lot of your time to do supplemental work that isn’t actual photography (like tax preparation, looking for clients, handling legal issues, etc.), maybe an agency is the way to go.