Bobbie Notcutt

"It's kind of weirdly like the dating scene: you know that cliché of ‘love yourself first, then someone will love you’? It's like the same," Bobbie says as she talks about when people should seek out her agency and services. Bobbie Notcutt is the founder and photography agent at Dust Bunnies, but she is also a cheerleader and bodyguard based on how she describes her job. Bobbie is the person who stands between her clients and her photographers.

Bobbie is a young woman from a working-class family in Britain, who spent her life being inspired by the people around her. Cherishing her community and family is what led her to her current role today, as she learned it was important to advocate for others in many capacities. Trailblazers and go-getters are the types of people she likes to surround herself with, including her talent. Her career took an unconventional start when she originally worked in production. Photography was always a love for Bobbie, so when given the opportunity to work in photography productions instead of motion, she ended up creating an entire department at her company due to her success. So, when the company she worked for disbanded, Bobbie had two photographers signed to her, and refused to take a new contract without them, “ride or die” some would say. Struggling between finding her next career pursuit and keeping her promise to her two talents, Bobbie founded Dust Bunnies a year ago.

Dust Bunnies is built on the motto, "Always with young, queer, POC & female talent front & center." Amplifying creatives around her is an integral part of Bobbie’s job, but she made the conscious decision to focus on those behind the lens. "The art will only be stronger if the industry diversifies," Bobbie noted as she talked about how the industry has made strides in representing people in front of the camera, but is still lacking key groups behind the lens. "The industry has catered to a certain type of person for so long... Diverse backgrounds and personal experiences lend itself to how people express themselves, but they're often overlooked because of their networks, location, or social media presence."

When getting into the nitty-gritty of Bobbie's line of work, she says you should only seek out an agent when you are a full-time photographer (in most cases) and can survive on 80% of your income, since an agent takes a 20% cut from the jobs you take on. If you enjoy the admin side of things and supervision over every detail- well, maybe an agent isn't the right path for you. On the other hand, if you're a creative who likes to compartmentalize and only focus on the creative aspects, then representation—after meeting the previously mentioned goals—might be the right choice for you.

If you'd like Bobbie and Dust Bunnies to represent you, she has a few more things she looks for: someone who knows their craft and doesn't follow trends and is focused on themselves. If you've seen Bobbie's wonderful hair and her kind smile and want to be like her, well, one thing she recommends is to consider that the job requires no ego, no need to be in the spotlight, and a certain kind of selflessness. The job is to elevate talent.

Bobbie and Dust Bunnies are, one year in, focused on amplifying education after spending the first year getting their name out there. They are working more internationally which is an exciting development, and they are looking to democratize the creative space through teaching and workshops. Needless to say, the future looks bright for them.

A large part of what Dust Bunnies is trying to do lies in education and spreading information about the industry. Two things Bobbie says she would advise are: always be really, really open and really, really kind. Be yourself. Be curious, go assist and learn from others, and focus on being open—then the rest will fall into place. "Don’t be a doormat," but being kind in emails, on the phone, and offering to get tea if you’re getting one for yourself will get you far in the industry. Confidence is important, but you don't have to present yourself as something you are not, if you're reserved & quiet that is just who you are- the industry is supposed to be fun, but you can only truly have fun when you are being yourself. So, be kind; it will be the best thing you can do for your career.

Special thanks to Bobbie! Dust Bunnies offers free portfolio reviews as a resource! Bobbie also has a Substack for more advice there!