The Daily Promo – Lucy-Ruth Hathaway

Lucy-Ruth Hathaway

Who printed it?
It was printed by Dayfold, who are based in the UK.

Who designed it?
I came up with the concept of The Food Styling Encyclopaedia, along with the accompanying titles. The graphic design is by Wildish & Co.

Tell me about the images?
All the images are taken from my collaborations with set designers and photographers; they are almost entirely made up of personal projects. The process began by thinking of all of the words for the Encyclopaedia, which took about 3 months. I then either matched the words to existing personal work imagery, or conceptualised images to illustrate each title.

How many did you make?
I did a first print of 100, which I then made some amendments to and printed a further 250.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I got such a good response from the first promo I sent out in early 2019 that I decided to make the next one into a small book that people would want to keep.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
As a food stylist, I have had a huge amount of publicity and also commercial exposure from The Food Styling Encyclopaedia.

The Daily Promo – June Kim

June Kim
@junebugkim

Who printed it?
Magcloud – having used Blurb before (who I believe owns Magcloud), I trusted the quality and ease of their online interface.

Who designed it?
My friend David Jung who is an art director based out of LA. http://davidjung.studio/ It helps so much to have someone who knows you and your work shape how others will see it. He finessed the typefaces and page layouts, creating a system for displaying the images and even the page numbers—all the details matter.

Tell me about the images?
I decided to call this “Selected Works” because the images span the gamut of collaborative projects (in particular with my good friend and closest collaborator Michelle Cho), editorial assignments, fashion shoots, and personal work. I wanted the images to flow from one type to another and exist under the umbrella of “June Kim” without having to label or categorize them.

How many did you make?
150 copies officially, and did an initial batch of proofs which turned out to be great too.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I’ve been mulling on this first one for over a year, but going forward I’d love to make a promo yearly. In between, I’ll be putting my efforts into building a solid (and hopefully ever-evolving) website and promote that way.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I sure hope so. As timing had it, I printed these right before coronavirus hit the states hard, and then everything began to shut down. But I’ve sent some out, I’m holding on to some others, and we’ll see what happens!

The Daily Promo – Tarona Leonora

Tarona Leonora

Who printed it?
The work was printed by PrinterPro, a printing shop that has two locations in The Netherlands. They’re a fairly small company who do huge turnovers and I love their team.

Who designed it?
Originally, I designed every single aspect of the book from the cover to the simple layout and deciding what kind paper should be used. When I had done a test print, I showed it to my friend Franky Sticks. He mentioned that the (original) cover design didn’t match what was happening on the inside in terms of the work, so he offered to do a cover redesign. And that is the version that is out now. Thank you Franky!

Tell me about the images?
The nine images that you find in the zine are a combination of works I have shot between 2015 and 2020 in different places on the planet. I have always very much been attracted to colors, and it is also something that has always been very distinctive throughout my work. I love what colors can communicate and how you can use them to convey messages on a different level than what instantly meets the eye. I ended up having this enormous archive that I had collected all over the world from all different times and I decided to pick a few that resonated with me the most and that I believed could tell a story on their own. The hardest part in the process was finding the balance and rhythm between the images in terms of placement and which image would follow up which. I was also very aware of how the colors could possibly work on the retina when being viewed and how the next or previous images could be influenced by that.

How many did you make?
I printed an edition of 50.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This was actually the first time I did something like this in my entire timeline as a visual artist. All my work, so far, has only ever existed online. The idea for this thematic zine, came to me due to frustration of solely seeing my work in a digital space and never being able to hold it. I realised that I had a huge archive of images and I never knew what to do with it. So, this format makes it possible for me to work in themes that interest me and share them quickly in a tangible format. This also allows me to mix and match old archival work with freshly shot work and bind it all together according to theme. With that said, there are more themes to come.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I think printed work is always something that people enjoy. We are, after all, tactile beings. Even while living in this digital age, I still find myself having love for objects that are tangible and I wanted to make something that I would like. I always thought that if I will like it, someone else will too. So far, some people have bought the zine as well, so I suppose it’s not only effective marketing in that sense, but it’s also something to collect.

The Daily Promo – Thomas Strand

Thomas Strand

Who printed and designed it?
Done by Brian Donahue of bedesign in Minneapolis. I worked with Brian for many years when he was an art director at Minnesota Monthly. I knew his amazing sense of magazine design would translate well. I gave Brian an archive of images and he ran with it.

Tell me about the images?
Images are a mix from my volunteer work for the rescue Secondhand Hounds, some Purina projects and a couple of test shots.

Several years ago I found myself an empty nester. I had one son who joined the Marines and another that left to study abroad. I said goodbye to my 16-year-old Golden Retriever just prior to that. I had extra time on my hands and decided to volunteer for the rescue. Volunteering has been amazing. It fueled a new direction in my work and granted me the chance to be involved in two things I love; animals and photography. Volunteering has nurtured me creatively, given me a sense of purpose outside myself and help create a new avenue of business.

How many did you make?
I printed 1500 but send out 800.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I plan on 2 of these types of promo per year. Previously I sent out postcards.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I am a believer in printed promos. If I was an AD I would want to receive printed pieces. I find email blasts incredibly disappointing. I am so sick of looking at Google analytics, clicks and opens. The promo landed on a couple of the AD’s desks at Checkmark Communications (Purina) the day they received sign-off on a great project. I did bid the job but sadly all shoots have been tabled due to the virus.

I printed this promo late last fall and spent many hours folding and packaging the promos. I decided it was not a good idea to send out over the holidays and then got mired in refining my mailing list again and updating my website with new images before sending out the promo. The consequence was that it landed on peoples laps shortly before the virus took hold. I am hoping it is not completely lost in all of this.

The Daily Promo – Kelly Allison

Kelly Allison

Who printed it?
Graphic Arts Studio, https://www.gasink.net/, a suburban print shop on the west side of Chicago. They’ve been printing my promos for years and I’m always so happy with their color.

Who designed it?
The piece was both art directed and designed by my friends at Letterform, a Chicago graphic design firm, http://www.letterform.net/. They’re also the ones who created my entire business system, so it helps to have them a part of the conversation from the ground up. Since Letterform starts with a deep understanding of the end goal, we can align to make sure our content both relates to and expounds upon my studio’s brand voice.

Tell me about the images?
The inspiration behind Just Dig In stems from my experience of societal notions around food consumption as being duplicitous at best. Within our highly digital culture there’s an increased propensity to spend time ingesting images of rich, delicious, and seemingly ‘naughty’ food. Meanwhile we’re barraged with messages (often subversive or subliminal) that tout the importance of unrealistic body expectations, and food becomes evil. Food should bring enjoyment, energy, and nourishment for the soul and the body. Yet for many people in the US, especially women and girls, every interaction with food comes with a whole host of physical, emotional, and stress responses. The advertising world has a great amount of influence on how we relate to food as a culture. I see it as our communal responsibility to reclaim the beauty and power of food on all levels, and to promote messages of positivity around food and food enjoyment.

Our aim in developing this collection was to challenge the idea that food in any form is bad, as long as it adds goodness to the human experience. We wanted to create a collection of images that responsibly gives permission to the viewer to enjoy the experience of their taste buds, while sharing a message that ‘guilty’ pleasure doesn’t need to be so.

How many did you make?
There were 1,000 booklets produced in total, 500 of which were sent (like yours) with a box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. For the past few years I’ve been inspired to send Girl Scout cookies with my promos for a couple of reasons: With so many amazing promotional pieces hitting the desks of creatives each day, it’s often hard to stand out. By aligning with a strong brand that’s deeply rooted in nostalgia, I’m pinning my name to an immediately recognizable entity (and one which happens to be one of those ‘guilty’ pleasure) in the hopes of creating a longer lasting impression. More importantly, the iconic nature of the annual cookie release gives me a great opportunity to support local troops in my neighborhood, and give back to an organization that is actively changing the way that girls see themselves and their potential. I believe strongly in the positioning of the Girl Scouts organization and their messages of solidarity, community, global citizenship, and sisterhood.

We have another 500 pieces (sans cookies) that were scheduled to ship at the end of March, but instead we are patiently awaiting a safer time to send them.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I send one promo each year, usually in the spring or fall.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Absolutely. There is something powerful about the tactile experience of a well-designed and beautifully executed printed piece, especially when thoughtfully produced and well-strategized. With a mutual desire to both showcase my work and also limit our environmental footprint, we always try to create pieces that serve a useful purpose. I want each promo to live longer than a quick peruse, and toss into a pile (if you’re lucky) or the recycling bin. Timing also matters when planning to send a physical promo – if it’s a time of increased mail, like around the winter holidays, there may be more pieces that never reach their intended recipient, or get buried and overlooked. Despite the possible obstacles of sending promotional pieces, I’m confident that the benefit far outweighs the negative. There’s no way to accurately account for the impact of an individual promo, but we have definitely heard many stories (even years later) of clients who hire us because our promo ended up in their hands.

The Daily Promo – Louise Hagger

Louise Hagger

Who printed it?
A Carp in the Tub Fold Out Identity Print Booklet Mixam Print,
A Year in Food annuals Mixam Print

Who designed it?
All designed by Owen Evans

Tell me about the images?

A Carp in the Tub: “If you want to take a bath, do it today; I’m bringing the carp tomorrow and it lives in the tub till Easter,” said Natalia helpfully. WAIT. Easter is three months away.

A Carp in the Tub is an artist collaboration by Food Stylist Victoria Granof, Photographer Louise Hagger and Prop Stylist JoJo Li. In words, pictures and recipes, it tells the weird and wonderful story of Granof’s winter-long journey to adopt her infant son in Ukraine.

The work is presented as a set: a folded poster and a booklet. Inside the booklet are a suite of seven photographs with corresponding recipes, and a not funny-but funny essay written by Granof. The poster unfolds into an A3 size to reveal the carp in the tub.

Whole Skinny Chicken from the series was an OpenWalls Finalist and exhibited at Les Rencontres d’Arles last Summer. The work won First Place ‘Professional Personal Work’ at PDN Taste Awards last year and is stocked at The Photographers’ Gallery bookshop, Magma, Mag Culture. Donlon Books, Ti Pi Tin Books and it’s part of Self Publish Be Happy’s library. You can find more info here and hear the song that Victoria Granof chose that compliments the work.

A Year in Food is my food annual which charts my food collaborations, commissions and best eats that year. The majority of my work are personal collaborations with an amazing team of innovative creatives in the food and drink industry from New York to Tokyo, which have been published by brands and editorials around the world. Together we make photographs that are impactful and delicious.

It is stocked in The Photographers’ Gallery bookshop, Magma and Daikanyama Tsutaya Books in Tokyo.

How many did you make?
A Carp in the Tub edition of 200
A Year in Food 2018 500 copies
A Year in Food 2019: 350 copies.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
1-2. My food annual A Year in Food is my main printed promo. I wanted to make A Carp in the Tub into a book to create a more intimate relationship with the viewer. It was the perfect way to share Victoria’s story and create space to share her essay and the recipes she wrote from the photographs we created, which document her memories from that time. I wanted to have an interactive element to the work so that’s why there is a fold-out poster to reveal the carp and also the rotation to see the poster in my food annual.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Absolutely! The response is really positive to receiving something that is considered and in print. It makes people take the time and really look and to ask questions, to share stories, rather that just swipe or scroll. It’s wonderful to hold something tangible that we’ve created from a conversation.

I post out A Year in Food in January with a handwritten postcards to wish my clients, art buyers, agencies and creatives I’d like to collaborate with a happy New Year and hope the work inspires them for upcoming projects that we can work together on. I have had commercial commissions from my food annual, particularly from my personal projects like my kaleidoscope motion work which provided inspiration for Rekorderlig’s online summer campaign.

This year for Chinese New Year I posted out the recipe cards as a preview to the forthcoming Hakka zine Eat Bitter in lucky red envelopes which Roo Williams designed. He made and hand printed the stamp of the Chinese calligraphy (which was designed by Henry Chung). Lydia’s family stuffed the envelopes over the Christmas break in Portland and I met up with her sister in London who brought mine over.

EAT BITTER 吃苦
“Endure pain to taste sweetness.”

A collaboration between two female, half Chinese creatives; Louise Hagger and Lydia Pang, celebrating their love of food and storytelling. Each based in London and Portland, Oregon, this collaboration spanned timezones.

The creative direction was born out of the Hakka spirit. Punk zine references echo the progressive and independent culture, lucky Chinese red tones hero but with a purposeful nod into the blood-red of meat. Bold and blocky typography mirrors Chinese script and is paired with human hand elements, calligraphy by Lydia’s Pawpaw and sketches taken directly from Lydia’s dad’s recipe books. The imagery is visceral, textural and immediately grounds you in a sense of place and time, a feeling. This work is deeply personal, sensorial and aims to shine a light on a culture long ignored.

At Chinese New Year, we want to share the preview to Lydia Pang’s Hakka Zine. A collection of short stories told through recipes that are not for the faint-hearted.

Because it’s time for everyone to know what Hakka tastes like.
I didn’t know Lydia personally but heard her on Creative Director Gem Fletcher’s The Messy Truth podcast and then read her interview on Ladies, Wine & Design talking about her Hakka zine. I’m interested in telling the stories behind food imagery within domestic scenes and around food memories so reached out to her on instagram saying that I would love to photograph her grandmother’s recipes. My work is very colourful and Lydia is a Goth so I wasn’t sure if she would think I would be the right person for the project, but we immediately connected on the story telling aspect, a passion for food and collaboration and sharing similar food memories from growing up as we’re both half Chinese. We met up when she was in London and after sharing ideas online, moodboards and numerous calls, we refined the art direction so we were all aligned before the shoot. I photographed the recipes in London with my team, food stylist Valerie Berry, assisted by Song Soo Kim, stylist Alexander Breeze and photo assistant and retoucher Sam Reeves. As Lydia is 8 hours behind in Portland, we had already photographed some before she had woken up. She loved what we had done and it was wonderful to taste her grandmother’s recipes on the shoot after we had photographed them. My regular collaborators have become friends and so we work very intuitively together. That’s the perfect kind of shoot when each creative is working in perfect synergy to create the work. You can feel the energy, working harmoniously to elevate one another’s work. I can’t wait to share all the images later this year!

Joe Baraban – One exposure, one frame, one click… shot on Kodachrome 25

Sometimes you think you’ve shot just about everything!!

I got a call from an Art Director I had worked with before, telling me that he’s now at a new agency. The agency he was at lost a big account, so everyone got the proverbial boot!

If you professionals out there ever thought that being a free-lance photographer was/is a precarious occupation, you should try being an Art Director back in the day. Your portfolio was always up to date and under your desk.

You went home on Friday after a successful meeting with the client (third in agency billing) who had just approved a new campaign, and over the weekend the client decides they no longer want to go in that direction and fires the agency. You come to work an hour late on Monday and twenty-five percent of the agency is gone; happened all the time.

I’ve seen it happen because I was going to be the photographer that was chosen to shoot an (eight day) new big campaign on a Friday for Bud Light and by Monday the agency had lost the account.
OUCH!!!!!

The creative team usually consists of a writer and Art Director. The writer usually comes up with a concept, and the Art Director makes it come to life; sometimes the other way around.

This client was fairly new to the agency, so it was important that the Art Director/writer team deliver “the goods”, as they sometimes said. The reason I was called was that I had “delivered the goods” once before.

The client was an insurance company whose customers were owners of expensive sailboats and motor yachts.

The approved concept, that also went into focus groups, was that you never knew when trouble was coming so you had to be ready for anything; even when you are about to be attacked by a giant crab. Whoever came up with this idea was probably stoned…everybody must have been stoned for this one!!

And that’s where I came in.  The Art director asked me if I thought I could make a giant claw attack a boat…” Hell yes!”

I learned a long time ago that the secret to the success I have had was/is because I always surround myself with the best (most talented) people possible, and I still believe it.

Having said that, I hired Danny Harries, a good friend and an amazing model maker/illustrator, to create a giant claw that we could position where it looked like it was about to attack both a sailboat and motor yacht.

Danny carved it out of a huge block of foam (to make it light), painted it, and from one end to the other it was eighteen feet long.

We took it down to a bay near Houston whose depth was only about four feet deep and tried to set it up…it wouldn’t stand upright, and as a result we missed a beautiful sunset!!!!!!

Since there wasn’t a plan ‘B’, we had to keep working with what we had…the original ‘A’ plan. We took it to a nearby garage so Danny could figure out what went wrong and what he needed to do. While he was scratching his head the Art Director and I were toasting to the Photo Gods with a few beers, thinking that it couldn’t hurt.

The next day we went out again to a great sky and this time it worked like a charm; Danny had worked his magic, much to the relief of the Art Director whose color had returned to his face…and of course, yours truly.

While my assistant and I were lying in a Zodiac, I had the sailboat and motor yacht follow directly behind one another, so I could take full advantage of the last rays before the sun hit the water…as in the sunset. I was very close to the claw with a 20mm lens on, so it would appear larger than life; the Art Director’s words, not mine!!

Those were great days where you could actually use your imagination and then create those ideas in the camera, and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Now, the claw would be about eight inches long, shot against a green screen, and with post-processing it would be added to the shot…computer art…UGH!!!

We finished the shoot and had a couple of celebration beers while loading up the claw. After about a mile I had to make a pit stop. Luckily, I pulled over on the shoulder next to a semi-dense forest to disappear into it.

As I was getting out I told the Art director that I had to see “a man about a horse”. When I got back everyone was laughing, especially the Art director.

It seems that while I was gone the account executive, a young woman named Beth (fake name to protect the innocent) said to the Art Director, “Oh I want to go, I love horses”.

One exposure, one frame, one click…shot on Kodachrome 25

To read more of Joe’s stories visit his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/joe.baraban

The Daily Promo – Myles McGuinness

Myles McGuinness

Who printed it?
PaperChase

Who designed it?
Me, I used my previous design skills as an Art Director.

Tell me about the images?
Series of images captured for Tahiti Tourism’s “Embraced by Mana” campaign. The ad featured opposing micro and macro photos.

Ad headlines read: MOVE / BE MOVED
As the Cradle of Polynesian Culture, The Islands of Tahiti are alive with expressions of craftsmanship, traditions, and history. Come immerse yourself and discover what it means to be Embraced By Mana.

Lots of great energy with this group of local guys. They all brought it and made for a super fun shoot in Cooks Bay, on the island of Mo’orea. There are many sides to The Islands of Tahiti. Yet they are all connected by Mana. Mana is a life force and spirit that surrounds us. You can see it. Touch it. Taste it. Feel it. And from the moment you arrive, you will understand why we say our Islands are Embraced by Mana.

How many did you make?
500

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Twice

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Yes, it certainly helps to share your all mediums. There isn’t golden arrow, but maybe it’s just me but I think print is special again, and when done right can stand out more than an email blast or social media whatever’s. Measuring and trying to maximize investment is key, I’m always fine-tuning lists to match clients who might actually hire me. Shooting for the stars, ha.

The Daily Promo – Evan D’Arpino

Evan D’Arpino

Who printed it?
Mixam

Who designed it?
I did

Tell me about the images?
The promo consists of 3 bodies of work, printed in separate magazines, and sent together as a single piece. There is an architecture portfolio, a still life portfolio and a book solely of fine mineral specimens. I decided to send out such a substantial promo because I just left a staff photography position I had been at for a decade. I wanted to share something that encapsulates the full scope of my work and get it in front of a new audience.

The work in the architecture and still life books ranges from assignments to personal projects- including assignments for InStyle, Surface Magazine, Rose and Ivy Journal, and Ghetto Gastro. Personal projects of note include a series that depicts symbols and metaphors from The Iliad in surreal still-lifes, and an architecture series of windows seen from NYC’s Highline Park.

The third book, Terra, is a portfolio of fine mineral specimens shot for assignments and exhibitions. A couple of years ago I wandered into a mineral dealer’s gallery and asked if I could shoot some of their specimens. My undergraduate degree is in geology and I have always thought crystals would be a wonderful subject. Since then, they’ve turned into a subject I specialize in. This portfolio is divided into four sections. The first is a collaboration with Wilensky Exquised Minerals, shot for an exhibition of emeralds they had last fall. There are 2 fine art series in the portfolio, Abiogenesis and Nucleation. Abiogenesis depicts specimens contained in bell jars and vitrines, with implied ecosystems allude to the fuzzy boundary between living and nonliving systems. Nucleation, is a black and white series that focuses on the architectural form of the specimens and illustrate nature’s influence over anthropogenic design. The remaining section is made up of photos taken of private collections. Crystals such as these are a subject that I haven’t seen explored very often, so it’s particularly exciting to share this work with the industry.

How many did you make?
I printed 200 of each portfolio. I felt like 200 would be a good balance between keeping it targeted but also allow me to get my work in front of more new faces.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I tend to send out postcards and smaller mailers a couple times a year. Promos like these portfolios usually go out every-other year.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Absolutely! I still believe there’s something special about printed photography. A printed promo can be an experience, especially when it’s something that’s a little different and stands out. The responses I receive for printed promos back this up. I definitely see a difference in not only the number of responses, but the enthusiasm of the reply.

The Daily Promo – Alexis Hunley

Alexis Hunley

Who printed it?
Zazzle – it’s a great company similar to Vistaprint where you can create customized products. They often have discounts and deals and for the set of promos I printed, I got a really great price.

Who designed it?
I did! However, I would love to work with a designer in the near future as I expand into more intricate promos.

Tell me about the images?
The first two images (man resting his head and the couple holding hands) are from a project titled Lovers or Friends. This project has allowed me to merge my love for science and art within a body of work that ties in a visual narrative to the psychological facts and figures that fascinate me. Lovers or Friends is a story about the importance of intimate connections via touch in the midst of a national epidemic of loneliness. From a psychological and scientific perspective, physical touch and emotional intimacy are integral to both psychological and physical well-being. Simply put – we cannot live happy and healthy lives without them. This project has been an amazing opportunity for me to build a photographic story around scientific data with the goal of reminding each of us that our needs for touch and intimate connections are normal no matter how or with who we fill those needs.

The final card is a portrait of Miss Hawai’i International 2019/Miss International Oceania, Raquel Basco. Shortly after this shoot, I was asked to travel with Raquel and her team to Honolulu to create still and motion content leading up to her trip to Japan to compete for Miss Universe International 2019.

How many did you make?
For each image, I printed 20 so in total, I printed 60 cards.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I send promos about twice a year but I typically try to send a card out after a meeting or portfolio review. This year I will probably stick with two promos and a quarterly newsletter and reevaluate my strategy at the end of the year.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
There is something really special about receiving a handwritten card in the mail. One of my amazing mentors, Amy Cooper, really encouraged me to take time to send printed promos consistently. Just over the last year the promos that I have mailed out have landed me meetings, opened up doors, and helped me create connections that I otherwise would have been unable to without that initial introduction from those printed promos. The combination of printed promos, digital newsletters, and social media has vastly improved my ability to market my work effectively.

The Daily Promo – Jonathon Kambouris

Jonathon Kambouris
IG: @the_mrjk

Who printed them?
Smart Press. I came across them randomly a year or two ago and found their prices to be very reasonable and the quality I felt was really great!

Who designed them?
I designed the mailer books myself. Being a photographer, I always want the mailers to be really focused on quality imagery and minimalist design. So, I kept the images big and let them speak for themselves.

Tell me about the images?
The majority of my work is focused on the beauty and cosmetic world. It is what I love to shoot the most and also what the majority of my work is. Twice a year I send out a “best of” beauty book and this body of work was from my Fall’19 book. Additionally, I sent out my first conceptual printed mailer. I constructed it in the same way as my beauty books and plan to send this out twice a year as well to build new connections with different clients and potential clients outside of the beauty and cosmetic world.

How many did you make?
I made 250, sent out around 200 and kept the remaining for leave-behinds at meetings and for my agency.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I consistently send out a beauty/cosmetics book twice a year, in Spring and Fall. I have been doing this for a few years now and it is a great way to show clients and potential clients what I have been up to. Since I am mailing out just twice a year, I feel like it is really important to send out something that is more substantial than a single card of just an image or two. It needs to be something just a bit more special than that. Also, it is a great leave behind after meetings with an art director/creative. A sort of a “best of” portfolio that they get to keep after getting your larger portfolio reviewed. I think it is really important to keep up with a consistent schedule of how/when mailers are sent out to clients and potential clients as it is an effective way to keep new and fresh work out there and in front of the creatives looking to hire photographers.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Short answer yes, but more importantly; I strongly feel that to be successful at marketing one needs to use many different platforms to get their work seen. Printed mailers are just one way of marketing that connects to create a complete marketing platform that needs to be balanced with other marketing methods and tools. Every client is different and will react differently, some love digital posts, instagram and email newsletters while others love receiving a physical piece in the mail. Often it is near impossible to know who will react to what method, but keeping a consistent schedule for marketing is key to making sure your new work as an artist and photographer is getting seen by as many people as possible. Often it is really about timing and catching the right person at that right time. It is all about consistency, keeping up with producing quality work, consistently marketing on several different platforms/methods and keeping up with it year after year.

The Daily Promo – Peter Yang

Peter Yang

Who printed it?
Madison Print Solutions
Printed on with a 4 color process on an HD Indigo 12000

Who designed it?
David Calderley of Graphic Therapy

Tell me about the images?
Andy Samberg: This was shot quite a while back at Sun Studios in NY. It was one of my favorite spots and was sad to see when they closed. During the Andy shoot, I noticed this really cool spot architecturally and thought it would be funny to see Andy’s head peeking around the corner. It kinda reminds me of a moment in an old cartoon. It was actually a pretty tough shot to execute, to get his head that high and that horizontal. There’s a lot of core work and balancing going on behind the scenes. I also recall we had a photo assistant grabbing his belt so he wouldn’t fall over ledge. I could be mixing that up with the many times I’ve shot over a ledge with a hand on my belt. Safety first.

BTS: The graphic treatment on the singles was inspired by old Interview magazine covers. The band was a rad group of guys. You could tell they were exhausted from their travels and their schedules but they were so nice and super pro. On the group shot, I was laying on the ground with a silver tarp draped over me to bounce up light. I had purchased a dozen full apple boxes (I’m always looking for excuses to buy photo equipment) and surrounded myself with these boxes to help the band members stand further above camera. I kept the members walking in the circle, and stopping over once in a while for the still moment.

Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen: Big ups to Meagan and Kendall Faeth for this awesome set build. Since it was editorial, they built four sets in the am while stills were lighting, and we shot in the afternoon. I don’t recommend it..heart attack city. Fred and Maya were a joy to work with. I’m a big fan of theirs so it was a thrill to work with them.

Jeff Goldblum: What more is there to say, awesome dude in front of a giant painting of himself? The painting is from The Life Aquatic and Jeff actually had this painting at his house. We had to put it to use.

Bill Hader: I wanted to create a Twilight Zone meets film noir kind of vibe where a lot of detail was lost in the shadows. We were able to shoot on the set of Barry just as they were wrapping up the season and there were all these cool corners and wall textures to play with. I’ve shot often with will Bill over the years and he’s super fun to work with. He’s so great with facial expressions and can say so much while doing so little.

Jordan Peele: In this concept, we were speaking to race and the fact that Jordan is biracial. I really wanted to find a subtle and clever approach to illustrate this. We ended up painting this gradation of colors on the cyc and painting Jordan on-site to match the background. I had my camera locked in place so the lines would match. It wasn’t the initial intention to show the edges of the paint but it looked so cool that I shot this wider version. Also, I have a shot of him giving me the bird with a Freddy Krueger glove but it didn’t make the cut.

Kristen Stewart: I did this shoot this in a fairly generic hotel room and this shot came from trying to find interesting spaces within that room. This was a small mirror at the base of a bar. I knew if Kristen would be game to squeeze in this tiny uncomfortable corner we’d get a cool shot. Luckily she was game and when I asked she was fine being all scrunched in there, she replied, I’m cool dude.

How many did you make?
1250

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Not often enough. Probably twice a decade.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I’m not sure honestly. I hope so. I really enjoy the process of curating images and working with a designer.

The Daily Promo – Lauren Crew

Lauren Crew

Who printed it?
Newspaper Club – they are a specialty (and award winning) newspaper printer based out of the UK. They’ve been around for over 10 years and their small team of 12 are all art school graduates with expertise in print and publication design. Their goal in creating Newspaper Club was to make newspaper printing accessible for smaller businesses and artists.

Who designed it?
George McCalman and Ali Cameron of McCalmanCo Studio, a boutique design firm that works a lot with photographers and photography.
Website: https://www.mccalman.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mccalmanco/

Tell me about the images?
George McCalman: “The philosophy behind the image selection and design was defined before the process started. I wanted to show Lauren a different perspective on her own work. I wanted her to see that aspirational part of her work was there in plain sight. Lauren placed a whole lot of faith in our studio. She said basically: “just do it”. The image selection process was based on selecting avatars, aspects of her cinematic and street-level photography, honest moments that looked like movie stills”

Lauren Crew: This was my first time working with someone other than myself on a promo so letting go of any control of the image selection and sequencing was equal parts terrifying and invigorating. The temptation was to freak out and dispute his selects but it was important for me to be mindful of myself in the process; where do I get in my own way? I took notes where I was holding on, what work I was attached to and why and that helped me let go and trust deeper in the process. My aim was to detach from my work in a way that would allow me to see the images through the edit of someone else’s gaze; someone who has been familiar with work my over the span of 10 or so years more or less. It has been important in my process to learn and do as much as I could with what I had, but at a certain point – you have to outsource your weaknesses so I was really excited to let George do his thing.

How many did you make?
I printed 100. I wanted to be more intentional with who was going to be receiving the promo – people who I have built relationships with as well as people with who I am looking to collaborate with in the near future rather than a huge distribution to a bunch of strangers.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I am committed to my craft and my personal growth as an artist, therefore, it is important to send promo at least once a year to display that progression. People may not have a project for you at that exact moment that you mail your promo – but when you send aligned work annually, you are educating them on the maturation and evolution of your own visual voice and those are the creative seeds I like to plant in the relationships that I build.
A lil somethin’ somethin’ to remember me by ;)

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Absolutely. Early on in my career, I used to be a photo editor. The promos that stood out to me were printed well and had strong curation even if it was just a simple postcard. However, if you sent me a promo on flimsy paper with shitty inks, that showed me you that you didn’t care that much, so why would I care to hire you? I took that note from that experience and applied it to anything I was making for any sort of distribution, even when the budget was slim to none. If you let it, promo can be an extension of yourself. During my first portfolio review ever, there was a man who flipped through the pages of my book with a quickness and told me I was “not ready”. After that awkward encounter, my ego threw him a handmade zine I made the night before as I walked off. (I had been saving the zine for someone worthy of receiving it so I was reluctant to give it to him but clearly, I had something to prove.) He called me back over and said, “what is this? THIS is you. THIS is interesting. You should have just shown me this”. Ever since then, I have always made sure to make promo that excites me before anyone else. Fast forward to being on a panel in 2018 about inclusivity within the industry – I did my research in advance of who would be alongside me on that panel and learned about a woman named Jigisha Bouverat of Bouverat Collective. I saw that she was an artist rep (something I had long given up on) yet still brought a leave behind promo to plant a seed. After the panel, I handed it to her and introduced myself. A year later, we signed and she is now my rep. So yeah, making printed promos has been very effective within my experience.

The Daily Promo – Danielle Paul

Danielle Paul

Who printed it?
The promo was printed by Newspaper Club. Their tabloid format has so many creative possibilities and I felt that the laid-back feel of a newspaper suited my work.

Who designed it?
As I am also a graphic designer, I was excited to take on the challenge of designing a piece for myself that represented both my design aesthetic and my photography. I wanted it to feel fun and approachable.

My experience of being a Photography Director in New York and Atlanta for seventeen years guided my goals for the promo: show Creatives my work and my ability to craft a visual story and also create a piece of work that might be pinned onto an inspiration board in a Creative’s office.

Tell me about the images?
The Wall Street Journal has been a client of mine for many years and several of these stories were commissioned by them. Frequently they send me to shoot for their Mansion section which combines interiors and lifestyle photography. I love the challenge of building a story from whatever I find when I arrive at the location, as there are no stylists involved.

The family and child photography was done for a small magazine here in South Carolina. I adore photographing children because they are so fun and imaginative. I usually give them some basic starting direction and then follow their lead. Ultimately, I’ve realized that they are way cooler than I am and it’s better to just let them do their thing!

How many did you make?
I’m just now making a concerted effort to broaden my client base, so I started with a small print run of 50 pieces. Newspaper Club makes it easy to go back and re-print as needed.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This is my first time making an organized effort to edit, design and send out a promo. Although I have been shooting regularly, Greenville, South Carolina is a far step from being a hub for photography. After living in New York and Atlanta for so long, I felt out of the loop in a much smaller city and unsure how to proceed with marketing. Finally, I just decided to start with this first piece and decide where to go from there.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Based on my experience as a Photo Director, I definitely think that printed pieces are an effective marketing tool. It’s true that we are deep in the digital age and online marketing and portfolios are efficient and effective, but at the end of the day, I think creative people will always appreciate holding a pretty printed piece in their hands. And if you’re lucky, maybe they will pin it on their inspiration board.

The Daily Promo – Rodger Hostetler

Rodger Hostetler

Who printed it?
PS Print

Who designed it?
I did

Tell me about the images?
I photograph a lot of everyday items. Beauty, electronics, beverages, etc. I wanted to show that there can be beauty in everyday items, they can feel heroic and substantial. Product photography can be exciting.

How many did you make?
My 1st run was 250, I’ve since ordered another 250.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Typically twice a year. Although, I’m planning to increase it with smaller pieces in between.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I think yes. We live in a society of disposable content. We used to shoot everything for print. Now it’s mostly social and web-based. It’s nice to have work produced in a tangible medium. I’ve heard from many art producers that they keep printed pieces on file. I once had a client hire me 2 years after I sent them a printed piece.

The Daily Promo – Cory Foote

Cory Foote

Who printed it?
The booklets were printed by the wonderful folks at Fireball Printing in Philly. Not only was it great to work with creative types who actually care about printed photographs on paper, but there was the added benefit of them being located within walking distance of my studio space. Initially, I thought I wanted a small run of offset mailers; because I’ve never been fond of the digital printing that I’ve seen ( that would be in my price range). After Fireball relocated into a new studio space, I believe they invested in a new digital printer. After getting proofs back and seeing the results, I had to rethink my concept because I thought the print quality and the paper stock was so stunning. Moreover, the team was super gracious and was never annoyed when I kept modifying the asset files for color correction and asking for more proofs.

Who designed it?
Unfortunately, I had to take over the design. It would have been great to collaborate and pay for a professional, but I’m not there yet. I had a few amazing friends in the creative field that I could go to with mock-ups and then get feedback. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t committing too many design sins. The major thing I wanted to know was “ if this was on your desk would you want to open it?”

Tell me about the images?
The mailer is a small collection of images from client work that I loved over the past two years, mixed in with pictures that were created on the side during shoots or after with the leftover set materials and props. Often at times, creatively you are drawn to the test images and sketches and experiments that happen throughout the shooting schedule that aren’t necessarily appropriate or useful as final client assets. The goal was to create a playful space for those images to exist together in a messy visual pile. I wanted to share a mood board featuring a quirky layout with a luxury image from a jewelry retailer and a product shot for a local artist coexisting on a spread, photographed with the same appreciation and respect due.

How many did you make?
150 were printed. That was what I felt comfortable with cost-wise factoring in mailing expenses. I tried to target specific persons who would hopefully actually open and look at the booklet.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This is my first promo of any kind. I’m really just starting my solo career. I love the idea of creating more concept-based mailers in the future, but there is always the creative fear of not working on vanity projects and only sharing useful information with clients that I wish to reach.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I sure hope so. I’ve always loved and been inspired by physical prints and bound books. There is a magic to seeing images beautifully reproduced in an interactive way. In sending out a little booklet potentially worth looking through; a conventional means of self-promotion will cut through the digital hellscape of emails and newsletters. As someone who struggles with sharing and social media, the Printed page just makes more sense conceptually.

The Daily Promo – Lauren Pusateri

Lauren Pusateri

Who printed it?
Paper Chase Press. I fell in love with their folded tabloid posters (thanks to your feed) and knew that’s the route I wanted to go. I liked the folded poster because it allowed a lot of real estate for images but folded up to a size that wouldn’t be obnoxious for the recipient to keep on file (and wouldn’t be a headache for me to mail). I like that the posters lend themselves to be designed as cohesive spreads — this allowed for spread 1 to be a mix of work and spread 2 to focus on one project specifically.

Who designed it?
Shelby Maggart, we connected a couple of years ago on a job and since then, we’ve had many opportunities to work together for various clients. This was our first time working on something just for me. I trust her eye and I love the way her brain works. I knew her background in packaging design would be a boon with these posters. I left the image selection up to her but curated the images I wanted her to pick from.

Tell me about the images?
If you’re like me when you’re busy fulfilling client-driven creative you can forget to make work just for you. When 2018 came to a close I realized that 70% of what I’d shot the past two years was animal work…and yes dogs are the best and I enjoy photographing them, but I’d never intended to pigeon-hole myself into a singular specialty. So I made a goal for 2019 to carve out time to make some work for me, to make what I wanted to see — and in the process fill some holes I felt existed in my overall portfolio.

All the images in my promo came from personal projects I shot between March-August 2019 with all-female teams. I challenged myself to create new work in areas I hadn’t played in for a while (kids, fitness, food). I sought out local female-owned small businesses and female creative talent to collaborate with so that the work I was making would have additional use outside of just being portfolio images for myself.

How many did you make?
150

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Up until this fall, I’d never created any kind of promo for my work. I learned a lot through this first promo experience and the process overall feels less daunting now. I’m *hoping* to send out promos twice a year going forward.

Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Totally. It’s a way to further communicate your vibe/what you’re all about and show people what you have to say. I feel that having a tangible representation of your work has more shelf-life than an email campaign or social media.