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

© Lauren Henkin. The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth

© Lauren Henkin. The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth

© Lauren Henkin. The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth

© Lauren Henkin. The Lookbook Series Volume I: Growth

© 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.

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):

© Meegan Keegan.

© Meegan Keegan.

© Meegan Keegan.

© Meegan Keegan.

© 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).

© Lauren Henkin. The Lines Between Us.

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!

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.

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…

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

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

Codex 2011

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…

Silence is an Orchard
I am getting ready to release my second artist book, titled Silence is an Orchard. The book should be completed in about three weeks and as soon as it is, I will post detailed images of the book which is the result of contributions from five Northwest women artists. I’m so thrilled about this being done. You never know, especially when working with so many people on a handmade object, that what you originally imagined will actually be completed true to the initial vision. I can say that this surpassed my expectations—it is a lovely journal of meditation and peace in the fields of Maine.

Codex International Book Fair
Thrilled cannot begin to describe my excitement to be participating in the third biennial Codex book fair that will take place from 2/6 – 2/9 on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. This fair attracts an international audience interested in learning about as well as purchasing fine press and artist books. This will be my first opportunity to really immerse myself in the book arts community. I can only imagine the what I will learn from other book artists and get a sense of how many photographers are representing their work in this kind of venue. I will be sharing a table with Sarah Horowitz, the artist who created the original etching for Silence is an Orchard. I believe our work is very complementary, and that anyone interested in my work will love hers and vice versa. I hope those of you in the Bay area will make use of how wonderful it is to have an event like this in the area and come by for a chat. To find me, look at the directory of exhibitors for ‘Vela Noche Press.’

The dates of the show are:
Sunday, Feb. 6 12:00 – 4:00
Monday, Feb. 7 12:30 – 6:30
Tuesday, Feb. 8 12:30 – 6:30
Wednesday, Feb. 9 12:30 – 4:30

I hope to see you there…

Photo Radio
I am about to post the recent interview I did with Todd Tubutis, the Executive Director of Blue Sky Gallery. In 2011 I will be interviewing many types of professionals in the visual arts with more frequency. I will be, in a sense, ‘covering’ the upcoming photolucida portfolio reviews here in Portland. My goal is to conduct between 6-10 interviews of both reviewers and photographers. I will be promoting this jointly with photolucida and hope it will give people around the world a sense of what this specific event, as well as portfolio reviews in general, are all about. My hope is to provide audio coverage like this for other events. If you have suggestions on how I might be able to do that, or on photographers who might be interested in being interviewed, please post a comment. I would appreciate your thoughts. To visit Photo Radio, go to www.photoradioblog.com.

Workshops
I have two upcoming workshops that might interest you or other photographers. They are both in March, the first on the 12th which I will be teaching with fellow artists Ray Bidegain and Fritz Liedtke, and then on the 26th in Victoria, British Columbia at Lúz Gallery. Details about both are below.

The Artist’s Job: Making a Life and a Living as an Artist
Date/Time: March 12/10am – 5pm
Place: My studio on N Mississippi in Portland, OR
Cost: $180
Description: Why do most art school graduates fail to become active, successful artists? How does one balance work and art and all the other responsibilities of life? Portland artists Ray Bidegain, Fritz Liedtke, and I are offering a one-day workshop on how to create a life that makes time and money for your artistic passions to flourish.

My part in this workshop will focus on “Getting Exposure: Marketing that Works”. I will be presenting tools and specific marketing methods you can use to boost your exposure and sales of individual artworks. Topics will include: defining your goals, identifying a target audience, creating the optimal marketing piece, knowing when to scrap the trends and think creatively to get your work out, traditional methods of marketing (juried shows, portfolio reviews, web sites, etc.), and expanded methods (blogs, social media, multimedia, etc.)

I’m really excited about this workshop. We’ll cover many issues that artists face on a daily basis, but are rarely able to get practical help with.

For more information on this workshop click here.
To register, click here.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marketing for Fine Art Photographers
Date/Time: March 26/10am – 5pm
Place: Lúz Gallery in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Description: I will be returning to Lúz to teach another one-day workshop on how to better market your work to the fine art photography community. Topics covered include the following:
What is marketing?

Before you start…
1. Setting short term goals
2. Figuring out long term goals
3. Materials to gather to start

Getting started with traditional methods…
1. Email campaigns
2. Portfolio reviews
3. Juried shows
4. Publication submissions
5. Gallery submissions

Moving forward with expanded methods…
1. Setting yourself apart
2. Social media
3. Submitting to blogs
4. Self publishing
5. Blogging
6. Going beyond the photography world

Pushing ahead

Questions

Thank you so much to Lúz for inviting me back, I’m very excited to see my new friends in Victoria again!

For more information or to register for this workshop click here.

Featured Publications
My work will be published in three wonderful publications in the next few months. Displaced: Part I will be included in the third issue of Landscape Stories which should be released in March. I am very excited to be a part of this online magazine dedicated to visual storytelling which focuses on the land.

In April, I will have a feature in Diffusion Magazine. Displaced: Part II will be featured, but even more exciting (for you anyway) will be a big, big, comprehensive article I wrote titled Adventures in Publishing. I am so proud of this piece for a few reasons. The first is that I have never published an article before and I’m pretty damn excited about that! I’ve been doing more and more writing (in part because I’ve gotten used to it doing these blog posts) and I hope to write for more publications. Second, most of the articles I’ve read recently barely scratch the surface of the topic presented. I’ve tried to go beyond that and believe I’ve succeeded. I hope you will support the magazine and let me know what you think of the piece. You can preview the next issue and subscribe at their website, www.diffusionmag.com.

Finally, in the fall of 2011, the Fine Press Book Association’s beautiful journal called Parenthesis will review Displaced. Photographer David Evans will be writing the review. Parenthesis presents reviews, essays, commentary, news, how-to articles, and profiles of fine and private press printing as well as bookbinding, typography, collecting, publishing and related areas. It is published twice a year and alternates between North America and Europe. If you are interested in what is happening in the fine press book community, it is a thoroughly enjoyable way to learn.

Upcoming Shows

From January 27 – March 12 Displaced will be showing in an international exhibition of artist books incorporating photography as a primary element which debuted at Abecedarian Gallery in Denver in November and will move on the 27th to 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland. The show, titled Photo Book Works was juried by Mia Semingson, a photographer, book binder and educator. For this exhibition, Semingson selected the work of 31 artists from the United States, Great Britain, Switzerland and Australia. The opening for the show will be on February 4, 2010 from 6–8 p.m. Unfortunately, I will not be able to be there as I will be en route to the Codex fair, but please take a look at the great books showing. For more information, click here.

I will also have a solo show most likely in November of 2011 at Newspace Center for Photography. The content for the show will be determined later, but I believe, right now, that it will mostly present Present Tense, Past Lives. I have to figure out what that will mean, as I’m envisioning something radically different than what I’ve done in the past. I am uncertain if I will finish that body in time for November, but I will most likely present that as well as my Urban Growth portfolio which I am actively working on.

Thank you all, so very much, for your support. Working through the many issues that arise in creating art, books and marketing, along with a consistent dose of rejection makes your optimism all the more valuable. I hope you will continue on this journey with me into 2011…

Marketing For Fine Art Photographers
Date: Saturday, October 16, 2010
Location: My studio in the Mississippi neighborhood of Portland, OR
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (includes 1 hour for lunch)
Cost: $90

Photographer Lauren Henkin will demonstrate how to best market yourself and your work. We’ll start with an evaluation of your work and your marketing successes and challenges to date. We’ll cover tools and specific marketing materials you can use to boost your career and sales of individual artworks. Some of the topics covered will include: defining a target audience, creating the optimal marketing piece, writing query letters, entering juried shows, participating in portfolio review events, attending trade shows, designing and creating self-promotion materials such as web sites and general best practices for presenting your work. This workshop is targeted toward photographers who already have bodies of work they wish to present and who are actively marketing their work.

This will be an opportunity to get feedback on materials you may already be using or preparing to create. You’re encouraged to bring your current marketing samples.

Student Comments
“I thought the information was presented well…the order of the areas talked about was a good logical progression and I particularly enjoyed all the specific real-world examples you presented all along. Very instructive to see an actuality illustrating a principle as opposed to discussing theory.”

“You packed a huge amount of information into 6 hours and it was a great introduction to the many ways that are available to market one’s work.”

“You really had a huge effect on me in terms of charting my path as an photographic artist, and for that I am deeply grateful.”

If you have any questions, please e-mail lauren@laurenhenkin.com.

He was in the process of moving away from the traditional, commercial imagery he had taken for years, images of Kyoto gardens that you’ve probably seen, just didn’t know they were his, and towards more of a personal, intimate perspective on flowers. The prints are large and have a meditative quality, with a beautifully printed palette. Here are a few samples of his work:

© Allan Mandell

© Allan Mandell

We talked only briefly about the name of this work, which as of yet, is undetermined. Some of the initial thoughts on what the name should be focused on using the word “flower” or a reference to the natural world. What I encouraged him to think about, was, Is this work really about flowers?. Or, is it more about abstraction, the process of looking very closely at things, or even just edges?

The conversation got me thinking about the mistakes people make in naming their work. Specifically, when they rely on titles based on either equipment (Holga Pictures), subject (Portraits), context (Nudes in the Landscape), location (Wherever, USA), etc. The photographers doing this fail to realize how many other messages are being sent to viewers beyond what they intend. Messages like: Does this person really understand their work? Do they see one specific part of the production process as more valuable than the rest? Have they not taken the time to enhance the work with a more appropriate title?

I have gone through my own naming evolutions. Displaced did not start off with that title. At first, it was titled Nova Scotia. Then, New Scotland. That stuck for a while until East of Ordinary felt right. Finally, I settled on Displaced. This transformation happened over two years. And it was a result of my not initially taking the time to reflect on my own work.

It was so easy to just call it Nova Scotia. It seemed fitting. I mean, the pictures were taken there, right? That should work, right? Then, I thought, naaah, needs to be more original, more unusual sounding. So, I decided to change it to the English translation from the Latin Nova Scotia—New Scotland. Perfecto! That should do it! Then, the more I sat with that name, the more I thought, Am I referencing something here? Is this in some way talking about what is new, rebirth? What about Old Scotland? Is that a part of this? The answers were not pleasant realizations. Back to the naming board. I started looking for phrases or words used particularly in or about Nova Scotia. That’s when I found the phrase, East of Ordinary, which was a local phrase used to describe Cape Breton Island. Done! It was poetic, it was descriptive of the location, it was personal to the place. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Again. It wasn’t about me, or the work. It was still all about the place. I couldn’t get past naming this work based on the subject’s location.

I was stuck.

It wasn’t until a year later, when I started working on the book, and I combined Displaced: Part II with Part I that I realized, this isn’t about Nova Scotia, really. It’s about me, what I was going through at the time, and about the breakup of my marriage. It was about being lost and directionless. And the title needed to reflect that.

Displaced. Bingo. That was it. And it has felt right since then.

So what can you do if you’re stuck? I suggest the following:

I feel strongly that this is a missed opportunity for us to not only communicate more clearly, but to seduce potential followers/buyers into wondering exactly comprises that work titled Sound of Summer Running…

I think that the larger and more useful question is actually about communication in general, and what methods I’m using to communicate with galleries and collectors. So, I thought I’d give you my impressions of what’s working, what isn’t, as well as my general philosophy about getting exposure.

The first thing to understand is that there are communication tiers—levels of messaging targeting different groups that are used to take advantage of specific forums. The second thing to realize is that with all the options now available for gaining information, everyone seems to have a personal preference, so while one set of followers might only look at what you post on Facebook, there are others that will only follow your twitter feed, and yet others who will only read your blog.

The tiers that I have been using include:

1. Web Site: www.laurenhenkin.com
The web site today seems to be losing a bit of it’s power as a tool for communicating. Of all the tools I will describe below, my web site is the one that is visited the least frequently, and I suspect this would be true for many people’s sites. I believe the reason is because I use it as a final showcase for all that is “perfect” in my work. It is a place to view final portfolios, my updated cv, recent announcements that might include prestigious competition placements or reviews. The information may change there once a month for small updates, and as infrequently as once every four months for a major addition like a new book or portfolio. With the advantage of one-stop-shopping for information on sites like Facebook, the likelihood of someone returning to your web site over and over again is unlikely, so understand that, and reserve it for your best stuff.

2. Email Campaigns
In terms of effectiveness, the email campaigns that I send out with the help of Constant Contact are by far, the most useful tool for communicating a specific message. The list of about 500 names that I have generated over years is extremely targeted, so there is usually a large viewing rate, usually between 60-70%. This is the only method that I use that comes directly to someone’s doorstep so to speak, so I think it probably feels more personal than something that might be posted on Facebook or Twitter. I will usually send 1 or 2 of these per month. I wouldn’t recommend more than that as you might irritate some people on your mailing list… less than that and you start to lose touch. Like the web site, these are “quality” messages, meaning, the information being conveyed should be important… a new portfolio, a competition win, a new show, a new review, etc. In a way, because you are invading someone’s e-mail box with these, you should be sensitive to that and make sure that what you’re saying is worthy. Some e-mail campaigns I’ve sent in the past include the following:

3. Blog: www.laurenhenkinblog.com
I started this blog without really knowing what I was going to be writing about, or how frequently I would be posting. I have enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, and have found it fascinating to track who is following this method of communication and why. While my web site might be dedicated to
“final” work, the blog has been an opportunity to explain works in progress, and to expand on why I’m doing the things I am, what inspires me, and to even ask for help. It is a great forum for explaining things in detail, and to expand on my working methods. Over time, I realized that this second tier seems to be primarily read by the 40+ crowd. This shouldn’t be too surprising considering the ever-decreasing attention spans of our youth. Those who usually respond to what I’ve posted, write quite a bit… it’s not the 1 or 2 lines I might get back from an e-mail announcement. That may in part be to the more lengthy messages that I am broadcasting, but I find it an interesting thing to note, especially if you’re looking for real feedback… My blog gets on average 3 times the number of hits as my web site and Facebook page, so in terms of spreading a message, this is vital.

4. Facebook: www.facebook.com/laurenhenkinphotography
Ok, this is the one I get questions about the most… To come to any real conclusions about the value of using Facebook for networking, to me, is premature. I signed on about 2 years ago, but I’ve only been using it for marketing for about 1 year. The hardest part for me about Facebook is that you really don’t know who is looking at what you’re posting, how often they’re looking, and if anything else beyond that initial read is happening. But… it is a great way to send out small messages frequently and to a wide audience—for free. It’s a perfect place to talk about smaller accomplishments like participating in a group or juried show, collaborations happening, even applying for a residency. The most critical part is that you have to post often, and with new information. It also seems to be a wonderful place to gather a more international audience. I know when my work went up on Urbanautica.com, I got a lot more fans from locations outside the US. People want to see that things are happening, and that you’re actively working. Nothing upsets me more than going to a friend’s website and seeing that nothing has been added since 2006. In my view, the biggest question mark for a gallery is not whether what you’re presenting is good work, but rather, Will this artist continue to produce good work? You need to convince them that the one brilliant body of work will feed into others. By communicating your progress, by any methods, you will be reassuring galleries and collectors that you are here to stay, your good work will continue, and that they can take a chance on you…

5. Twitter: www.twitter.com/laurenhenkin
For me, Twitter is the lowest tier. I just don’t have the time, energy or desire to post something on it more than maybe twice a day. That’s not to say it isn’t a good way of communicating. I think it’s perfect for quick messages like reminders of upcoming events, publication notices, even recommendations of shows or work. I know people that use it all the time, and I wonder what the results have been for them. I will say this, of all these methods, Twitter seems to draw the most people that I have never interacted with. I hardly recognize the people following my Twitter feed. While I don’t necessarily know what the implications of that are, I think it’s important to note. While it may seem overwhelming to have to deal with all these methods, one thing that helps is to link them together. So, for example, when I post on my blog or Facebook, a notification automatically goes out on Twitter, so there is some effort saved there.

In summary, the most important thing to do, when starting, is gather as many targeted names as you can. You want your mailing list to be effective and to do that, you’ll have to build it slowly, event by event, contact by contact. A lot of what is exciting about social media is that it’s new and therefore the possibilities for what may happen from it are unknown. A lot of the successes I’ve had have been through trial and error, just trying something and evaluating what has happened from the effort. I think that most people talk themselves out of doing new things and a big unknown loss is the result. So, I would encourage you all to experiment, find what methods work for you and your lifestyle, and then just work that until you get the results you want.

If you have more questions on this, please feel free to send them my way…

Hope this is helpful!

To celebrate, I want to invite you all to a party in my new space on Mississippi Avenue. The party will be a combination of the following: Displaced book release, new studio space, and general celebration. It’s been a year and a half since I moved to Portland and I want to enjoy feeling at home somewhere again, the completion of the book, and closing a chapter in my life. I finally, after years, feel ready to smile again, and I’d like all of the wonderful people I’ve met in Portland to be there to see it.

The evening will also be a special night because I will have my niece Jamie staying with me for a few weeks. She’s my oldest niece, and I’m very proud of her. She’s an excellent event planner and she’ll be my assistant in party planning! I can’t wait to show her off.

I’ve also decided to attempt (if I can pull it together in time) to have a raffle at the party. I am in the process of developing a new book, title either to be Resting Place or Place of Rest (any preference?) and I will be giving away a copy of that book which will produced in the next few months. I also hope to get some of my friends at ProPhoto Supply and Framing Resource to pitch in some items. If you have any ideas or suggestions for raffle items, I’d be appreciative hearing them. I’ve never done an event like this before, in fact I’ve never done anything even close to this before, so I would be thankful for any your help. The purpose for the raffle is to raise money for a trip I want to take this fall with Kirsten Rian who has become one of my closest friends, a soul sister. She is a brilliant writer and poet. She also is an independent photography curator and has a keen sense for sculpting portfolios. Anyway, I was at her house a few weekends ago, and she said that we really should collaborate on something. She mentioned an idea that she had for a topic she wanted to write about. I said that I had always wanted to photograph a farm. The two ideas melded perfectly. And we looked at each and knew, this could be a really good project. We both have clear visions about what we like and don’t like and we both walked away excited and energized. This project has to happen. She’s also been trying to convince me to get on a plane to go to Maine where we want to do the work. In case I haven’t mentioned it before, Maine is where my soul is. It is my place of rest. When I’m there I feel at peace. I want to go and photograph a farm for two weeks and she wants to go and write about it. It will be a perfect project. I haven’t felt so strongly about a body of work in so long, if ever. The raffle, if it could raise a decent amount of money could pay for both of us to get out there. In November, it will have been 10 years since I’ve been on an airplane. It is time for me to let go, and lay to rest a lot of the fears I’ve had—about life, about death, about being alone. And I feel incredibly lucky that Kirsten wants to be there to help me unclench my fists.

I plan to show prints as well as the books at the event and I’m going to take the plunge and install some track lighting in my studio. I miss having prints on the walls and I want to be surrounded by them. The track lighting is expensive, but it was part of the long term plan for Vela Noche, so I’m going to leap and just stop thinking about it constantly. I’ve been obsessing about money all the time lately. Mostly, I think, because of all the projects that fill my mind all day. Is it wrong, to simply want to bring beauty into the world as a profession? Could someone pay me to do that? There are three people’s projects that I can think of that I’d love to publish. The only thing stopping me is money. So, I’m formally writing a business plan for Vela Noche. I really need to get a loan and get it off the ground. Again, massive panic has stopped that from happening too, although with the writing, with the plan to follow, I think it will be a little easier. I come from a family of entrepreneurs… I can’t help it, it’s in my blood.

I wish it didn’t cost so much to be a photographer. I wish I could add up every dollar I’ve spent on this passion. I think I’d be scared to see the total actually. I’ve got a show coming up at Marylhurst University in July. It’s a solo show, in a fairly large space. It could probably hold 20 prints. But I won’t show that many. Not because I don’t want to, or because there isn’t enough to show, but because I simply don’t have the money to frame that many pieces. And who does? I have found a wonderful framer in Portland, Framing Resources over on SE Stark and 13th. They’re wonderful, the best framers I’ve ever worked with. They give me discounts, they try to make it as affordable for me as possible. But hey, whenever you’re doing 15 of anything, it’s bound to add up. I was thinking today that someone needs to start a rental framing non-profit for artists. So, here’s how it would work, you could go to the website and see a picture of what frames were available to borrow, what the sizes were, etc. Then you could reserve and borrow them for a month or however long you’d need them. I’m serious about this, how amazing would that be? There would be no mats in the frames, just the frame itself and glass. You would still have to have a mat made, but think of the cost savings. It would be amazing. I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago who had a gallery call to ask for more of his prints. He had to tell them that he literally couldn’t afford to send any more because he couldn’t afford to frame. God that makes me sad and upset. To think of how hard it is to get to a point where you have beautiful pictures, where you can print beautiful prints, where you can find a gallery wanting to sell your work, and then having to turn them down because you can’t figure out a way to pay to put some wood and glass around the print. If anyone is seriously interested in starting some kind of Artist’s Frame Exchange (that works doesn’t it!), I would do whatever I could to help move it along. Man, that would make me happy, to save artists the 1-3K cost of framing for a solo show.

So… back to the event. Here are the details.

Location
My Studio
4039 N Mississippi Avenue, Suite 202
Portland, OR 97227

Date
Saturday, June 26th

Time
6-9pm

Food and drinks will be served.

If you can’t make it, but would still like to make a donation for my trip to Maine, I will be posting the project on Kickstarter.com soon and I will post it here as well. Any little bit will help.

I should also mention that 10% of the book and print sales from the evening will be given to Newspace Center for Photography as a donation.

I hope you all will come and celebrate with me and the Portland photographic community.

1 more thing! I’m looking for an intern to work in my studio with me one day a week to help mostly with marketing efforts. If you know of anyone responsible, professional, organized and proactive, have them send me a resume. Thanks!

More soon…

Displaced Book. © Lauren Henkin. All rights reserved.

Displaced Book. © Lauren Henkin. All rights reserved.

Displaced Book. © Lauren Henkin. All rights reserved.