Get in Touch

When I received an email from photographer Marshall Troy sharing his summer promotion, I was blown away by how nice it was! Troy said, “To get into the spirit of summer, the idea was to send a ‘picnic basket’ to some dream clients that work with food – magazines, ad agencies, brands, reps, etc. We sent out about 12. We had boxes custom made to look like picnic baskets, inside and out, and then

This is an impressive first promotion from photographer Brandon Haynes. With a specific target audience in mind (editorial and music/entertainment based clients), he was smart to chose a concept for his magazine – “Light v Dark.” The theme helped to frame the work and provide a cohesive context for the sequence of images that ranged over several bodies of work. But Brandon’s promo package does

This smartly designed newspaper/magazine features some of Chris and Sarah Rhoads‘ favorite work. Type and image work beautifully together in this striking layout. Extra consideration with a gold foil deboss on the cover and the inclusion of perforated leave behind cards really make this a stand out promo. Sarah says, “The promo we sent out this year was an oversized newspaper/magazine hybrid at 15″

Photographer, Nate Luke‘s “Musky Old School” promo is a great example of a promo that captures a “look and feel” created through specific visual references along with copy that together draws you in. This piece thoughtfully brings together image, typography, texture and form in a well considered promo piece that takes you along on a journey into the the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Nate says

Your logo design is a graphic representation or symbol of your professional self. It should be used consistently across your promotional and business materials as an identifying mark. Logos can be more or less specific to a particular subject, industry, aesthetic style and of course one’s name. The strongest logos are meaningful and versatile, holding up across medium, format and varying sizes. A professional l

From ASMP’s website - http://asmp.org/news/current-news.html#.UZ_wkYK5vRo State of the Art Featuring: Danielle Currier and Larry Volk, authors of No Plastic Sleeves: The Complete Portfolio Guide for Photographers and Designers Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 1-2 pm eastern Danielle Currier and Larry Volk know what makes or breaks your portfolio and website. Our conversation will focus on how to objectively evaluate, e

Celebrating spring, photographer Shelby Duncan‘s DIY promo package catches the eye – right from the get go with the use of clear plastic envelopes. This creative and smart idea gets you to the lush, colorful image right away, tempting one to see more! The use of text combined with the image (as an incomplete sentence cropped off the card) also helps to lead one on to the next image. Nice concept! Shelby t

Photographer Sean Sprague gives us a promo that mocks itself and the whole idea of sending promos. It certainly raises questions and challenges the system of self-promotion. Sean says, “I’m not a big self-promoter and have been frustrated with getting work seen by art directors. I have sent out fine art prints, postcards and booklets with some success, but not overwhelming. So when it came time to do anot

Photographer Adam Jones just rebranded himself and got a new logo from Kevin Fenton Design. He’s got a whole new site, cards from moo prints, mini portfolio books he made himself and more. This redesign touches all the points of a portfolio package from portfolio book to online presence and promotional materials. Everything is well thought out and integrated into the same visual look and feel. The logo has a co

  Hey Everyone, Larry Volk and I are excited to announce that we are hard at work on a 2nd edition of our No Plastic Sleeves book published by Focal Press. I am working on a major overhaul to the “Online Portfolios” chapter as so much has changed in the last few years! And I need your help! I’m looking for some good examples to feature in the book. If you would like to nominate your site or som

Many of you have probably never done a promo before and are reluctant to take on something more costly and time consuming. So, start simple. An effective promo can be as basic as a postcard. For example, check out photographer Marcus Smith‘s new (and first) promo. With great imagery and a short contextual message these postcards do the job! Marcus told me, During football season this past winter, I was approach

It’s so important to stay in touch. A holiday or new project presents a great opportunity to create a meaningful promotion to remind people of what you can do. For holiday promos, try not to get too cliché and instead create something that reflects who you are. For example, check this out. Photographer Lee Love sent this promo to key potential advertising and editorial clients for Valentine’s.   

In the creative fields, it always helps to love what you do. There’s no better way to express that feeling than with personal work. And it can make for some strong promotional material. For example, check out this new series by photographer Josh Kohanek entitled, “The Painted Desert“. Josh says, “Lately the intention has been to produce imagery I’d continue to shoot even if it meant another so

For all you college seniors out there – Congratulations! You are almost done! With school that is. And at the very beginning of what I hope will be a long, rewarding career. If you’re smart you are armed with a top notch portfolio book, website, resume, and promotional materials. If not, no time like the present – hurry up and make one! If you’re having trouble check out my book (with co-autho

I really enjoyed this portfolio for los angeles based lifestyle photographer, Bryan Alano. Unique material choice, great craft and attention to detail. The denim makes this a real stand out and it’s meaningful and relevant – saying much more than your standard portfolio cover. It makes me want to see the work inside even more! Bryan took a risk doing something different and I think it really pays off. Wit