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Often I’m talking about the outside of one’s portfolio – the cover design, brand, etc. Today, let’s talk about the most important part – the work inside. The prints in your portfolio have got to look top quality to really do your work justice. This is super crucial for photographers. I recommend you print yourself as you’ll have more control over the final output quality. Of course

Your portfolio should be a well considered strategic positioning of your work. As Larry Volk (my co-author) puts it, “Creating a sequence for a portfolio of your works, even if they are varied by type of design or media, can contribute to a stronger, cohesive presentation. Just as with a sequence of photographs, the relationships within a page spread, as well as the pace and flow of your sequence, are not somet

Giving a gift is special. The winter months give us lots of opportunities with Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, Valentine’s, and more. It gives us a good reason to show off that other kind of gift – ie “one’s natural ability or talent.” Of course talent only shines through with hard work and determination. Often this is true of promos as well – a good idea alone means nothing

Just in time for our presentation at SPE, I’ve been working on a promo poster to announce the 2nd edition of our book and also promote the website. The concept plays off of the “No” in “No Plastic Sleeves” and is a Yes/No flowchart that essentially follows the process as outlined in our book. It started with an idea on paper, evolved through whiteboaring and lots of Photoshop/Illustrator

This postcard promo for Nashville editorial photographer Josh Anderson really shines. Literally and figuratively. A gold foil stamp on one card shines in the light and is a nice special touch. But the thing that I most admired about this promo is the integration of typography and image into a unique, contemporary and stylish design. It’s a design aesthetic that not only looks great but also speaks to the “

This holiday promo from photographer Ashley Gieseking is sure to cheer most folks. Holidays are a great time to reach out and connect with old and new friends and clients.

When I saw this promo, I just had to reach out to Swedish photographer Jens Lennartsson. Luckily, he had heard of No Plastic Sleeves and been to the site. So he was happy to have me share it. This idea is certainly unique and seriously well executed and it also generated a lot of buzz online (which is how I heard of it). Time will tell whether the action figure or the buzz it created generates more leads. Jens had 40

When photographer Chris Sembrot set out to create his latest promo he set the bar pretty high – “keep costs low, be visually interesting and make it so great that it would be difficult to throw out.” He knows from his previous experience as an art buyer that it takes a little extra something special for an art buyer or art director to actually hold onto a promo. Melissa Hennessey told me – 

Fun promo from photographer, Brook Pifer. Newsprint is a great idea for a mailer. It’s a larger, multi-sequence format, less expensive to print, folds up great for mailing and lighter to ship. Mixing in the hashtag merges the “old” media of newspaper with the “new” media of social networking. Great way to keep things fresh. Brook told me, “I’ve been inspired by how instagram

These color themed promos from PlainPicture, a photo agency based in Hamburg, Germany, are eye-catching while still remaining minimal in their design approach. The promos focus on the agency’s “unusual and unexpected” photography while still grouping imagery around a common theme.   Aaron Vähi told me - The design of our print advertising / promotions is usually reduced and minimal as to put as

This promo from lifestyle and portrait photographer, Eli Meir Kaplan promotes a very cool project he’s doing on soul musicians from DC called Soul51. The packaging and cover design of this booklet really makes it a stand out. Eli told me, “I’m a big fan of soul music and music in general and I’ve often wondered what happened to the artists whose records I would see in stores but didn’t b

This undergrad portfolio book from designer, Andrea Meli from San Gwann, Malta has it all! It’s a showcase for Andrea’s strong brand design skills, excellent book and editorial design, and more. He even includes a 3D printed rendering of his logo (created in Cinema4D) – very cool! With business cards and a website Andrea is ready to take the design world by storm. Andrea says, “I had one goal;

This is a great share from masterful bookbinder, Scott Mullenberg. Scott told me, “I thought you might be interested in this video, by photographer David White, about Mullenberg Designs and the building of his portfolio. We spent 2 days filming ( I believe in April) and it was just released a couple weeks ago. We’re pretty pleased with what Dave created (post production is everything!).” Scott Mulle

The design of this portfolio for Russian designer, Кочедыков Денис (Denis Kochedykov) is excellent. On the cover, the stripes act as a sort of collage of cropped, offset sketches & projects combined with playful typography that demonstrate a strong design sense while also giving us a look at the type of work included inside the portfolio. The visual look of the cover cohesively extends into the interior pages wh

The concept for this portfolio is communicated through a smart and interesting “two books in one” book form. It’s by designer, FuiTeng Chong of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This custom, hand made portfolio not only stands out for it’s smart concept and execution, but it’s also practical and easily updatable through the utilization of an elastic cord binding. The simplicity of the visual desig

I’m starting a new series called “Best Portfolios From Around the World.” I’ve scoured the internet, looked through submissions and exchanged emails with many talented folks whose portfolios and other promo materials I’m excited to share with all of you. Each week I’ll add another “best of” in the series. If you think you’re portfolio should be a contender send me

I’m starting a new series called “Best Portfolios From Around the World.” I’ve scoured the internet and exchanged emails with many talented folks whose portfolios and other promo materials I’m excited to share with all of you out there. Each week I’ll add another “best of” in the series. If you think you’re portfolio should be a contender send me an email and I

Photographer Sarah Lim made her most recent portfolio book herself. Making a book is an art unto itself and as with most art forms you either enjoy that process or you don’t. Clearly it also requires a certain level of skill and patience. All of which will show in the end result. The best hand crafted books are a labor of love. Sarah’s unique book is a nice example of craftsmanship and the pride she takes

Wow! What a special promo this is from Canadian photographer Dan Bannister. It’s just one of a kind. Definitely a promotional piece for a few select clients that you really want to impress. I imagine these sitting on the desk of quite a few agency creative directors. It’s a reminder everyday of the unique vision, exceptional skills and creative mind that Dan has to offer. So, while probably on the more ex

Thought I would share a “leave behind” promo that I designed for speaking engagements and conferences that Larry and I participate in. It started out as a simple postcard and evolved from there into a double-sided fold out piece. The concept plays with the NO (and opposite) YES established in our “No Plastic Sleeves” brand. I print and score myself to save on cost. As a mailer I use a clear tr