Debra Weiss Creative Consultant
Let's Talk! Ideas, Inspiration, Great Conversation
The Personal Project:
Good For Your Soul and Your Career
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
4pm EST via Zoom
All artists - especially photographers should create work for themselves. It's a soul nourishing practice that can clarify your point of view, shape your portfolio and sometimes reap unexpected rewards. What begins as something personal can impact the direction of your career. Your personal work gives the viewer a glimpse of who you are and not just what you do.
Our upcoming conversation will examine how the personal project can propel growth and spark inspiration while reminding you why you chose this path.
with
Andrea Kaye, Executive Integrated Producer, Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant and
Special Guests Brian Kuhlmann, Photographer and Stephen Mallon, Photographer
*Speakers are subject to change. Should there be an unexpected cancellation, every effort will be made to confirm another speaker of similar expertise. Feel free to reach out with any questions to dw@debraweiss.com
Fee: $25.00 - All major credit cards and PayPal accepted
* Registered guests can access a recording of the conversation for a period of one month for an additional $15.00.
All others, $25
Maximum length of conversation is two hours
View Terms and Conditions here.
"I tried for a year to make it to Debra's How 2b your own best rep event and when I finally did, it surely did not disappoint. Debra's deep knowledge of the industry, network of experienced contacts, and strong opinion based on her history in the photo world made this weekend seminar truly stand out. You'll learn real world practices and insights that they can't possibly teach in school and the ability to have a dialogue with Debra's amazing network of Art Producers and Art Directors was invaluable. I highly recommend this event, and will be back again. Thanks so much Debra for sharing your knowledge with those who will benefit greatly."
– Dom Francis,
Photographer/Owner Giant Giants
"I’ve attended Deb Weiss’ “How To Be Your Own Best Rep” seminar at Photo Plus three times, and I can easily say that it was the most impactful, practical, and insightful seminar I’ve been to. While Deb is bold and brash, and not afraid to the industry dogma in general, the seminar provided me with very practical and actionable advice about marketing, bidding, creative calls, treatments, and insights into the ad industry in general. I have been lucky enough to work with amazing reps since 2010, but even still, I found this seminar to be extremely valuable. Sometimes it feels like the industry is shrouded in a veil of secrecy, and Deb does her best to help lift it."
– Mathieu Young
Photographer
Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant
A former agent for some of the top names in the business, a consultant for the former Black Book and CEO of APA National, Debra now primarily works with photographers one on one. She is called a “creative consultant” but what she really does is coach a photographer’s career as an artist and a business.
A lecturer and moderator, Debra has created several programs designed to educate and entertain including COPYRIGHT: KNOW IT OR BLOW IT, How 2 Get Work From Ad Agencies, How 2B Your Own Best Rep, Everyone’s a Photographer and SHOW & TELL: The Story Behind the Image, a multi course wine pairing dinner.
Debra reviews the portfolios of BFA, MFA and alumni students of ICP annually. She is also an independent curator and has served as curator for an internationally traveled exhibit of the Best of The International Photography Awards; HARAMBEE! (Come Together) at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles; a collection of images created by Pulitzer Prize and other award winning photojournalists exhibited in NYC and exhibitions of works by Scott Caan and Sara Terry for The Photo Independent Art Fair as well as curating for several participating photographers in the recently mounted Virtual Photo Independent, now in its second edition.
Andrea Kaye, Executive Art Producer,
Business Affairs Manager + Talent Consultant
After having worked as an Integrated Producer/Art Producer/Art Buyer at large New York advertising agencies including BBDO and McCann for over 25 years, Andrea is now a highly sought after Freelance Integrated Producer, Business Affairs Manager and Talent Consultant.
While on the inside of the industry Andrea was a strong voice and advocate for art production, helping transform the role, once known as art buying, into a more proactive, collaborative, and accountable member of the creative team.
Andrea was instrumental in the merger of her department with the Broadcast and Digital Production department, helping to create the agency’s first Integrated Production department. This union led to many exciting and unsettling changes in both departments and while at McCann became the SVP, Executive Integrated Producer.
Andrea is also a past member of the Art Production Committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), the JEC (Joint Ethics Committee) and the Art Buyers Club.
Andrea has produced global shoots which have taken her around the world for clients such as ExxonMobil, MasterCard, Nikon, Verizon and The United States Army.
Brian Kuhlmann, Photographer
“A visual diary - that’s why I take pictures. ”
Photography isn't just something I do, it's who I am.
My camera goes everywhere I do.
That journey takes me on boundless adventures across diverse cultures and environments. Each one teaches me something new, enriches my perspective, and reshapes my work. I am fortunate to have had my photography featured in many campaigns, publications and exhibitions and to collaborate with clients who share a passion for authentic storytelling.
Through my lens, I aim to highlight the beauty, complexity and diversity of the world I encounter. I believe photography is a universal medium that speaks to our shared experiences as well as our individual journeys. I look forward to creating something meaningful together, and I sincerely thank you for taking the time to explore my work.
Stephen Mallon, Photographer
Specializing in the industrial-scale creations of mankind at unusual moments of their life cycles, Stephen Mallon is a photographer and filmmaker who has successfully bridged the gap between advertising, editorial and fine art.
Mallon’s work blurs the line between all three industry segments revealing the industrial landscape to be unnatural, desolate and functional yet simultaneously also human, surprising and inspiring. It has been featured in publications and by broadcasters including The New York Times, National Geographic, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, MSNBC, The Atlantic, GQ, CBS, the London Times and Vanity Fair. Mallon has exhibited in cities including Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, St. Louis and New York, as well as in England, Italy and the Czech Republic.
Mallon’s client list includes Anomaly, National Geographic, Publicis, The New York City Dept of Transportation, The Armory Show, Tata Consulting, Smithsonian Magazine, Johnnie Walker, Weeks Marine, Havas, Our Man in Havana, and The Watsons
Stephen’s project following the MTA’a artificial reef project where over 2000 subway cars were placed in the Atlantic was shown at The New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Terminal Gallery. Over 60,000 people experienced the exhibition and was featured by Gothamist, Artnet, Yahoo, Fox News, and numerous other outlets.
As David Schonauer wrote in Pro Photo Daily, “Mallon’s word harkens back to the heroic industrial landscapes of Margaret Bourke-White and Charles Sheeler, who glorified American steel and found art in its industrial muscle and smoke during the Great Depression.”
Mallon served as a board member of the New York chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers from 2002 until 2020 and served as president from 2006 to 2009.