Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Dec

2011

Introducing ‘The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth’

When my show at Newspace Center for Photography ended, I wrestled with how to present this new work to a broader audience. I spent a great deal of time working on the installation of the show and I felt satisfied that the consideration I gave to rhythm, spacing, sizing and craft gave the viewer the most accessible way to see the photographs for the first time. But, the question persisted, How will this work live on?

What I’ve decided to do is publish a series of small soft-bound catalogs, The Lookbook Series. A Lookbook will be published for each portfolio of images. The first has been printed for my new series, Growth. These Lookbooks will be the only way, at least for now, to view this series. I may decide to publish the images online at some point, but I feel, as I did for the exhibition, that presenting the work in print, is the best initial presentation for my work.

Growth was offset-printed and measures 6″ x 7.3″ in size with 40 pages, 33 images from the portfolio and the project statement.

© Lauren Henkin. The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth

I am offering the first in the series at $18.

If you are interested in starting your Lookbook collection, please either click on the purchase button below and you will be taken to my imprint, Vela Noche.

Thank you all, as always, for your continued support.

Posted in Artist Books, Exhibitions, General, Growth, Marketing, Publishing, The Lookbook Series, Vela Noche | 2 Comments »

Nov

2011

Falling for the QR

While I have quite a bit to write about how I designed my last show at Newspace, I must admit that there was so much thought and planning, that I’m not really sure where to start. So, I thought I would write about a small piece that seemed to be new and successful.

I love going to artist talks. I love hearing an artist talk about their work, their process and inspiration. Some feel that images should speak for themselves, without the need for explanation. While I agree that it shouldn’t be necessary, it has only enhanced the viewing process for me when I’m in a large museum for instance and looking at abstract paintings or sculpture and feeling like I’m completely missing out. A curator’s guidance, tour, or translation often can transform viewing a show from frustration and even feeling left out, to making some long-lasting connection with an artist’s work. Because this latest series was more conceptual and demanded more from the viewer than in past series, I felt like I needed to offer a lifeline. So, I recorded an audio tour for the show which I’ve been told was listened to and greatly appreciated.

The question was how to incorporate the audio with the actual experience of viewing. Would I provide a cd, or some kind of download that people could prepare on a listening device before coming to the show? I eventually settled on incorporating a QR code into the title/specification sheet that I had letterpress printed locally. The QR code would enable anyone with a smart phone to use audio as an accompaniment to the visual. I wasn’t sure that a QR code (which you can find mostly on direct mailers) would actually work with letterpress printing. The artists I worked with to produce the pieces, Meegan Keegan didn’t know either. They were willing to experiment and discovered that it would and did work and ended up writing about it on their blog which you can visit by clicking here.

Here are images of how the card turned out (courtesy of Meegan Keegan):

I also used a QR code on one of the project statements for a body of work titled The Lines Between Us, photographs taken on the various cross-country train rides I’ve taken over the last 4 years. The cinematic quality of my work is growing, and for this series, I wanted to incorporate a piece of music to the experience of viewing this wall of images (seen below printed on the project statement).

To create a QR code, you can go to numerous sites that will ask for the web address, text or even e-mail address you want the code to link to. There are sites (like this one) that even will create a vector .eps file so you can enlarge the code to the size you want in Adobe Illustrator.

I think, like anything, the QR code needs to be used in moderation, and appropriately. That said, I think it’s a great tool for connecting with your viewers and integrating new technologies with old ones.

Happy QRing!

Posted in Artist Talks/Lectures, Exhibitions, General, Marketing, Media, The Lines Between Us | No Comments »

Oct

2011

The Photographer’s Alternative Reading List: The Shallows

Over the last year I’ve noticed a shift in what I’m reading. I’m less inclined now to be reading books on photography and more likely to be reading about building trust in yourself, the importance of architecture, the dangers of consumption, and lots of poetry. I’m not sure what spawned this shift, but it is these books, on topics that are outside the visual arts, that have encouraged a heightened sensitivity to the world around me, and my ability to communicate, both in words and images.

I thought it might be useful to start a new feature on the blog called A Photographer’s Alternative Reading List. The list is meant to share what I’ve been reading that has broadened my perspective on being a better communicator, artist, and person. I hope, that if you choose to read any of these books, that you will take as much away from them as I have.

The first book I wanted to share is titled The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that of late, I’ve been very concerned with how images are being digested when presented online, and whether to alter the presentation of my own work because of it. In a previous post titled Casual Consumption, I wrote simply about what I’m experiencing as a result of showing my work online, and my fears about where we are heading with this onslaught of visual imagery. I had no factual evidence for what I was feeling, simply a gut reaction to my own experiences. The Shallows has further deepened that sense of dread.

The book opens with a quote from John Keats:

“And in the midst of this wide quietness
A rosy sanctuary will I dress
With the wreath’d trellis of a working brain…”

The fundamental premise of the book is that the internet, is at it’s core, is a medium of distraction and that the more we engage it, the more it disassembles our ability to focus, digest information, remember, and possibly most important to us artists, engage in the creative process with the deep meaning that comes from quiet contemplation.

The book is not a diatribe. It methodically presents how information has been communicated and digested throughout history, from oral communication to scrolls to the origination of the first printing press and codex to the birth of all that is digital. The increasing ability to study neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain and nervous system to change structurally as a result of input from the environment is also presented in depth. The loss of our capacity to memorize and focus are main themes and a case is made that the internet actually encourages us not to focus, but procrastinate. Procrastinate what exactly? I can guess that it was the work and mental energy needed to delve into something meaningful whether that is a long piece of writing, or, as I fear, worthy imagery as well.

One fascinating passage talks about the role that long-term memory plays in our ability to process complex ideas or thoughts. In this paragraph, Carr is quoting John Sweller, an Australian education psychologist who has spent three decades studying how our minds process information.

“In order for us to think about something we’ve previously learned or experienced, our brain has to transfer the memory from long-term memory back into working memory. “We are only aware that something was stored in long-term memory when it is brought down into working memory,” explains Sweller. It was once assumed that long-term memory served merely as a big warehouse of facts, impressions, and events, that it “played little part in complex cognitive processes such as thinking and problem-solving.” But brain scientists have come to realize that long-term memory is actually the seat of understanding. It stores not just fact but complex concepts, or “schemas.” By organizing scattered bits of information into patterns of knowledge, schemas give depth and richness to our thinking. “Our intellectual prowess is derived largely from schemas we have acquired over long periods of time,” says Sweller.

Another interesting point was made when describing the research that Jakob Nielson, a consultant on the design of web pages who has been studying online reading since the 1990s, has been done on how we actually read text on a monitor:

“Fast. That’s how users read your precious content. In a few seconds, their eyes move at amazing speeds across your website’s words in a pattern that’s very different from what you learned in school.’ …most Web pages are viewed for ten seconds or less. Fewer than one in ten page views extend beyond two minutes, and a significant portion of those seem to involve ‘unattended browser windows left open in the background of the desktop.’”

While this research was conducted with an emphasis on how we read text on the web, I cannot help but believe that images, in their visually accessible nature, garner even less time.

Undoubtedly, the internet has made my work available to a much wider international audience. But… if that new audience isn’t really processing the work in any kind of meaningful or lasting way; if that new audience is using my images in the same way that we are using all internet content—as another method of distraction—then what’s the point of gaining that wider audience?

Another interesting passage was a discussion of how we interact with the tools we use and how we adapt to them. Carr writes:

“Whenever we use a tool to exert greater control over the outside world, we change our relationship with that world. Control can be wielded only from a psychological distance. In some cases, alienation is precisely what gives a tool its value. We build houses and sew Gore-Tex jackets because we want to be alienated from the wind and the rain and the cold. We build public sewers because we want to maintain a healthy distance from our own filth. Nature isn’t our enemy, but neither is it our friend. …an honest appraisal of any new technology, of progress in general, requires a sensitivity to what’s lost as well as what’s gained. We shouldn’t allow the glories of technology to blind our inner watchdog to the possibility that we’ve numbed an essential part of our self.”

I just took down probably the largest show I will have in quite a while. With each show I am lucky enough to secure, I am reminded of what gives me the most joy in creating art—the ability for those very few people who do take the time and make some deep connection with it, to understand me and how I see the world. That connection is why I do what I do. It’s worth the frustration, the rejection, and the financial strain.

I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking, Ok, so you’re not making those connections online. But still, what is the harm, why prevent a potential connection by keeping the images offline?

This is the tougher question to grapple with. But again, in my gut, I feel that by further populating this infinitely large cyber repository of imagery, that I will, in some way, be participating in the perpetuation of this medium of distraction—that in my small way, I will be procreating even more noise, not art, not shared human experiences.

The last thing I want, thirty years from now, when looking back on my life’s work, is to conclude that my small contribution to this world has been the numbing of anything—but especially the minds I had hoped to connect with, excite, and inspire.

Posted in Education, Essays, General, Inspiration, Marketing, Media, The Photographer's Alternative Reading List | 4 Comments »

Feb

2011

Designing Effective Marketing Pieces

I have seen a ton of marketing pieces lately — brochures, postcards, small catalogs, etc. from designers and artists alike. I thought I would take a little time to share some pieces that I recently designed and printed. I’ve gotten wonderful feedback on these, and I think what I’ve learned in the process of creating them could be applied to almost any kind of promotional marketing piece.

I have used two online printers for most of my printed pieces, Modern Postcard and PS Print. I vary who I use based on the kind of job I’m printing. For the most part, I go with Modern Postcard because the printing is more accurate and predictable, their quality control is better, and they do a much better job printing black and white images (which is difficult). Modern Postcard is definitely more expensive than PS Print, so I go with PS when I want a piece that may have a higher likelihood of being discarded, or when my budget is extra tight.

Step 1: Defining the Goal
The first step in designing an effective piece is defining what the goal of the piece is. Is to advertise a show opening? Is it to announce a new body of work? Is it a catalog of images? When you can clearly define how you’ll be using the piece, certain conclusions may be able to be made about size, quantity, even paper stock. Other questions to consider include Will this piece be mailed on it’s own or included in an envelope? Does it need to be in color on both sides or can you save a little money and have just black ink on the back? Answering these basic questions will set you on the right path to Step 2, designing the actual piece.

Step 2: Designing the Piece
This step will be a challenge for those of you out there who are not designers. If you are not a graphic artist, the best solution is to hire one. Many of you probably have friends that are graphic artists or can ask for recommendations from friends or family to find one. Other resources include the AIGA (former acronym for “American Institute of Graphic Arts”) Designer Directory where you can search for a designer by state or discipline or if you visit Craig’s List’s category “Creative” which is listed under the “Services” heading, you can find designers there as well. If you’ve never hired one before, there are definitely some issues to consider. The advantages of working with a designer are numerous. First, you’ll get a piece that coordinates with your existing materials, you won’t have to worry about whether the printing will be done correctly (the designer will coordinate and prepare files properly for your chosen printer), and a second pair of eyes looking at your writing and images is always a good thing. When talking to a designer for the first time, you should definitely ask to see samples of pieces that would be a similar match to what you’re looking to do, what the price will be (do they work hourly or by flat fee?), what their schedule or timeline is, and who their preferred printer is. It may be that a designer is familiar with a particular printer and can guarantee better reliability and quality from a company their work with regularly.

Example 1: Multiple Pieces in One
The first example I wanted to share was for a postcard I needed to advertise two separate upcoming shows. But, I also needed some new business cards. The challenge was to figure out how to do all of that in as cost-effective way as possible. I decided to print a 5″ x 7″ postcard into 4 parts, 2 long narrow individual postcards, and then two sets of business cards. So, the front and back looked like this, with the red lines indicating separate pieces. I had Modern Postcard print the overall piece, and then I took the cards to Kinko’s and for $1 a cut, they trimmed out all 4 different pieces. SO, for $175, I got 500 postcards (250 of each version) and 500 new business cards. Not bad, right? If I had bought these individually, the cost would have been $325. Combining a few different pieces into one card is a great way to save money and double your quantities. So, something to think about might be What will my printing needs be for the next 3-4 months? Can I combine some pieces?

Multiple Pieces Postcard Front

Multiple Pieces Postcard Back

Example 2: Promoting a Project
The second set of examples I have to share are two brochures I designed and printed again with Modern Postcard. Each brochure used the same template and featured one of my books, the first one for Displaced, the second for Silence is an Orchard. I wanted to use them as an informational mailer to university librarians, and giveaway at the Codex Book Fair where I was exhibiting both works.

As to the design of the brochures, I knew that I wanted to accomplish the following:
• Showcase the images that were in each book
• Provide a description of each project
• List specifications about the book including pricing and availability
• Drive traffic to my primary website and the new website I created specifically for my book projects
• Build excitement about these new offerings

I decided to populate the cover of each brochure with one large signature image from each book and as an announcement of the project. The front of each card looks like this.

Book Promotion Postcard Displaced Front

Book Promotion Postcard Silence is an Orchard Front

In thinking about the interior, I wanted an explosion of imagery, and to give a sense of what is inside each book. I kept the text minimal and let the images speak for the project. This was a good place to introduce the work more fully, reveal the price and include the website to learn more about each project. The interiors were the down and dirty of each project: the images, the description, the price, and where to buy—all presented in as clean, simple, and beautiful way as possible. The interiors look like this.

Book Promotion Postcard Displaced Inside

Book Promotion Postcard Silence is an Orchard Inside

Finally, for the backs, I included all of the specifications, the who, what, where, when, and hows of the projects. The top parts included information about the book itself with yet another image as the background. I used a dark background with white text to differentiate from the rest of the card, to convey that this is important, and to give the cards some more pop. The bottoms contained address, website, and sponsorship details.

Book Promotion Postcard Displaced Back

Book Promotion Postcard Silence is an Orchard Back

The size of this piece is 6″ x 8.5″, big enough to feel substantial, like a small catalog, but small enough to still be easily portable. The cardstock with aqueous coating helped make them very durable.

I have gotten such good feedback on these that I plan to use this same layout/format for many pieces to come. I would remind you to design materials that reflect the mood of your work. My work is quiet and meditative. If I used outrageously bright colors, it would have negatively impacted the mood of my imagery. Apply whatever aesthetic principles you use for other presentation methods (portfolios and/or website) to your printed materials. Remember, these are extensions of you, they often go where you are not able to. Design them to represent you well and I guarantee at some point you’ll be surprised at the marketing power of a little postcard.

Happy designing…

Posted in Displaced, Education, General, Marketing, Silence is an Orchard | 1 Comment »

Feb

2011

Codex 2011: Entering the World of Book Arts

When I began the process of publishing Displaced, nearly 2 years ago, I learned of a world that I never knew existed, that of fine press and handmade artist books. Inge Bruggeman, who did the letterpress printing for that book, had shown me other projects that she completed herself or worked on for others. I was immediately engaged and inspired by what I saw—the most beautiful books I had ever seen, all made by hand.

I knew then that I wanted to explore that world, to delve and challenge myself to make something that was equally indicative of what fine craft could be. There weren’t many examples to see in the photography world. I knew of Ray Meeks’ beautiful handmade books, I also saw what Vicki Topaz had been able to accomplish with her book, Silent Nests, which started as a handmade publication which eventually led to a book deal with a European publisher.

I produced Displaced with the help of a grant, and without much planning, became more and more immersed in the fine press world.

This past week, I exhibited Displaced and Silence is an Orchard at the international Codex Book Fair, held in Berkeley, CA. It was a convention with about 125+ exhibitors from around the world. There were many artists from the United States, but also represented were Russia, France, Mexico, Germany, England, and other countries. I was truly blown away by what I saw—works made to look and act like books, but crafted to levels I never imagined.

It was a grueling event, a 10-12 hour investment everyday, standing, talking to people, networking, and learning. I had never been in a position of showing my work in that kind of setting before, a trade show for for printmakers. I was sharing a table and trying, in the 30 seconds or so that you have with buyers, to communicate who I was, why I do what I do, and why they should care. We should all have to go through that exercise.

I wanted to show you in some of the images below what I discovered there (please forgive the poor imagery) as well as my thoughts on what I ascertained, in case any of you would like to join me in trying to infiltrate this market. What I learned was vast, some of which left me optimistic, some of which didn’t.

I went to Codex for a few reasons: to learn from other artists, sell some books, expose my work to a completely new audience, and leave with some sense of how to move forward.

Who Exhibited
It seemed that the vast majority of artists exhibiting would classify themselves as ‘printmakers’ in some fashion. It felt mostly like traditional printmakers, artists producing etchings or woodcuts or simply working with typography. From what I could tell, there was only 1 other photographer there like myself, showing their own book of photographs. There were others using photography, but not as their primary medium.

Who Attended
Attendees were primarily other artists from printmakers to bookmakers to letterpress printers to binders to hobbyists to papermakers. Beyond that group, there were also university librarians, individual collectors, material suppliers, and educators. It was a diverse group, filled with people that I would not normally have been exposed to. I had many wonderful conversations with people interested in bookmaking and unique methods of storytelling.

What I Learned
There was an obvious lack of photography represented at this event. The people I presented my work to who were not photographers seemed to wonder what kind of prints they were, platinum? photogravure? etchings? When I explained that they were inkjet prints they seemed surprised. I don’t know if it’s because of the quality of the prints or that inkjet could live up to their expectation of what ‘fine printmaking’ was. I honestly felt, for the first time in my career, like my prints, because they were photographs were ‘less than.’ In fact at the end, someone said to me, “I heard the other photographer was ‘having a hard time too.’” Hmmm. My fear was that this was actual evidence of how a decline in our community’s commitment to the craft of printmaking will effect us in the long term—being further segregated.

I also learned that is indeed a difference between what photographers expect to see in their books compared to followers of fine press. In the photography community, I’ve made what is expected, a book with a series of images, without much text, that lulls the viewer into some other world which I’m sharing with them. In this fine press/book arts world, there was clearly an emphasis on the relationship in every spread between text and image. Simply put, I felt that I had lost a lot of interest simply because I didn’t have enough text in my book, especially poetry. It was a clear difference that I noticed. I was visited by Luis Delgado, an artist I met briefly last year in San Francisco. He looked through the book and said he thought it was great… He commented that it had just the right number of image and I could sense that the lack of text appealed to him and the other photographers I showed the book to… but in this market, it was a negative.

For those of you who might be thinking about simply inkjet printing text in your book, I would advise you against it. The letterpress printed text pages were definitely a must there, and in my own experience, it has really added to the quality of my books. The cost to add letterpress printing was about 10% of the total project, a minimal investment when you consider the number of buyers you will turn off with inkjet printed text.

I was extremely excited and inspired to see alternative printing techniques. I wished there had been more of it and that new printmaking techniques would be as accepted and embraced as the older methods. I do not feel it was the case, but still, there were examples that I felt certain would be new to the photography community. One in particular was employed by Peter Koch in a book titled The Lost Journals of Sacajewea. In this book about one of the most famous American Indian women, he employed the services of Magnolia Editions, a print shop out of Oakland, California. They chose to print using Magnolia’s UV Flatbed printer which, in the case of Koch’s book, printed beautifully onto Japanese kozo paper where the image bled through to the other side. Magnolia describes this type of printing as, “using a durable pigment/solvent ink cured with UV light, this printer prints on almost anything flat. The media is stationary, held down with a vacuum, and can be overprinted multiple times in perfect registration.” It was something I had not seen before and the bleeding through to the back of the kozo in this case was very effective.

In addition, I was finally able to see some 21st Edition publications. One of my favorite photographers, Masao Yamamoto, has just released a book with 21st along with some platinum prints. The printing was well done and while I think it’s difficult to reinterpret Yamamoto’s work in book form, I was definitely interested to see what would qualify a publication to enter the $9,000 price point. The book was housed in an elegant wood box that I really appreciated. It was delicate, like his work, and as a package, it seemed successful.

I took a number of images throughout the fair of books or presentations that I thought worthwhile to share. This is just a small sampling of what was there, truly inspiration objects.

Codex 2011

My setup at Codex.

I did not sell anything at Codex which was a disappointment. I felt, at times, that it just wasn’t the right audience. I did meet a dealer who seemed very interested in selling the book which could lead to multiple sales, so it may end up being a worthwhile investment. As I’ve said many times in the past, it is always hard to know what will come from these events, whether it’s a book fair, a portfolio review, an exhibition, or competition win. It can take years to truly know whether I will feel that attending this event had value. I know this—I was happy to come home to my community of photographers, I will continue to push ahead with my own work, and strive to learn from as many other artisans as I can. I hope seeing these images will also give you some inspiration in your journey…

Posted in Artist Books, Displaced, Education, General, Marketing, Publishing, Silence is an Orchard | 3 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Introducing ‘The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth’

Falling for the QR

The Photographer’s Alternative Reading List: The Shallows

Designing Effective Marketing Pieces

Codex 2011: Entering the World of Book Arts

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