On the heels of our successful interview with Sasha Carillo of DavisEllen regarding the power of Photography Portfolio Networking events, I reached out to a few other art buyers that recently attended one of these events to see if they had a similar experience as Sasha.  At the LA Fotoworks event, Hunter Freeman met with Shannon McMillan, a Senior Art Producer at GSDM.  She was so appreciative of being able to attend and had such a positive experience that she did not hesitate to answer our questions.  Thank you Shannon!

Be sure to check back to see which other art buyers provided us with some more answers.

As always, the Le Book event was filled with lots of connections.  We saw friends from all over the country, which is always a good sign that people from all over are still valuing what the event is all about.  As well, we met many client direct and European contacts, something that we look forward to every year seeing how hard they are to come by otherwise.

In the past, I have written notes on what I thought was so wonderful about the event and had intended to do so this time as well.  However, I decided that this time, rather than talk about all that was great about it from our point of view, I wanted to share what the attendees were thinking.  So, for now, enjoy the photos knowing that the event was a success and tune in in a few more weeks to read some interviews I am conducting to shed some light on what the art producers and other creative people thought too.

© Leigh Beisch

Last year this time, Leigh Beisch lost her mother to breast cancer.  On the anniversary of her passing, Leigh published a beautiful blog post celebrating her life and sharing the poems that her mom wrote.  June Beisch was an inspiration to so many, including of course Leigh.

Leigh wrote of her mother, “Having survived cancer for 30 years, she wrote poems that looked beyond the end of her own life. Poets, Mrs. Beisch wrote, seek “the dangerous places of the heart,’’ those spaces where on a snowy night in Cambridge:

Leigh’s blog post is a beautiful dedication to her mother, a very special tribute to someone who was so obviously very inspirational to Leigh herself.

After surviving the 50 story elevator ride (barely!) I was able to meet new photographers, present photography to art buyers and creative directors and catch up with old friends in the industry.  As usual the event did not let me down and it was well worth the trip from the west coast.  It was a perfect starting point for my portfolio road trip.

If you are interested in learning more about At Edge, link here to my previous blog post outlining why they are a “True Marketing Partner.”

As I am sure many of you know, Minneapolis is an amazing city for so many reasons.  One of which is the people – they are so very friendly.  I truly feel like I am visiting old friends.  Each appointment is more fun than the next.

On this particular trip I traveled with Ron Berg and Richard Schultz and I have to say I loved the company.  They were perfect companions and we made a great team.  Not to mention the help they gave me with the portfolios and the great photos they took.

This trip was not much different than the other trips I take but I thought it would be fun to share some photos and observations from my visit.

•  People who live and work in Minneapolis love it in Minneapolis.  Everyone knows each other and there is a great sense of community.  People who work there rarely leave there and if they do, they tend to come back.  Doreen Hoff and Christopher Grimes are perfect examples of people who just couldn’t stay away.  I was thrilled to see them both when I visited Olson.

•  Target is a big brand and a big client.  In Minneapolis you either work at Target, work on the Target account, know someone who works on Target or shop at Target.  There are zero degrees of separation between people from Minneapolis and Target.

•  Things must be going well in Minneapolis because most agencies we visited either just moved, just renovated or just hired more people.  Every agency was buzzing with great creative energy and every agency was excited for the future.  (Or, maybe it was spring fever!)

•  People in Minneapolis are just plain nice.  Even though there were a bunch of reps in town, most every agency show was well attended.  No one complained that I was the 5th agent that week showing off portfolios.  They came to the show, reviewed the work, met the photographers and genuinely were appreciative of our visit.

•  Minneapolis is a creative town. Every agency we visited showcased some very cool work on their walls.  You would think that would be a given seeing that this is the advertising business, but I travel to many agencies all over the country and that is not always the case.  From local brands to international brands, everything we got a sneak peek at was top notch.

All in all it was a really great trip filled with friendship and fun. I hardly feel like I am working when I travel to Minneapolis and always walk away so appreciative of the relationships I have made and friendships I have formed.  While I am of course happy to come home, I always leave there excited to come back the next year (but never in the winter – I made that mistake only once!).

Enjoy some photos of the trip.  Thank you Ron Berg for being our personal photographer.

As I mentioned in Part I of this series, besides shooting new imagery, the single most important thing a commercial photographer can do  to increase his/her business is to get out in person to promote their own work.  Even though the imagery can speak for itself, art producers and creatives are saying that meeting one on one is very important.  That is why I am encouraging all of the photographers in our group to attend networking events such as At Edge’s Face to Face, Fotoworks and Debra Weiss’ portfolio review events.

Over this past year, I have seen the list of reviewers becoming more relevant and the list of photographers attending longer.  This tells me that the events are becoming more popular for both ad agency and photo buyer reviewers as well as photographers.

Despite their growing popularity, I still am asked by established photographers all of the time what the value would be for them?  Some even ask if it would make them “seem desperate” if they attended.  Even some art buyers have wondered aloud to me why some photographers would attend given their status in the industry already.  ”They could just come by and see me anytime” is a standard response.

All of this made me realize that there are some misconceptions about the events and seeing how incredibly valuable they are for everyone attending -reviewers and photographers alike – it would be helpful to try and shed some light on what people are actually experiencing.

Sasha Carillo is a Creative Planner and Art Producer at Davis Elen advertising in Los Angeles.  She attended the Fotoworks event this spring and was open to being interviewed for our blog to help shed some light on the power of these events.  She had so many great insights to share that we divided her interview into two parts.  The second of two parts is below.  To access Part I, link here.

You are given only 15-20 minutes with each photographer. Is that enough time?

It really depends on what the photographers are looking for from me.  Also, I find myself talking to some photographers WAY more than I do to others.  It might just be the personality of the photographers. Some people need a little push. I’m pretty outgoing but sometimes I say, “tell me about yourself” and I get “I’m from Alaska.” Oh cool, what part? “Anchorage.” It’s like pulling teeth. With other people, right off the bat we’re chatting about our kids and other common interests and that sparks a great conversation about what I do, what they do, how we can work together and move forward.

It also depends on how much work they bring to the table. If someone comes with a book or an iPad with 20 portfolios that they want me to look at, then I need more time.  Other people may bring a book with just 10 pages in it and I spend the rest of the time looking for something to talk about.  Ultimately, it depends on what the photographers bring so I suggest they come with as much as they can.

Do you like to see still photos on iPads too or do you prefer to have the tactile experience of flipping through a physical book?

I absolutely love portfolio books. The smell of the paper is SO nostalgic for me. I just love how everyone organizes them and puts their work together. When you first get started,  it’s your “bible.” It’s the most important thing for your career.

When a rep presents to me, iPads are a great tool to show a lot of images in a short amount of time. It works especially well if they have multiple photographers and/or video to share.  When a photographer presents to me, the iPad still works for those same reasons, but I really do prefer the portfolio.  I want to flip those pages.

What advice do you have for photographers who may want to attend Fotoworks in the future (besides bring a lot of work, bring a physical book, bring video if you have it) anything else that you’d add to that?

The most important thing is to know who you’re presenting to at the event.  Do your research.  As reviewers, we really appreciate when a person knows our accounts, what work we have created, etc.  It helps make the meeting with me more relevant.  They can highlight how they believe their work can benefit our agency/clients/brands.  Prepare like you would for a job interview: get background information, know who you are speaking with, be knowledgeable when you show up…and bring your “A game.”

What advice would you give to established photographers who are “on the fence” about attending FotoWorks? Sometimes we hear from more established photographers things like, “it feels like I’d be selling out.”  What advice do you have for them?

If they are not comfortable attending these shows, they should be making appointments to meet with art buyers face-to-face. I have yet to see more than a couple dozen really well established photographers call me or have their rep call me to schedule a face-to-face meeting. It is really the newer photographers or not yet established photographers who meet with me all the time and honestly, they are the ones getting work.

My whole philosophy on hiring people is: I need to meet you. I need to know what type of person you are (even if it is just for 5 minutes). I may already know what you shoot and your work, but as soon as I meet you/we make a connection, you get added to my consideration list.  Some photographers I’ve met share recent projects with me and others just check in with me every once in awhile. Either way, I know that person is going to follow through on a lot of things and that is important to me when I hire a photographer.

I should point out that there are quite a few photographers who reach out to me on a regular basis and they are the next people who I am going to hire because I know that they have taken the time to get to know me (we meet up a few times a year and keep in contact over email, etc). Those are the people who get the jobs.  Remember, your name can only get you so far. Your rep can only get you so far.  It is makes a difference to put forth that extra effort.

So you really advocate photographers getting on the plane, making the drive, etc to have that face-to-face meeting with you (without their rep).

Yes, 100%!  There are a lot of people that I know through their rep. And, then there are a lot of photographers that I know and don’t know their rep. Having a strong relationship with the reps is of course important, but I like it when a photographer calls and says “I’m going to be in LA, I have 15 meetings and I will take any time that I can get with you.” I’ll schedule them because I know that every photographer has to make the LA trip, the NY trip, the SF trip, and the Miami trip. And if I can squeeze somebody in for 15 minutes to look at their book and chit-chat with them, I say “yeah, I’ll do it whenever I can.”

Do you see a clear benefit for established photographers to go to FotoWorks in addition to doing one-on-one meetings at ad agencies?

I do. At this last FotoWorks there were a majority of San Francisco and some San Diego photographers (and I realizes that’s because all of the LA photographers have already met us!) In addition to art buyers reviewing there also were art directors from smaller agencies or places that don’t have art buyers. So yes, I think it is really important to get out there because if you or your rep only contact people who are on lists from Adbase or Agency Access then you may not reaching the most relevant people for you or even enough of the right people.

Would you sign up to do FotoWorks again? Other shows like it?

Yes, of course, I love doing them.

And would you recommend to others that they do these shows as well, i.e. other art buyers, art directors, etc?

I would definitely recommend it to the people who are decision makers when it comes to hiring photographers (i.e. art buyer, Creative Director, Chief Creative Officer, etc). I think it’s brilliant, it’s great, and everyone should do them. Maybe not every single one, but as many as you can. It’s good for your company. It’s good for you. It’s good!

Besides shooting new imagery, the single most important thing a commercial photographer can do  to increase his/her business is to get out in person to promote their own work.  Even though the imagery can speak for itself, art producers and creatives are saying that meeting one on one one is very important.  That is why I am encouraging all of the photographers in our group to attend networking events such as At Edge’s Face to Face, Fotoworks and Debra Weiss’ portfolio review events.

Over this past year, I have seen the list of reviewers becoming more relevant and the list of photographers attending longer.  This tells me that the events are becoming more popular for both ad agency and photo buyer reviewers as well as photographers.

Despite their growing popularity, I still am asked by established photographers all of the time what the value would be for them?  Some even ask if it would make them “seem desperate” if they attended.  Even some art buyers have wondered aloud to me why some photographers would attend given their status in the industry already.  ”They could just come by and see me anytime” is a standard response.

All of this made me realize that there are some misconceptions about the events and seeing how incredibly valuable they are for everyone attending -reviewers and photographers alike – it would be helpful to try and shed some light on what people are actually experiencing.

Sasha Carillo is a Creative Planner and Art Producer at Davis Elen advertising in Los Angeles.  She attended the Fotoworks event this spring and was open to being interviewed for our blog to help shed some light on the power of these events.  She had so many great insights to share that we divided her interview into two parts.  The first of two parts is below.

It’s so hard to find the time to attend events like this, why do you make it a priority to go?

I think that it is extremely important that we find fresh new talent that’s out there and these events are a great way for our agency to meet that new talent. We also want people to know that we, as an agency, are out there and are indeed hiring talent. It’s great for the agency because some people don’t know us yet, or think that we are a specific type of agency – when we’re not. So it gives us new life in that way. Mainly it’s good to let photographers know who we are and for us to find great new photographers. A lot of people don’t send us promos and so I have to find them in different ways and a show like FotoWorks is a perfect opportunity to do that.

Besides receiving exposure to new work, how does your agency benefit from your attending?

Even though my agency is one of the largest independently owned agencies, some people know us for just select things (i.e. some people think that we only handle retail. Others don’t know us at all. And others have a good understanding of who we are.).  So, it’s good for our agency to be out there saying, “hey we are really interested in learning about new talent.” That’s why we want to participate in these events, because we want to work with the best talent out there.

We are coming out with a lot more fresh work, a lot of new branding and identity work.  I think that it is really key for us to stay not only youthful but “on trend” and to know what is going to be forecasted in the future so we can stay relevant for our client’s brand. I think that is really important.

It’s crucial that we stay a “networking agency” and stay in contact with the talent that can help get us there.  I feel that we’ve been able to do that well over the last few years. I think that we’ll push to continue to do so, because you just never know where you’ll find new talent (walking down the street, meeting someone at a party, at a photo show, etc)

Did you notice any trends while you were reviewing?

In a show like Fotoworks, people sign up to meet you for various reasons. For example, there are seasoned photographers, who work constantly and have a great rep, who just wants to come and meet you.  Then there are the ones that come by looking for feedback but I have none because their work is so great and all I want to do is create a project that I can shoot with them!   Then there are the new photographers whose work I have never seen and I appreciate these meetings because I am meeting someone new.  And then there are the photographers who just wanted general direction.  Are they on the right track?  Should they consider a rep?  Is the work marketable?  I enjoyed those meetings too.

Attending these shows remind me that in advertising and photography people think that it’s going to be this “new up and coming” person who is going to take over, and I don’t think that that is necessarily the rule. I think as long as you are putting out solid work, good work, staying fresh and true to your ideas, and evolving with time, then you can have an extremely successful career. And I like to see that versus “trend.”

I am also interested in seeing what a photographer’s promos look like. It is one thing to put a face to the name, but I feel that the promos they create are extremely important as well.  It’s a great little added touch. You can tell that a photographer is extremely into their business when they have more detailed promos.

A lot of the promos that I keep get shared and talked about often with creatives at my agency.  I hold onto the ones that are unique. The more effort that goes into the promo, the more of an impression it makes and the more likely it will be remembered when we are reviewing work for a project.

An example of a memorable promo for me was from a travel/hospitality photographer who made an envelope from a map. Inside was a postcard, with his business card attached to it. The business card was in the shape of a luggage tag and was held onto the postcard with an airplane-shaped paper clip. And I thought how simple those little details were, but how brilliant [they are all together]. It was amazing, so I kept it and a lot of the designers come by my desk and look at it pinned up there on my board.

What was the thing that you found most surprising about the photographers that you met at Fotoworks? 

I always tell young photographers that coming into the advertising industry, in the beginning, it’s like playing the lottery. You can do really, really well one time but mostly it is winning smaller jackpots, here and there. Once you are successful, you continue to build your clientele and THEN it’s your career.  Then you hit the jackpot!

I think that the most surprising thing is that a lot of photographers shoot too many different things. When I look at someone’s book and it’s all over the place I’m left wondering, “where do I fit them in?” It’s great that you can shoot all of these things, but it feels unfocused.   The more streamlined or tailored your book is the better.  Would you show a food book to a car agency?  You know you are meeting me in advance, so do your homework and show me food and lifestyle.  It really has to be tailored to whom you are seeing. So it really surprises me when a photographer says, “I like to shoot everything!”

If I like the work but it is a bit scattered, It makes for a harder sell to my client.  I wouldn’t drive my client to their website but if I had to, I’d have a disclaimer: saying “I’ve met this person before, we have a really good rapport, he has quality, solid work.”  I would also create a PDF for them with relevant images that they won’t see on the website. However, making that leap is a bit challenging for some clients so the the majority of the time I just want to send a client to a focused and relevant website.  I want to be able to say to a client, “everything that I’ve pulled [from photographer x] is exactly what we need for this project.”

Since you have a captive audience at these events, what kind of things are you sharing with the photographers and what advice are you giving to them in your one-on-one sessions? I’m guessing that it may differ for newcomers vs established photographers.

The first thing that I ask is, “what are you trying to get out this review with me?” Specifically, “why did you pick me? (besides wanting a job)” and “what is it that you need from me?”

I usually get one of the three answers:

-       I want you to hire me

-       I just want to network

-       I need your feedback

And then I use those 20 minutes to address their needs.

For example, if I’m with a seasoned photographer (whose work I am familiar with) and our meeting is simply a networking meeting, then I really want to know about that person. I want to know where they are from, what they do in their spare time, what personal projects are they working on, etc. I like to ask questions that help determine if we could be a good fit together.  We are trusting this person with our client, their brand and their budget so I want to make sure that we have similar sensibilities. Also, I know the temperament of my creative group and I want to make sure that the photographer is going to get along with them as well. Ultimately, we hire a photographer for a reason and when we say to him “ok, this is what we want to shoot,” I want to have 100% confidence that we made the right decision in hiring them.

And for the newcomers to the photography business, what kind of advise do you give them?

Shoot editorial.  It keeps you fresh and relevant.  I get frustrated when I hear that people think shooting editorial is not worth their time or is not cool.  There is so much opportunity in shooting editorial and I really like when photographers share that work with me.

Editorial helps you create something with your imagination. In advertising, everyone wants these high budgets, because they’re awesome, but we are telling you what to shoot. In editorial, you go to the place and time with a person and it’s really up to you to get that person or those products to really come alive in a way that no one gave you direction on.

I tell young photographers to pursue editorial when they aren’t doing advertising work. And you really need to push with personal projects so that people will give you work as well. Personal projects are huge for me.

And if their book isn’t where it needs to be, I ask them questions about the images that are in the book. I ask them why they are in the book and either tell that they need to reorganize or make edit suggestions.

It is also important to  “give good criticism.”  Sometimes people think it is mean to be honest about the work they are seeing.  No one wants to be disrespectful but it is important to make the feedback relevant.  It isn’t helpful to hear that the work is great when it isn’t.  Concentrating on areas where they can improve is always a positive way to share feedback.

Some people say they get feedback at these shows like, “oh your work is really good. Good luck.” They don’t need that! They need me to say, “Hey, I think that this works better in your book. I think this look is really what you are going for. If you are playing with this, then you need to refine that. Keep exploring this. Work on your lighting here, etc” Really give them solid direction so they can be successful.

Tune in on May 30th for part 2 of Sasha’s interview when she will talk about the allotted one on one review time, advice she has for new and established photographers who are thinking of attending networking events in the future, and whether or not she would recommend these events to other art producers.

Seeing that we are about to head into a long weekend, we thought it would be a good time to repost the Community Table San Francisco posts in case you didn’t have time to read them all when we first posted them in April.  I got the idea to do this from Chris Crisman’s blog post about a new series called Required Reading.  Chris explains what this series is about best in his own words below.

“It’s not often that we have the time to slow down and really immerse ourselves in a good article, book, or magazine. When the opportunity affords itself, we’re often looking far and wide for a good read that’s worth the time. Whether that can be found on the bookshelves in the studio, the stack of magazines on our desk, or queued up in an RSS feed on the web, the sheer amount  information is plentiful out there – it’s just a matter of filtering out the junk. Lucky for you, we have a new monthly series on the blog that cuts through the crap and shares inspiration and information that we find especially valuable. Consider it required reading.

Entire books and endless magazines are devoted to the craft, technique, and technology of photography. With enough time and enough patience, almost anyone with a camera can learn the skill-set and train themselves to see light, shape light, and make beautiful photos. Alternatively, there are countless artists in our creative industry that create beautiful work but have no experience or knowledge in the business of photography. It’s not easy. The business is not often discussed; mainstream attention tends to focus on the “how-to” of making photos, not becoming a commercial photographer. Thankfully, the information is out there. Our rep Heather Elder writes an excellent blog that often delves into the business side of photography.

One of the most insightful articles she writes is The Community Table, a series of conversations held directly with the top minds in our industry. Most recently she sat down with a dozen Art Producers in San Fransisco to discuss topics touching on everything from the state of the photography to licensing and usage, copyright, and the bidding process. In all honesty,  you’d be hard-pressed to find a more informative yet personal look into the business of photography today. Do yourself a favor and set aside some time to read through The Community Table San Francisco.”

Community Table SF – The Appetizer Part I

Community Table SF – The Appetizer Part II

Community Table SF – The Main Course Part I

Community Table SF – The Main Course Part II

Community Table SF – Dessert Part I

Community Table SF – Dessert Part II

Community Table SF – The Digestif

To read Community Table Los Angeles and NYC, please link here. And, to read more of Chris Crisman’s Required Reading, link to his blog here.

A client team of Leigh Beisch’s comes to town often and when they do, we make sure to head out somewhere great for dinner.  I always look forward to these dinners because the group is so dynamic and full of great stories.  Since I do not attend many of the shoots (truly, I just get in the way and eat way too much!) it is fun for me to use this time to get to know the team.  In addition to the stories, I like hearing about what everyone does when they are not working.

One night, Jessica James, an executive chef at one of the world’s largest casual dining restaurants, shared that she is currently working on completing her master’s degree in journalism and that one of her requirements is to write a blog.  I of course asked her if I could read it.  The first entry made me laugh out loud.  While I am incredibly organized and very detail oriented, my desk is always a mess. Well, a mess to someone who isn’t working at it.  I know where everything is and couldn’t imagine working any other way.

“I could relate to the post so much and I know many many people who could as well (no naming names!, I decided to share it. Thank you Jessica!

I once read somewhere that a defining characteristic of a successful creator is the ability to thrive in a cluttered environment—it could be a cluttered, disorganized office, kitchen or workshop. To be clear, I’m not talking about hoarding, just letting go a little, allowing for a little chaos in your life.

This definitely holds true for me. While my desk and workspace at home and work are in no way hazardous to others, it is safe to say, they’re a mess. My husband calls me a ‘stacker’—I have piles of papers here and there and it drives him crazy. He is not creative; he’s a storybook left-brained lawyer-in-the-making, no wonder he cannot tolerate my clutter.

These piles are laced with important documents, not-so-important documents, magazines, receipts and tear sheets I use for creative inspiration.

To the passer-byer, my stacks of paper might appear to be clutter, but to me, they’re heaps of creative genius. I know where everything is and I know most of the contents of each pile.

For me, the clutter keeps ideas fresh in my mind. If I were to file things away, they’d be out of sight, out of mind.

At work, the piles of documents remind me of all the projects I’m balancing and the various products I’m developing. At home, my stacks of clutter serve a similar purpose—they remind me of the projects I’m working on, or want to work on.

In addition to paper clutter, I also keep a white board that’s full of chicken scratch only I can decipher. Again, it keeps things fresh in my mind and it’s always there for me to reference, update or stare at blankly.

I know many people who would disagreewith me and say that to be productive, efficient and ready for anything, the ideal situation is a clean, well-stocked and organized workspace. But for me, creativity isn’t always about being productive and efficient. Some of my greatest successes have come from failures and/or creative mishaps.

If my story isn’t enough to convince you to let go and let the laundry pile up, let the bounds of paper overflow, let three years worth of your favorite magazine take the shape of Pisaand watch your creativity blossom like never before, then turn to the great, disorganized creators of history—Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin.”

To read Jessica’s post directly from her blog, please link here.

Robert Luessen, Chris Crisman’s studio manger, started a wonderful series on Chris’ blog about some of the aspects of being a studio manager that impacts him.  He calls them, Studio Manager Meditations. The first one we featured here on Coiling Cables got a lot of people talking – who knew how important coiling cables were??

This month, Robert makes a parallel between taking out the real trash and taking out your creative trash.  Make room in the studio and make room in your mind – it is all the same really.  Link here to read his insightful point of view.