Well I'm getting set to head to Washington D.C. in a few weeks to do a shoot and while I'm there take the opportunity to meet some editors and NGO's that I want to make contact with. One of the great things about our web based world is that if you are looking for me, or just about anyone else, you can find me with a few key strokes into your favorite search engine and "Ta-DA!" there's my web folio. But what if you don't know that you need me? That's when you need to reach out to the people who you want to need you. There are lots of ways to reach new clients but nothing is as good as a 10 minute meeting. That's when you whip out our book/folio.
I have a new editorial folio that I'm having printed by a couple different on-demand press companies, a full post on that when they get here, because I want a book that looks like – well – a book. It's not going to be anything more than 20 pictures that condense my visual approach. If you can't figure out where a photographer is comming from in 12-20 photos the photographer need to work harder.
The little book is simple so that we can talk about them quickly 'cause you really only get 10 minutes with these guys. In this process the potential client can get a sence of me and how my images ingetrate with my personality. You may have great pictures but if the client thinks that you are not someone that they can see working with, you don't get the job. Connecting to and haveing some kind of relationship with your clients is critical to getting and keeping work.
So I'll be tucking my book under my arm and hitting the bricks. There's no substitute for knocking on a door to get it to open for you.