Are you doing any of these three things? Creating work that you think your audience will like (and not what you would make for yourself). Holding your new work close to your heart (for fear of others copying it) or simply leaving it on a hard drive. Avoiding contacting people you know could possibly hire
Marketing
Your images are not enough
There’s no doubt that creative decision makers, the people I presume you want to hire you, are visually discerning. And sharing your most stunning work (stills and motion) on your website is vital for that reason. But nice images alone are not enough. Because if they like your work they will then want to figure
Why would you share commercial work?
‘Commercial work? Why would I want to see commercial work?’ The CD of a large New York ad agency looked thoroughly perplexed when asked about sharing commercial work on a photographer’s website. This was in a private Q&A I ran for my clients, and the answer didn’t surprise me at all. The fact is that
Processed meat and funk
New Zealand. Singapore. Marseille. Arles Photofest. Spain. And the sunny North of England. These are all the places I have been since I was last able to send out an Email to my list. That’s 3 weeks. It was NOT planned that way. I had a nicely organised bunch of Emails ready to send, but
7 crucial reasons to talk about your personal work
If you work for discerning visual people in the advertising world you’ll know that personal work is the marketing back bone of your practice. (If you didn’t know that, now you do. It’s a non-negotiable habit of highly successful photographers). But something that may be missing from your personal work is a well articulated introduction.
Your clients aren’t buying a pretty picture.
This morning I’ve been Blitzing work by a food photographer. I have been getting hungrier and hungrier as I salivate over the most tasty looking shots (ALWAYS a non-negotiable deal breaker with food photography). Luckily I’m heading out to a lunch meeting soon. When I was an agent I repped 2 food photographers. Wherever possible
Are you working with ‘meatloafs’?
‘Meatloafs’. That’s the word a photographer recently used to describe some of his more frustrating clients who work in the sports world. It’s not surprising really. Many people who book photographers direct are non-visual. And it’s not limited to ex-rugby players. Marketing managers, event organisers and corporate executives are simply not (usually) terribly visually eloquent.