Marc Morrison
Who printed it?
Mike Stitt over at Agency Access. I have to say the reason I printed with AA is because of Mike. He is great to work with, creative, really knows his craft and best of all he is super easy to communicate with.
Who designed it?
Actually, it was me.
Tell me about the images?
My primary goal was to find images interesting enough to convince art buyers to open the envelope.
In looking over my recent body of work, I decided to make the entire promo about a particular project in Malaysia I recently shot during a corporate library campaign. By selecting all the images from the same body of work, maintaining continuity throughout the mailer was much easier to manage. I like to think of myself as a portrait photographer—but the portraits do not always have to be living beings. I try to bring a sort of portrait style to even inanimate objects.
I had a very difficult time editing through the images of people as the Malaysian crew were all so lovely to photograph and beyond gracious in their willingness to perform any task we asked. The crew was also beautifully dressed in bright yellow coveralls during their shift and colorful traditional baju melayu (Malay shirt) during their off hours.
Probably the most difficult task was selecting four images from a solid two weeks of shooting. It’s not that every photo was extraordinary, but there were enough nice ones to make it a challenge.
How many did you make?
We printed 500. 450 were sent to a very specifically-researched contact list created by our production manager, and 50 were reserved for handouts at portfolio reviews and client meetings. (I greatly underestimated the number for handouts however—live and learn.)
How many times a year do you send out promos?
My goal is to try and send out 4 promos per year—“try” is the key word here. I shoot a number of different subjects and have found it almost impossible to create a single promo that will appeal to the different types of markets in which I shoot. Working out an effective marketing plan to address this issue has been proving to be a bit of a challenge and still a work in progress.
Do you think printed promos are effective for marketing your work?
I believe any positive opportunity for creatives to see a photographer’s work is an opportunity to take advantage of. Research up front to make certain your work is being sent to the proper creative outlets is key. On a personal note, this is my first promo showcasing the industrial side of my photography. Much to my delight, I received a commission from a new client shortly after mailing. I’m certain the job came about because it landed on the right desk at the right time. Luck and timing help—and I’ll take it! I cannot help but be cautiously optimistic about printed promos—besides I still love printed work.
