creates more visibility for you, thus speeding up the develop-
ment of your relationship.
Web sites help do help to market your work. But in-person
visits and drop portfolios are selling tools. Every photographer
needs marketing andselling opportunities. While I know few
photographers who enjoy the selling aspect of developing a
business, I also know of no photography business that is consis-
tently successful and utilizes only marketing tools.
The print book you develop as a front-end sales tool will also
be sent when a client requests it. While photographers report see-
ing jobs awarded based on a Web site alone, most sophisticated
clients still prefer to view a physical portfolio, and many art buyers
agree that a print book reflects a great deal about how you work
as a photographer and the care you have for your profession.
Having a print book organized, clean, and ready for clients
when they request it is indeed “showing up.”
Chris Peters states,We use Web sites to search for talent. If a photogra-
pher’s work on his or her site is appropriate for the job
we will call in his or her book. If the content does not
match the job or the vision is right but the book is a
mess, we send it back. I won’t take a chance with a
photographer who seems to have the right stuff on
their site but chooses to send in a book that’s beat up
or in lousy shape. If he doesn’t care enough about his
work to present it well, then how can I trust him to take
care of my assignment?Access to the real deal, the portfolio, is key during the
assignment process. Art directors do not cluster around termi-
nals when assigning work to photographers. They meet in con-
ference rooms; they pass portfolios around. You will need to
build a print portfolio and maintain it in excellent form for this
selecting process. In addition, buyers cite the need to some-
times share your work with their clients before a decision is
reached. Once your book makes the initial cut among the art
staff, it may be sent to the ultimate decision maker, the client of
your prospect. You will not be present during this process and
it is here that your print book needs to work for you.CHAPTER21 / FACETIMEChapter 21.qxd 6/25/07 7:22 AM Page 139