After plotting the demise of the printed portfolio most of the summer in favor of a digital version I put the finishing wraps on my new beautiful 11×14 self-printed book earlier this month.  You didn’t read that incorrectly, I did a 180.  After a lot of tinkering and informal research I came to the conclusion that most of my clients weren’t going to get, or even especially like, my digital idea, that the presentation itself just wasn’t dynamic enough yet, and most of all trying to sell editors, ADs, and art buyers on my photography is job enough without adding a potentially vexing technology into the discussion.

So I created a print book, complete with new engraved covers, and it was just as tough and great of a process as I’ve recounted on this blog a couple of times.  But instead of turning my back on the digital version or putting it on the back burner to fight another day, I decided to make it a co-star in the form of custom USB flash drives that I’m giving away as my “leave behinds” to all of the fantastic people who have made time to see me.  I’m thinking about it as softening the ground for an eventual full-on move into digital, but at the very least it’s pretty cool to play with what is possible, and thus far the flash drives have been well-received.

Previously promising myself and my rep that I wasn’t going to present another portfolio with those awful poly plastic pages, I had little other choice than to go back to Epson (the 2880) and work with a fantastic, thick double-sided paper (Museo II 365).  The new Epson worked exceptionally well though the process is of course a massive pain (in the end I chose to punch holes, and score/fold each pages myself… not fun).  But I’m really proud and excited for the book and of course because I did the entire thing “in-house” I can update it at will.

The USB drives will be a constant process of tinkering and perfecting flash drives for each of my clients (one of the cool things about using digital).  Right now the drive contains multiple digital versions of the book (Quicktime formatted, self-playing movie, iPhone-ready version of movie, and a PDF version of the portfolio) as well as extras such as a digital Tearsheet book (another self-playing movie), links to websites, rep, blog, twitter/facebook and more.  Eventually the USB will include more behind the scenes and fun stuff that shows how and why I shoot.

One of the major reasons that I decided to stay away from the print book was of course cost, and absolutely this new book wasn’t cheap (though I saved a whole lot doing it myself, despite buying the new Epson).  But I just wasn’t ready to rely on a Blurb for my main portfolio presentation (though after the awards event for Photography Book Now I can definitely say that I’m impressed).  To me, as I’ve talked about before, photography is a luxury service and must be treated as such from a marketing standpoint.  Especially in a tough economic climate I need to stand apart and hopefully this book and selection of my work will do that.

Round 2 of the process is coming up fast as I re-configure the first editorial/portrait book seen above into more of a commercial/advertising presentation in time for my rep Leah to head into NYC.  I’m already dreading the scoring and folding, but art is supposed to be hard, no?  Any new or old clients reading this who are interested in seeing the new portfolio themselves… please give me or Leah a call or e-mail and let’s schedule a meeting!