Debra Weiss, Creative Consultant

Today we were speaking with Debra Weiss. Debra is a widely recognized photography consultant. She's been an agent for some of the top names in the business, a consultant for Black Book and did a stint as CEO of APA National. Besides lecturing, conducting seminars, and moderating panels, Debra primarily works with photographers one-on-one. She's called the creative consultant but what she really does is coach a photographer's career as an artist and a business. She inspires and guides, helping photographers explore and shape their talents. Hi Debra. To begin with, we'd like to ask you about the process that you have on working with artist on their portfolio and presentation.

Well, the very first thing is I sit down and I have a conversation with the artist because the portfolio in my opinion must be an extension of the artist's personality. And because it is increasingly more difficult to actually get into see, to have face-to-face meetings, the portfolio really has to speak for the artist. So, I will find out what the goals are, you know, which markets they want to address, the type of work they want to do, as opposed to what they have been doing. And then I actually look at what the work and I will do an evaluation. I'll look at the strengths and the weaknesses and I'll discuss with the artist the next step.

How much time do you find that you need to spend editing and working on a portfolio before you can start looking at how their promotional pieces are working?

It can take anywhere from 2 to 20 hours. The edit is the most time-consuming part of the process. I put a great deal of thought into it as to which images are going to the book but also how they're going to be presented, whether they're going to be paired, whether it's going to be a single image. Sometimes I do a combination of both. The important thing to remember, to realize about pairing images is that you just don't take two images and put them together. In my opinion, there has to be a reason why those images are going next to each other. And either it's a stylistic thing or it's a tonal quality or it actually in some way relates, each image relates to it. And the only way, the only time I will ever really do that is when it enhances both of the images.

When you're looking at the image, are you thinking, "Will this image sell?"

I think you have to take that into consideration but it's an overall look of the book that I'm going for. And I'm a big believer in photographers really photographing in their style and what they really want to do, what they want to put out there. I think that when you have that attitude, when you look at it and say, “Will this sell?” More often that not, I think it will backfire.

And what about the images being actual jobs versus images that they went out and shot for their portfolio, do you think it matters?

Well, most advertising photographers I know would never put most of their jobs in the portfolio. I think that if you have been on set and you can actually get a good personal picture for yourself, or if it's a really good creative advertising assignment, that's fine. The truth is, a lot of people in advertising like to see what you're going to bring to the table because by the time they actually get to produce a job, they've [been through] reconcept and reconcept and reconcept and they're pretty much fried.

Are you seeing any current trend in the presentation of portfolios or in promotional pieces that are being sent out?

There's this very mixed feeling... I used custom bookbinders. I very rarely use the same colors and the same end papers and the same color leathers over and over again. So, everything has a very, very personalized feel to it but then there's this school of thought that [things like] the Black Book have worked for years. I personally think that it's not a great way to stand out. I realize that the imagery is very important and photographers will say, "Well, it's all about the imagery." But when you've got so many books sitting in an office, you've got to do something that's going to distinguish it from everything else.

Should an artist plan to work with a designer on this presentation?

Absolutely. I'm a big believer in designers. It makes a huge difference and the end result. And when you have seen a book that's designed, as opposed to somebody who just puts images in between two covers.

And when an artist is choosing an image for their promotional piece, should they pick an image they love or an image that they think has selling capabilities?

Well, again, ideally it would be both. It would be an image that they love that will tell somebody, that will speak to someone. The important thing is you can't please everyone. So, to decide, well, this image is going to sell... it might sell to some people, or it might not.

How literal should the image be?

I think that depends on where the photographer wants to position themselves in the marketplace. I think if you want to do a lot of jobs and the quality of the jobs don't matter as long as you're doing a lot of jobs, then literal is probably better. But if you're looking to position yourself as a top-level photographer, it's probably much more to your benefit, to put the other image in.

When you look at images in portfolios, do you ever see a trend where they're coming from a certain part of the country or certain school?

Yeah, I think that there are styles that are much better suited sometimes to different parts of the country. But again, I think it all depends on the photographer, where the photographer sees themselves and how aware they are of the things that you need to do in order to continually move up from one level or another. I think it's a pretty universal, I mean, we're such a global world now that we see images regularly from all over the world, not just from this country. And I think that certainly had an effect on how people shoot.

Do you see presentations from Europe that are different or do you think people in Europe represent themselves in the same way that Americans are?

I think it's different because as small as the world has gotten, there is a very different mentality. But I think that again, there are places like London. You're more likely to see more presentations that look alike and somehow look, you know, more Americanized than say presentation in India or France or other parts of the world.

Is there a common mistake that you see in presentation of portfolios or in promotional pieces that are sent out and you look at and you say, "Oh, I wish they hadn't have done that."

Well, generally, photographers really shouldn't edit their own work and it's not because they're not capable of editing or recognizing a good picture. It's the emotional attachment that they have to the image. They look at the image and they remember how difficult it was to get the shot, you know, what they ate that day, who they were sleeping with at the time. And, this whole thing they attach to this image, the buyer knows nothing of that and doesn't really care. They want to see how [the images] are applicable to what they're doing and how this will work in their project.

And I've been told several times by art directors and art buyers that photographers invariably will just leave the promo piece that has the worst image from their book on it. The other problem is the amount of images in a book. I do seminars with art buyers and this is a question that invariably comes up. There is no set number of images. If you've got 10 great images and 10 mediocre ones, I put the 10 great images in the book because if you also add the mediocre ones, that's all they're going to remember. Mistakes are also made in terms of presentation. Plastic sleeves are not in favor right now. Who knows, maybe someday they'll come back. But at this particular time they’re not. So when a book goes out, particularly to a major ad agency and it's got plastic sleeves, it's prejudged.

And if they get in to see an art buyer with their portfolio, what should they look to do at that meeting?

Not annoy the art buyer. I mean, what should take place in that meeting is it should be a very cordial meeting and the photographer should not talk too much out of nervousness. They should just walk in, introduce themselves, sit down, do not talk so much because when you're talking a lot, [the art buyer] is not looking at the work. You actually want them to look at the work. If they have a question, give them an answer. It's not like you're having cappuccino with your best friend. You want them to really look at the work and you want to answer any kinds of questions they possibly have about whether it was a job, whether it was a personal [project]. You know how this is done. Hopefully they'll respond favorably to it.

How do you feel about smaller, unique promotions versus being able to reach a lot of people?

Well, I think trying to reach a lot of people really is nonsensical at this point. A lot of people aren't going to work with you. I'm a big believer in really, really targeting a very small group of people and sometimes that's as little as 25. You know 25 to, I would say at the most 200... and that's really the absolute most. And to do it on a regular basis because we know that's how promotion works. Promotion is very much like advertising. It's about brainwashing. It's getting them familiarized with the typeface, with the logo, with you know and that's where your identity all comes in. And even if they throw the promo piece out, as they're throwing it out, they're noticing your name and eventually it will stick.

Does the promo piece need to be personalized to that person that you're sending it too or can you send the same card to 200 people?

I think, depending on whether you've done your homework and you're shooting a certain level of photography and you want to go after a certain level of art director, it could certainly be the same promo piece, or it can be an individualized thing. But individual things are risky also.

And how often should they be sending to the same person?

I'm a big believer in four to six weeks. As a rule, I don't believe in sending promo material out in August because of the great number of people who are on vacation, and at Christmas time because they're just not thinking about work. They're thinking about the Christmas holidays and what they're going to get their kids and family and all of that stuff.

Should artist be trying to call on buyers?

Sure. I think artists should always try to get meetings. It's more difficult now than it has been but it's still possible. I think there are certain things you have to do with buyers, like when they say "Call me back in a week"... [make sure you] call them back in a week. Don't bombard them with emails. Don't bombard them with phone calls. I'm not a big believer in actually leaving messages. I think you can leave one message and then from that point on, either block your line and use the code that blocks your line and just keep calling until you get them on the phone.

And how should they put together a budget? How does any artist look at what they should be spending on promotion?

Well, I think, like anything else, you have to sort of work backwards in terms of the actual promotional piece and you need to figure out how many people are going to get it. How many images are going to be on that? I'm not a big believer in postcards because, again, I don't know how a photographer is going to distinguish themselves.

So, what do you think instead of postcards?

Well, I think there are clever ways to do foldouts. I think there are little booklets that could be done. It could be postcard size but then can open up into almost a poster size. But the problem I have with postcards is that, first of all, they don't look like you really put a lot of effort into them. They're mass manufactured and that sort of comes through. We know from marketing studies it takes a minimum of seven exposures to a name or a product before anybody really begins to remember you. Now, that's not a hard and fast rule. If you've sent out two promos and the second one hits an art buyer's desk, and they happen to be looking for something that's exactly on your promo piece that day... it can work. That's great. But as a rule, it takes a lot longer and you can shorten that by putting multiple images on the promo piece.

And how long do you usually work with an artist on their promotion? What would be the length of time that one of your clients will be working with you on their work?

It varies. I have a core group of clients that I've been working with for years. Others I'll worked with and it will take a month, or two months, or four months, to complete everything. And the artist that I work with on a regular basis, it's not only about the promotional pieces and the book–although we do change the book quite frequently–but I will also negotiate for them. There's a lot of business advice that goes into this in addition to actually putting a portfolio or promo piece together. Again, it depends on what that promo piece is going to look like, and what we decide to do with it, and whether it is going to be a piece that is going to make a huge splash. Or if it's just something they're going to send out on a very regular basis.

Is there any new approach artists should think about doing to try to reach buyers besides what's always been done?

That's a tough question because that can border on gimmickry, and I'm not a big believer in gimmicks. The bottom line is you want your work to be seen. You want them to know that you exist. So, this is why I'm opposed to postcards. I really don't see how somebody could stand out and how that would make somebody take notice of you, unless the imagery is absolutely just spectacular. In terms of contacting and getting their attention, what I really want to believe is that it's about the imagery. Have great images, have a really, nicely designed piece that does not have to cost you a fortune. Because that's a double-edged sword. You spend a tremendous amount of money on a promotion, you send it to art buyers, and they have no place to put it. They really don't have the room for it. Eventually they'll begin to resent you because they feel guilty about throwing it out. You're taking space up in their office.

I think with email–and I think you have to know how to use email–it's not that you just send an email blast to everybody in the world. But, you know, decent promotional material and constantly updating the portfolios so that you'd actually have a reason to call them and get the book into the agency again. The other thing is competitions. You should be entering CA and PDN. To me, those are the two competitions that make the most sense, particularly for advertising photographers, because those are two publications that are really looked at the most.

Are there any new opportunities that you're seeing for photographers? Any new places for business? Any new avenues that are opening up?

Well, I think there are always going to be opportunities. The thing about becoming successful in any business is that you have to be able to spot those opportunities and, sometimes, something that doesn't look very beneficial could actually turn out to be an opportunity. To be totally honest, we're in for some really challenging times, but that's happened before in the history of this business. That's nothing new and I think that opportunities will arise for people who are adept at adapting to change.

It's going to be a combination of traditional methods plus new methods. There are promotional vehicles called Zims, for instance, that some photographers have been doing. And there are blogs. Now most blogs... I pretty much loathe them. However, some are actually quite good and informative... I think that you have to be careful with blogs because sometimes they get very boring. And unless you really have something to say, and unless you've got some really good imagery to show, it could backfire on you also.

So, I don't think one size fits all. There are blogs, there are Zims, there are emails, there still are sourcebooks out there and the sourcebook portals are looked at tremendously... I think, in terms of the business, there are always going to be opportunities. At one time, photographers could make up their mind, "Okay, this is what I'm going to do and this is the market I'm going after." And now it's like cross-platform. You've got to be very, very diverse and you've got to look at markets that necessarily you wouldn't have looked at before, that you might not have a tremendous interest in. You have to be open to working in different areas because it isn't what it used to be where have groups of people working in one market where they pretty much were able to have a really successful career that flourished for many, many years.

It's not a secret that we get more and more photographers entering the marketplace every year. And it doesn't look like it's going to slow down. So, I think you have to be very, very business-wise.

Thank you very much, Debra, for your time. We appreciate it.

You're welcome.