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Bay Area-based Vivian Johnson specializes in interiors and editorial images that highlight the California lifestyle. We have worked together numerous times over the last few years to update her portfolio and create email marketing campaigns.
Looking for some self-promo inspiration?
Check out my pinterest board of great photography promo ideas. From large-format newspaper promos to simple postcards, this board features examples of great design and image choices.
Have something you'd like to add? Contact me!
Other great resources include:
Nelson, BC-based Kari Medig recently reached out to me for a website update. We have worked together before and I always enjoy seeing his new work. He has a beautiful approach to portraiture, capturing people in their environments in a way that gives the viewer a deeper understanding of the subject. His work has appeared in Outside, AFAR, Monocle, Telegraph Magazine, The Atlantic, The Globe and Mail and he has shot commercially for Google, Rogers Wireless and The North Face.
Zurich-based Djamila Grossman contacted me to re-think her approach to her online portfolio. Together, we created new galleries that show her distinct approach to documentary photography and will appeal to the kinds of clients she wants to be working for.
I’m loving this beautiful website for Austin-based interiors and lifestyle photographer Molly Culver.
Buff Strickland is an Austin-based lifestyle photographer with a great talent for creating upbeat, bright and natural-feeling images. Her work is sought after by editorial and commercial clients who want to tell stories and highlight products in a genuine, yet aspirational, way. Buff and I worked together to create a new print portfolio edit of her work. The book was made by Scott Mullenberg of Mullenberg Design Studio. Buff showed the new book at the Texas Photo Roundup portfolio reviews, and received great feedback from the art buyers and photo editors in attendance.
I recently wrapped up a project with British Columbia-based Ilja Herb. We created new galleries and updated the design. I love his approach to capturing people and remote locations.
I worked with DC-based Edgar Artiga on creating new lifestyle and sports print portfolios that highlight his bright, natural style. We also updated his website, check it out at www.artigaphoto.com.
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Whitney Curtis, a St. Louis-based documentary photographer, contacted me to help her revamp her website with a new look and a new edit. We focused on organizing her work into themes, while also featuring a few specific stories. One story that really stood out to me was her coverage, as a local, of the events in Ferguson. We created diptychs for that gallery while leaving the others as full size single images. The pairing of images helps illustrate the tension and the quiet moments Whitney observed as a local. Being able to cover a story for many months, instead of just coming in and covering it for a few days or weeks gave her a unique perspective.
Whitney brings that same eye to her corporate and non-profit work documenting NGOs and educators.
See more at http://www.whitneycurtis.com
Matt Roth is a Baltimore-based editorial and commercial photographer with a penchant for capturing the mildly absurd side of everyday life. We worked together on creating a print portfolio that he could show at portfolio reviews in New York City. I'm loving the mix of portraits and documentary work, and how Matt's sense of comedic timing pulls it all together.
Buff Strickland, an Austin-based lifestyle photographer, has published a beautiful magazine-inspired promo full of images of how people live, love, work and create. With modern and elegant typography throughout, the piece showcases Buff's aesthetic which is warm, inviting and authentic.
This was my third photo editing project with Buff, after having built a print portfolio for her and updated her website over the last two years. It's always really satisfying to work with someone repeatedly over time, as I get to see their work grow and change.
Specs:
Designed by Nicole Fikes of Merry Design Studio 36 pages, cover stock weight Printed by Ginny's in Austin, TX
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Nashville-based commercial and editorial photographer Kristina Krug. Kristina's work is all about people. She has a great skill at connecting with people, making them feel comfortable and showing the diversity and beauty of humanity. Her ability to capture the upbeat and the somber moments with equal finesse became the foundation for the website update.
I've been working with Baltimore & NYC-based Jonathan Hanson since 2011 on a variety of projects. We started by re-editing all of his work, then creating a new website and logo, custom print portfolio and printed marketing pieces. In January, Jonathan sent out some beautiful calendars to a select group of clients he is interested in working with. He has consistently updated his blog, sent out email promos and personally updated appropriate clients about his latest work, travel updates and other relevant news.
His web analytics are telling a great story of the success of his marketing efforts. The average time spent on site has increased by more than a minute, the number of unique visitors is up 51% since a year ago and his page views are up 142%.
I've had the pleasure of working with Austin-based Big Weekend Calendars for the past 2 years. The hard working team of designers, editors and photographers create a unique product highlighting all the best events in town. This year we also produced a Houston and Portland, Oregon calendar. I serve as photo editor for these publications, setting up shoots, researching and licensing stock photography, and working with the editorial team on the content for the publication. For the 2015 calendars I worked extensively with Austin-based Sarah Lim, Houston-based Todd Spoth, as well as various stock photo agencies and independent photographers.
Bay Area-based lifestyle photographer Stephanie Rausser and I have just wrapped up updating her print portfolios and website. Stephanie's sense of fun and whimsy runs through all of her work, and it's easy to see why clients to turn to her whenever they want to show life in "all its beauty and humor".
16-page booklet designed to reference a CD book insert, highlighting recent work by Houston-based photographer Eric Kayne. Eric was hired by indie band The Arcade Fire to shoot publicity stills, behind the scenes reportage and concert images.
I had the pleasure of working with Philadelphia-based fine art and editorial photographer Katrina d'Autremont on her new print book. The book was custom designed and built by Marianne Dages. Katrina's work has an understated and personal sensibility, and creating an edit that captured that was an inspiring process. We melded her personal work with her editorial work in a way that speaks to both worlds without diluting either area's strengths.
There are so many companies popping up that are making stuff out of your Instagram photos. Here are a few we've tried recently. Do you have any favorites? Please post in the comments below or upload a photo of your promo to instagram and use the hashtag #igphotogpromos so everyone can see.
Sticky Gram magnets
Artifact Uprising - photo books, prints, calendars and more
Printstagram - from teeny tiny photo books to photo strips and larger books
Postagram - Site is geared toward the consumer, but you could customize the postcard to be appropriate for clients.
ImageSnap - Ceramic tiles (with or without magnetic backing)
ONWARD Photo Competition 2014 is now accepting submissions. Tsuyoshi Ito, Founder and Director of the ONWARD gives six tips below on participating in photo contests. Six Tips for Finding the Best Competitions for You Now that you know how to effectively enter a photography competition, where will you test your skills? If you've begun your search, you've probably discovered that the sheer number of contests available makes it almost impossible to decide which ones to enter. The goal of this article is to help you, the photographer, cut past all of the industry buzz words and marketing efforts to identify exactly which competition is going to be the best fit for you.
I have a good deal of experience with these competitions - I host an international one annually (ONWARD Photo Competition, for a small shameless plug). And in order to help increase the information I share in this article, I consulted several pro and semi-pro photographers who have also been challenged by this issue. Given our unique experience of both hosting and participating in photography contests, we’re hoping our combined perspectives will be the missing pieces to help you “crack the code.”
So without further ado...
Tip #1: Work Toward Your Goal While this is the most basic of our six tips, it might also be considered the most important. When you come across a competition, start by taking a look at the juror(s) and finding out what "prizes" the competition offers. Do they align with your personal goals?
Having your image chosen by a famous photographer and juror may provide the nod of approval you desire, while being selected by a curator or other industry professional can result in the right contacts.
If you're solely "in it to win it," cash money and/or gifts may be enough. However, should you want to jump-start or advance your career in photography, you will want to confirm that the reward includes some kind of exposure. If so, your objective may be placement in a museum or collection versus a gallery exhibition.
Want both the prize and the ongoing recognition? Find a well-rounded contest that acknowledges various goals and offers all of the above. There truly is no right or wrong decision here. We simply recommend you choose a competition that fulfills or aligns with your personal goals as a photographer.
Tip #2: Know Their Vision
After you take note of your own objectives in entering a competition, you should take a deeper look at the hosts to learn what their goals are. Do they provide detailed information about how the contest works, as well as what's expected of you? Or do they just request your credit card information and ask you to submit your image(s)?
If you encounter the latter, the organization is most likely in the business to make a profit—the fees they collect will go toward prizes, and whatever’s left over will go into their pockets.
You may be okay with this if your goal is to win a prize. However, if you want more out of the competition, move on and align yourself with an organization whose vision is compatible with yours. This may mean you're looking for an organization that positions itself as a year-round resource with offerings that are important to you. Again, there is no right or wrong decision here; we just want you to be sure that your time and money are being invested into the right organization for you. Tip #3: Be Aware of "Free"
There are hundreds of competitions that will let you participate at no cost - but are they really free? The old adage, "nothing in life is free," applies to more of these zero dollar contests than you may think. Scan the fine print of these so-called “free” events, and you may find that they plan to own the rights to your image and may even sub-license them to third-party companies for their use, too! As you consider entering this contest, you'll also want to evaluate whether winning that free camera bag you'll use for a few years is worth losing the rights to your image forever.
On the other hand, the entry fee that you balk at paying will, in many cases, pay off in the end. Those charging an entry fee typically invest that into their competitions, to finance reputable jurors, various promotions (e.g., marketing your selected images) and celebratory events (exhibitions!) — all while allowing you to maintain ownership of your work. So before you skip over a contest because they charge an entry fee, look into where that money goes, and remember how you can benefit from what is typically a small investment in the grand scheme of things.
Tip #4: Calculate the Costs Sure, the only fee written in the contest instructions is the entry fee, but have you truly understood the fine print? Exactly what else will you be responsible for? It's very important not only that you read the competition details, but also that you truly understand them as well. If you don't, you may miss a hidden message, or, even worse, a hidden cost. For example, if the competition will host a physical exhibit to showcase the selected images, will they provide the frame or expect you to frame the work yourself? Who is responsible for the shipping charges, both to and from the venue? You may notice that they will require you to supply the hardware, but not disclose the related fees in detail. Therefore, you'll need to review the information carefully so that you can determine what it is you're really going to end up spending to participate in the contest.
Tip #5: Be Truly Recognized You can usually count on a competition to post the selected images on their website. However, in today's digital world, seeing your image on a website might not be as exciting to you as seeing your image on a gallery wall, where people can experience your winning print in person. Picture your photo perched atop that bright white wall for hundreds to gaze at in awe. Even better, imagine the chance to mingle with photographic peers and industry professionals, discussing your inspiration for the image, making valuable contacts and getting invaluable advice. These networking opportunities might be otherwise difficult to come by, so you want to keep this in mind when deciding which competitions are worth your time.
Tip #6: Stay Exposed So, you've found a contest that's going to praise your work all over the Internet, but have you looked into just how long you'll be featured? Many competitions will remove all traces of your win shortly after the contest is over, in order to make room for the latest and greatest group of participants. However, it doesn't have to be that way.
There are hosts out there who remain interested in positioning themselves as a partner and trusted source to all of their selected photographers, no matter the year. If this is important to you, it may be a better option to align yourself with a competition that will continue to showcase your photograph(s) long after you've won. In Conclusion… ...With the digital age on the rise, it means that photographs are more easy to share, which has helped lead to more competitions. Wading through the hundreds that are available to you can be a little confusing at first, but knowing what you want to get out of the competition and the - sometimes dirty - little details of the competition should help you feel infinitely more confident in the decision you make. Hopefully some of these tips have helped you get that much closer to finding your right competition - or introduced you to the world of competitions for the first time! Happy contesting!
