New York Diary: Marie Claire, More Magazine, Fitness Magazine, NBC

Monday November 26th, 2012

by Maria Luci

Looking back, we probably should have expected that driving in New York shortly after a hurricane would be problematic, but on November 15, Paul and I drove in for portfolio reviews blissfully unaware of the traffic horrors awaiting us. Things were going smoothly until we started seeing signs directing us past the Lincoln Tunnel, then the bridges. Eventually, we had to enter Manhattan through The Holland Tunnel. This took us over an hour and we found ourselves rushing to our first meeting (even though we left quite early in the morning!). But luck was on our side and we were shaking hands with Marie Claire photo editors Ashley and Lizzy right on time.

The Marie Claire review. From left: Lizzy, Ashley and Maria

Having visited Marie Claire two years ago, we knew they prefer seeing reportage and non-LA/NY based shooters. With that in mind, we showed the work of our documentary photographers Beth Rooney, Eli Meir Kaplan and Radhika Chalasani—all of whom got great responses from Ashley and Lizzy. Eli was a particular favorite, especially his adorable pony series.

One of Eli Meir Kaplan’s pony photos.

Eli Meir Kaplan’s portfolio video:

And just in case, we also brought a few celeb/portrait/fashion shooters from cities large and small. Of these books, Jeremy Deputat‘s iPad was a top pick. They were especially happy to learn that he’s based in Detroit—which is not always the easiest place to find amazing celebrity photographers.

View from Marie Claire’s conference room.

We packed up the car and moved at a crawl to More Magazine. Luckily, we made it into the Meredith building just in time to meet More‘s photography director, Natasha Lunn, and three members of the photo department. Unlike Marie Claire, this group was happy to see lots of fashion and celebrity work, “oohing and awing” over Monica Stevenson, Samantha Wolov, Austin Hargrave and Jodi Jones‘ books.

The More Magazine review. Quite the stylish group!

We had a good visit at More, and they were extremely pleased with the selection of work. And when they found out our next meeting was across the hall at Fitness Magazine they ran and grabbed the FM photo editor Karina. That way, we didn’t have to lug all the books across the building. Thanks, More ladies!

Samantha Wolov’s portfolio video:

Paul and I sat down with Karina who was looking for (no surprise) sports and fitness work, along with still life and fashion. She said they’re moving away from happy-go-lucky women working out on seamless backdrops, and moving towards more “realistic” photos of athletes excercising on location. With that in mind, we showed the fitness work of Nick Hall and Kevin Winzeler, who were both well received. She also loved David Arky‘s still life and Christopher Shane‘s lifestyle photography.

Kevin Winzeler’s portfolio video:

After thanking Katrina for her time and presenting her with a highly sought-after WM t-shirt, we rushed to the car for our last meeting: NBC. Seeing that we wouldn’t arrive on time if we had to park, I dropped Paul in front of 75 Rockefeller Center (their temporary office) with a giant case of portfolios. He made a mad dash into the building where he was asked by an employee if he was there for the casting. Personally, I might have dropped the case and played along, but Paul declined. Finally, he met up with NBC’s photo coordinator and director of photography.

While Paul was showing books to NBC, I drove around in circles and took some photos of Radio City Music Hall…

Right off the bat they asked Paul for recommendations for photographers in Atlanta, which he was happy to provide. Of the books on hand, they particularly enjoyed Austin Hargrave, Jeremy Deptutat, Stephanie Diani and Winnie Au‘s work. They were also intrigued to hear that we can handle production as well as stock requests.

Stephanie Diani’s portfolio video:

After looking through the books and learning all about Wonderful Machine, the NBC meeting wrapped and Paul met me outside the building. We breathed a sigh of relief, knowing we’d made it through all four meetings, even with the horrendous traffic. Victorious, we headed to our last stop of the day, a happy hour at The Stag’s Head.

From left: Axel Dupeux, Gil Lavi, Paul, Maria, Stephanie Diani, Tim, Annie Tritt

There, we sipped on a couple well-deserved beers with WM photographers Annie Tritt, Axel Dupeux, Gil Lavi, Stephenie Diani and her husband Tim. It was a fun time, with lots of laughs—especially from Axel and Gil, who could hack it as a comedy duo, if they ever tire of photography. Eventually, we had to call it a night since we needed to drive back to Philly. We said our goodbyes and jumped in the car to spend another hour fighting to get out of the city. I’ll tell you one thing, I’ve never been so happy to be in New Jersey in my entire life… Until next time, New York!

Publicis, Esquire and Marie Claire Portfolio Showings

Wednesday February 3rd, 2010

We’re fresh on the heels from a New York portfolio visit with Publicis, Esquire and Marie Claire. Philadelphia (where we’re headquartered) is actually close enough that we can easily do a long day and come back in time for dinner – though we usually stay for drinks with clients or photographers.

Our photo editor Sean and producer Amanda (4th from right below) showed about 20 books at Publicis New York, known for their CITI, Pepto Bismol, Vick’s and other P&G print ads, not to mention a host of tv work. Unusual for our typical portfolio breakfasts, we got to use their pool table (though no games broke out, unfortunately).

We met about 25 creatives, and here’s a sampling of portfolios that stood out to them. Starting with Saverio Truglia in Chicago:

An art buyer mentioned that she likes seeing an “index page” of  tearsheets at the back of portfolios, just before serendipitously finding exactly that at the back of Brian Kuhlmann‘s book:

Other art buyers emphasized how Proctor & Gamble likes to work with very bright and clean images, both still life and lifestyle.

A creative director took a liking to Cody Hamilton’s image of the break dancing plush animals. Here’s the Austin shooter’s book:

After a quick lunch, the afternoon presented us with embassy-esque security at the Hearst Building on 57^th St. After braving the freight elevator and getting a glimpse of the basement, we finally made it to Esquire and met with one of their photo coordinators for a great in-depth conversation.

She explained that they tend to look for strong conceptual still-life work, and interesting environmental portraiture. She was excited about their Augmented Reality issue a few months ago, and we talked about how with our Multimedia page we’re now marketing our photographers who are doing motion and directing work outside of still photography. She had no particular pet peeves when it comes to portfolios, but she did emphasize how important it is to have a tight edit: “I’d rather see a thin little book with great work!”

She was fond of Adam Voorhes’ still life work (we blogged about his portfolio video a few weeks ago), amongst others.

Onwards (and upwards: literally, they’re in the same building upstairs), we dropped-by Marie Claire and felt like we’d just stepped into The Devil Wears Prada. We met with one of their photo editors, who explained how their “What I Like About Me” is a great fit for Wonderful Machine photographers since they shoot all over the country. “I think a lot of your photographers have an aesthetic that would work well with us,” she said.

She particularly liked Alexa Miller’s work, who is based in Salt Lake City: “She really conveys a positive, happy attitude with her work, and that fits well with a lot of our content.” Judge for yourself:

And we ended our day with a celebrity sighting of Puff Daddy/P. Diddy, so what more can you ask for?

-Neil Binkley and Amanda Hanley