I went to New York last week to show my portrait/landscape and Alebtong, Uganda work for the first time. The portrait/landscape work were sleeveless prints in an 11″x14″ landscape portfolio and the Alebtong, Uganda work were 8.5″x11″ prints in a small portfolio box.
Before leaving I scheduled meetings with 4 magazines, 1 photo agency, and 1 gallery. I had two good friends helping to bring together 3 of the meetings and I couldn’t be more thankful for their help. I believe the meetings were successful not only because I began showing my work in New York to creatives I want to work with but more importantly because I began building relationships. Good work is great but relationships are so important. I hear all the time about photographers who have had the same clients for 10+ years. I want my relationship with my clients to be like this.
After returning from New York I immediately began printing thank yous. These consisted of a printed image / brand logo on the front and hand-written note on the back with my contact info. Turn around time is always essential in my opinion because I want my clients to know I value our relationship and that a thank you should not come two weeks after we’ve seen each other. These are busy individuals and departments who are taking time to meet with a photographer they probably know little about but will ideally want to know more about upon meeting, and vice versa.
One hopes it’s mutually beneficial. The client gets a new photographer to work with who’s endlessly passionate about making photographs and the photographer continues to work, progress, and build a relationship. The relationship starts young and is always becoming stronger based on product delivered, trust, compassion, and work ethic.
If any photographers or creatives want to chime in on their thoughts, I’d be curious to hear them as I’m sure would others.
Mailing thank yous, Syracuse, New York, 2009
