A Photo Editor

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Postcard

The humble postcard is the ultimate promo. I believe it can carry as much weight as a book full of images and a poster that can block out the sun. It is a testament to your ability to produce a single (sometimes two) arresting image. For me the ultimate postcard image is beyond arresting. It has more questions than answers. It makes you want to dig a little deeper and figure out what this photographer is all about. See what’s really going on in that image that caught your attention. Here are the postcards that caught my eye in 2015:

Melissa Lyttle

https://www.instagram.com/melissalyttle/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Envelope

A great envelope makes my day. When I’m opening every single promo an envelope isn’t going to make a huge difference except it puts a smile on my face.

Sarah Lim

https://www.instagram.com/sarahlim/

Anthony Georgis

https://www.instagram.com/anthonygeorgis/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Postcards I Would Actually Use

Many of the postcard promos are actually postcards you could send out and sometimes you run across a set that you would actually send out. Here’s a set I just loved and kept.

Jennilee Marigomen

https://www.instagram.com/jennileem/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Zine

I love zines. There really is an art to doing them well. The best seem to come from zine makers who happen to be photographers. Regardless, if you have a killer story to tell you can easily and cheaply make a zine about it, and those of us who have a passion for stories told through pictures will love it. Here are the zines that stood out in 2015:

Adam Jason Cohen

https://www.instagram.com/adamjasoncohen/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Newsprint

Newsprint is back! Of the 7 most common promo types I receive, newsprint promos are the most creative and exciting. I just love the feel and look of it, plus the enormous space creative photographers have available to work with. Here are the memorable newsprint promos from 2015:

Ruven Afanador

https://www.instagram.com/ruvenafanador/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Concept Special Mention

Not only are the pictures great in this promo the photographer doesn’t live in NY or LA and is proud of it. Love the map because many times you have to do research to figure out where they actually live.

Kenneth M. Ruggiano

https://www.instagram.com/kmruggiano/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Motion

A promo in the mail showing motion?! Yeah, I was pretty blown away when I got this promo in 2015:

Fedele Studio

https://www.instagram.com/fedelestudio/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Pack Of Single Images

The pack of single image promos is probably the most useful and accessible promo there is for photographers. You don’t need a great designer, you can stick to your best images, there are plenty of printers available who do a great job with this and it’s fairly inexpensive compared to other promo types. Best of all, the recipient has a variety of images to choose from to save and remember you by. Here are the best I saw in 2015:

Brigitte Sire

https://www.instagram.com/bbbsire/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Picked By The Mail Lady

My mail lady delivers a lot of promos and she told me this one was passed around the post office in Durango as a favorite. Way to go Andy!

Andy Reynolds

https://www.instagram.com/shootandyshoot/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Foldout

The foldout promo is a new one for me because it wasn’t popular many years ago when I was a photo editor and I have to say I think it’s awesome. It’s not entirely practical for tacking to the bulletin board or saving, but it has a great impact with the ability to show a poster size image along with a collection of smaller ones. Here are the foldout promos that stood out to me in 2015:

Stephanie Rausser

https://www.instagram.com/stephrausser/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Seasonal

Seasonal promos are always a treat in your mailbox as they break up the monotony of the standard fare, but it’s rare to see them smartly executed. Here are 2 that stood out in 2015:

ACME Studio

https://www.instagram.com/acmebrooklyn/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Multi-Panel

The multi-panel is one of the 7 main styles of promos and excellent for connecting a series of images and, in general, making an impression with the design, printing and photography all connected. Here are the promos that were memorable in 2015:

Pete Molick

https://www.instagram.com/capturedaesthetic/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Concept Special Mention

While I would never recommend that photographers send a gift or a tchotchke as a promo, in some cases it fits the photographers personality or genre perfectly and really works. Leonard Greco hit a home run with this one:

Leonard Greco

https://www.instagram.com/thetallestgreco/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Booklet

There seem to be 7 popular types of promos (postcard, pack-of-singles, multi-panel, foldout, newsprint, zine and booklet). Of all 7 the booklet is the most difficult to get right. The printing and design need to be at a certain level to appeal to the advertising and editorial community but the real killer is the edit. Get it down to the best images, making a great sequence and stopping while you are ahead are all hallmarks of a great promo booklet. Here are many that I found compelling in 2015:

Mattia Balsamini

https://www.instagram.com/mattiabalsamini/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Book As Your Promo

Is there any better promo than having a book of your photography to send out? Perhaps not, but the bar for photography books is so very high I wouldn’t attempt it unless a serious publisher and designer were involved. These photographers sent me amazing books of their work:

Peden + Munk

https://www.instagram.com/pedenmunk/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Concept

The best promos are a combination of great photos, great design and great printing, but sometimes the concept behind the promo can make it extra memorable. Here are the unforgettable promos from 2015:

Justin Poulsen

https://www.instagram.com/justinpoulsenphoto/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Artist Agency

Agents don’t have an easy job when it comes to promos. With a roster of photographers to promote you are always in danger of crushing your recipients and your bank account sending out mailers. I really enjoyed the simple large cards Giant Artists sends out for each photographer and their year-end book was superb. Peter Bailey Productions went the opposite direction with the smallest and smartest little book of artists I have ever seen. DS Reps are known for sending out a top notch promo for all their artists and this years is no exception. Well designed and edited it was something worth hanging onto. Finally, Gill Turner had a book full of detachable cards that was beautiful and useful for identifying people you might want to work with.

Giant Artists

https://www.instagram.com/giantartists/

Promos Of The Year 2015 – Commercial Studio

It would be unfair to put Armstrong Pitts and their amazing studio in any other category but their own. The production and photography in their promos is out of this world. Add to that the frequency in which they send out these behemoth marketing pieces and there’s really no comparison to anything else I’ve received this year.

Armstrong Pitts Studios

https://www.instagram.com/armstrongpittsstudios/