As a photographer, what do you have in your photography toolkit? Taking great pictures is just half the battle. The other half is getting your name out to the picture-buying world of clients, event planners, news desks, and galleries. To advertise your services and market yourself as a professional, you need a photography toolkit that includes printed marketing materials that show off your work at its best. Here are the printed materials that should be part of your photography toolkit.
- Photography Toolkit: Photography Portfolio
- Photography Toolkit: Look Books
- Photography Toolkit: Brochures
- Photography Toolkit: Client Packs
- Photography Toolkit: Signs and Posters
- Photography Toolkit: Business Cards
- Photography Toolkit: Business Forms
- Tips for Printing Your Photography Toolkit
- Pack Your Photography Toolkit
Photography Toolkit: Photography Portfolio
A portfolio is a bound, printed calling card that shows your work at its best. Whether you’re a photographer, designer, decorator, or writer, a portfolio is necessary to show that you’re a master of your craft. It proves to potential clients that you have skills they’re looking for and a level of professionalism that shows you’re serious about your work.
That’s a lot for one printed book to do, but a good portfolio does all that and more. It’s also a record of your achievements and a way to track your progress from beginner to expert. That’s why most artists spend time and money on a great-looking portfolio. The investment is worth it because nothing says you can do what you promise like a sample of your finished product.
If you’re in the visual arts, it’s even more important for your portfolio to look appealing. High-quality paper, rich color resolution, and professional printing will make all the difference.
Online and printed portfolios
Many photographers have online portfolios. A digital portfolio is an affordable, effortless way to collect large numbers of photographs in one place. You can include a link to your portfolio on your website, business card, and marketing materials.
While it’s a necessity, it can’t replace a printed, bound portfolio. To reach the most people and show your work at its best, you need both in your photography toolkit.
Photography Toolkit: Look Books
Look books are a type of portfolio specific to photographers and models. A look book is a small booklet that shows off your best work and includes information about products you sell.
While your portfolio might have hundreds or even thousands of images culled from years of your work, a Look Book focuses on the ways your work has been used commercially or artistically. If you were in a photography exhibit, include pictures of the event with the dates, times, locations, and any prizes you won. If it was featured in a commercial setting, show the magazine pages in thumbnails.
You should also include your contact information and information about reaching your agent or business manager, if you have one.
A look book is like a magazine in miniature. Typically, it includes from 8 to 16 pages and a mix of text, images, and product information. It is usually saddle-stitched. Small and lightweight, it’s easy to carry around with you when meeting agents, potential clients, or fellow photographers.
Photography Toolkit: Brochures
Brochures are among the most popular marketing materials, and there are good reasons companies still use them. Marketers know that brochures do a far better job than digital or TV advertising at getting people to make a buying decision. Direct mail is powerful, and that’s why it’s still heavily used by all types of professions and in every industry.
Direct mail may be “junk mail” to you, but in every pile of that so-called junk, you have probably saved brochures or catalogs that interest you. You may not want to buy the product or service right now, but it’s something you’re thinking about, so you save the brochure as a reminder to explore it. You may read it in more detail later, and you may think, “Well, this isn’t something I need right now, but in the future, I might, and it’d be good to have this handy.”
Everyone does this with some brochure or catalog, which is why marketers continue using them. If you’re a photographer, use a well-designed, attractive brochure to make your availability known to:
- Art buyers
- Artists’ agents
- Licensing agents
- Museums
- Art brokers
- Newswire companies
- Independent media companies
Photography Toolkit: Client Packs
When you work with a client, for instance, at a wedding or a glamour shoot, use a client pack to welcome them and set them at ease about what’s going to follow. A client pack helps you and your client get the best possible shots, so make it part of your photographer’s toolkit.
A client welcome pack turns any photography session into an indulgent experience that sets the client at ease and makes the session fun. To create one, think about what you want your clients to know before every session. For instance, do you want to give them pointers about what to wear, how to appear natural, or how to look as good as possible on camera?
A complete client pack might include the following.
- Welcome card: a greeting card welcoming the client and their business.
- How-to guide: A guide to looking good on camera with pointers on what to wear and how to stand.
- Session guide: Give the clients an idea of what to expect on the day of the shoot, with approximate start and end times.
- Thank you: A thank you note card is a nice finishing touch. You may consider adding a special discount for their next session or a discount for making a referral to a new client.
Photography Toolkit: Signs and Posters
Signs and posters are invaluable parts of your photographer’s toolkit. If you have a studio that’ s open to the public, make sure people know where to find you with signs and banners that point the way.
When you take pictures at an event, ask the organizers if it’s all right to place signs about who the photographer is. If it’s a wedding or other private gathering, your clients may not want guests subjected to signs or banners advertising your work. In that case, some brochures and business card are a safer, more discreet alternative.
For a corporate setting or a large gathering that’s more like a party, however, you may find the organizers receptive to signs or posters with your name on them.
Photography Toolkit: Business Cards
Business cards are the smallest forms of marketing—but they’re among the most powerful in your photography toolkit. As part of your photographer’s toolkit, they are fast and affordable to print, and they’re easy to carry everywhere. Keep them on hand at every assignment, and hand them out whenever you talk to someone about your work.
Include them in every mailing, letter, and client package you create. Business cards are often overlooked, but they can make a serious impact. Be sure yours are well-designed, with an eye-catching logo and large, clear font.
Give business cards even more impact by turning them into magnets. Clients always appreciate having information about service providers right on the fridge or file cabinet. Make it easy for them to call you when they need a photographer.
Photography Toolkit: Business Forms
If you want to be treated like the professional you are, you need printed documents. Your photographer’s toolkit should include:
- Agency representation information
- Licensing agreements
- Standard contracts
- Model release forms
- Print release forms
- Insurance forms
- Copyright notices
- Portrait agreements
Tips for Printing Your Photography Toolkit
1 Hire a graphic designer to create a logo, select your corporate colors, and create fully branded marketing materials.
2 Choose an eye-catching layout that will command attention in a crowded field where first impressions matter.
3 List your photography specialties.
4 Make sure your contact information is clear and easy to read.
5 Use professional printing for the best results.
Pack Your Photography Toolkit
Advancing your career in photography means reaching out to market your services. The right photography toolkit can help you do that. If you need help with business cards, posters, brochures, portfolio books, or any other printed materials, talk to the experts at Dazzle Printing.
