Notes: For the New Face
Freelance vs Agency Representation
The real trade-offs, commission, and what an agency does for you.
In short: Freelance or agency representation? The real trade-offs for new models, how commission works, and what an agency actually does for you.
What an agency actually gives you
Neither path is objectively better. They suit different people and different stages of a career. Access to major commercial and high-fashion clients that rarely, if ever, deal directly with freelancers. Contract negotiation, legal protection, chasing unpaid invoices on your behalf, and broader career management across your whole working life, not just one booking at a time.
In exchange, agencies typically take a standard commission, often around 20%, plus VAT where applicable, and any agreed test shoot or comp card costs may be deducted from your future earnings rather than charged upfront.
What freelance gives you instead
Complete control over your own schedule, keeping the full agreed fee from direct client work, and freedom to choose exactly which projects you take on. The trade-off is doing everything yourself, self-managing contracts, chasing unpaid invoices, negotiating buyouts without an agency's leverage or benchmarks, and funding your own marketing and outreach.
You don't always have to choose one
Operating under a non-exclusive agency contract while transparently managing separate freelance work is a normal, safe way to work, as long as it's disclosed and allowed under your specific contract. Exclusive contracts restrict this, so it's worth knowing exactly what you've signed before assuming you can do both.
Many working models start freelance, build a portfolio and reputation, then sign with an agency once there's a track record worth representing. There's no single correct order to do this in.
Which one is actually worth it for you
An agency tends to make more sense once you're regularly working, or want access to the bigger commercial and high-fashion clients that simply don't take freelance submissions. If chasing invoices, negotiating rates alone, and finding your own work sounds like more admin than you want, that 20% commission is buying you real time and real protection.
Freelance tends to suit people earlier on, still building a portfolio, or who prefer full control over what they take on and when. It also suits anyone with another job or commitment they're balancing modelling around, since there's no agency expecting a certain level of availability from you.
A Few Questions