Christopher Patey
Who printed it?
Modern Postcard
Who designed it?
The design was a collaboration between myself and my reps @ Day Reps. We kept the design as simple as possible. I really like the selection of work so minimal text and “doo-dads” were ideal when trying to give the viewer clean space to appreciate the pictures.
Tell me about the images?
We knew we wanted the use the pictures of John Goodman and the Roseanne cast (Shot for Hollywood Reporter) right in front because it was such a great shoot. These promo pieces were hitting the mail shortly after the show was set to air so it was also very current/relevant in the celebrity and entertainment genre. The following two pictures of Eiza Gonzalez (Hollywood Reporter) and Caleb McLaughlin (Shot on spec for his PR) were chosen because they look nice together and also show a bit of range between studio and environmental portraits. They were also a nice transition into the last picture of the Marvel group from Comic-Con which was also shot for Hollywood Reporter. We wanted to showcase my group portraits and that one has been a bit of a crowd-pleaser.
How many did you make?
500. I have a pretty specific mailing list so we don’t mail out a TON and I still have some left over to pass out as leave-behinds at meetings.
How many times a year do you send out promos?
2x per year
Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
Whenever I post new promos I get asked by other photographers about whether or not the printed piece is successful in getting work. My response is always yes/no. Does my phone start ringing with clients the week after I drop them in the mail? No. Do I get emails from recipients gushing over the piece and congratulating me on making good pictures? No. BUT at the end of the day, I got some printed photographs with my name on them in front of the eyes of clients that I want to work with. Timing is such a big part of getting in with a new client so by just reminding them you exist regularly is important to keep yourself on their radar. And who knows, maybe they’ll happen to get the promo on the same day they have an assignment that I’d be good for… HEY IT COULD HAPPEN!
Printed promos are just one part of the marketing machine. Consistency with mailers, email blasts, meetings, going to events, and keeping the website up to date are all contributing factors to getting work. I often fall behind on these things but try to use downtime to catch up when I can.
1 Comment
Impressive work!
“Printed promos are just one part of the marketing machine. Consistency with mailers, email blasts, meetings, going to events, and keeping the website up to date are all contributing factors to getting work. I often fall behind on these things but try to use downtime to catch up when I can.”
Yep, it takes a shotgun approach to getting things done nowadays. You have to keep at it all year round at every opportunity. Too many photogs out there beating the bush to slack off.
Good luck with your mailer!
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