Check one more task off the Big Project list! I’ve chosen the photo consultant who will help me tweak my portfolio and web site, then help me launch my first full-scale promotional campaign. I interviewed five consultants, talked to probably a dozen photographers, and read countless blogs along the way, and I’m excited to say that for this phase of things I get to work with Selina Maitreya. Yep, the author of the book I’ve been reading to get my thoughts together and set me off on the right foot; and yes, the one whose name popped up in the blog entry that got me thinking seriously about the absolute necessity of the project in the first place. As it turned out, of the people I talked to, Selina was the one that seemed to get (and be excited by) the work I currently do to the highest degree, had the right mix of experience to inspire trust, and the approach that I think will give the most flexibility and efficiency. Plus everything she’s done just speaks professionalism and confidence, two necessities in a coach.

The funny thing is that I actually thought about canceling my introductory phone call with Selina; she was the last of the five that I talked to, and I had already had a couple other conversations that really excited me, with consultants used by some photographers who I really admire. But I kept the appointment, and I’m so glad I did.

Now that it’s behind me, I can say that I enjoyed the process more than I thought I would; each person I talked to gave me at least one insight in to my work and its presentation, or ideas for personal projects. I did my best to find the consultants out there with the strongest ties to the photo community, with the strongest backgrounds, and I truly believe that any of them could help me along my path; but it’s such a personal chemistry thing in the end.

Another side benefit of my conversations was to get a gauge on where my work stands here at the outset, in the eyes of some people whose job is to know the photo industry and help guide us to where we want to be. (Granted, there’s some incentive for the consultant to overstate their opinion of your work. But on the other hand, the photo community is smaaaaall, and trust is a big chunk of the basis of a consultant’s business. So there’s equal, or probably more, incentive to be straight and realistic.) To my slight surprise, what I learned is that in the eyes of these people, my portfolio is a little closer to prime time than I thought it was. It’s what I hoped people would think of my work, but that’s different.

Next comes Selina giving my work an in-depth look through, both online and in print. Then we talk about a lot of the things I’ve already blogged about in this little series, and come up with a plan to start getting me some of those assignments I’d kill for.

To close the book on this chunk of the Project, I’ve got a couple recommendations for those of you thinking about starting your own consultant search, based on what felt right about my process:

• Do lots of research before calling anyone. APhotoEditor and Agency Access have lists to start you out. Look for clues as to who has helped the photographers that you admire (but don’t put too much stock in that; each client/consultant relationship is different, and you’ve got to go your own way). Pay attention to who speaks nationally, and if there is a predominant style associated with a consultant’s client list.
• Be very clear with yourself what you’re objectives are for working with a consultant.
• Make sure you have the budget to pay your consultant for the size project you have in mind.
• When the time comes to start talking to people, contact everyone on your list and ask for an introductory phone call. The point of the call is to get a sense of each other.
• Prior to the calls, come up with a short list of questions to guide the conversation. You can plan on a 15-20 minute phone call, so it doesn’t need to be a huge list of questions, but they should address your biggest concerns. For me that was getting a sense of each consultant’s process, and how they work with their clients. Not only will the list help the conversation get rolling; you’ll also present yourself right off the bat as someone who is serious and motivated.