Instagram is the new Blog

My blog is now a time capsule. From 2005, to a wavering heart beat in 2021… it has met it’s endgame: Instagram. After blogging for over 15yrs, the once wild frontier of the internet has turned into a more streamlined highway of content. I’ve been struggling with this transition because of those last few words in the previous sentence. I’m more of a country backroads kinda guy. There is something beautiful about a vast sandbox of diverse websites across the world, however, the ability to navigate that world was cumbersome. This may not age well, but for now I believe Instagram is a great platform to showcase photography quickly and efficiently… especially when practically everybody has a computer in their pocket now. Back when I was an Art Director scouring the Frontier-Before-Facebook, Instagram would have been a DREAM. As unromantic as it may sound, one is able to quickly see the style and personality of a photographer with just a few swipes. Instagram is impossible to ignore as a photographer, and at the end of the day it’s a constantly evolving minimal elegant solution for sharing photography that has been around since 2010… which is basically a century in internet years.

2018 LEGO Promo Mailer

Once a year, I send out personalized promotional mailers to current and prospective clients. The first time I gave it a go, back in 2010, they were an instant hit with not only the recipients, but within the photography community as well. Adding a personal touch such as a hand-written note, and piecing together a unique package raises more eyebrows than a basic 5×7″ postcard to say the least. Considering many of the people I do business with are extremely busy and surrounded by some of the most creative and innovative people in the world, this is my trojan horse.

Handmade 2014 Promo Mailer

Nearly 4 years have passed since my previous mailer. And let me tell you, a LOT has happened since then. My photography has matured, received more work, and made connections with bigger clients such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Pepsi, KFC, Porsche, STA-BIL, Harley-Davidson, etc. And now, I felt the time has come to accumulate my latest work and show it off… but if you know me, I don’t do simple.

Pepsi Max 2014 NASCAR Shoot

I love shooting cars, and I LOVE shooting people… So combine the 2 with a 900hp racecar and a *slightly* well-known multi-championship NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, and you have a very happy Clint. Pepsi has been on fire recently with their brilliant Disguise campaign… Basically dressing up famous athletes as regulars and surprising the unlucky victims. Uncle Drew and Test Drive 2 went viral instantly, for good reason!

Simple product photography setup – D2 Racing

1 floor
1 camera (and a lens helps)
2 alienbees
2 softboxes
2 pieces of white board
= results you see below

Growing up in my high school and college days, I was HUGE (massive) into cars. So much that I started a car club when I was 15. The legal age for a driver’s license in SC used to be 15 (insurance companies get confused about that). During that time I made a very good friend who is the North American distributor of D2 Racing, which is primarily a performance suspension parts manufacturer.

“So… did your mailers work?”

I’ve noticed a trend among the tip-top commercial photographers… minus a handful (Joey L, Nick Saglimbeni, Chase Jarvis, Zack Arias), most have a polished straight-laced persona that is unwavering no matter how big a gig they get, or what awards/feature they’re offered. Will I get jaded after I land my 50th job with Reebok or Atlantic Records? Hopefully I can tell you one day, but the answer to that will most certainly be HELL NO! Back to the question in the title, maybe this will answer the quizzing inquisitors; I’m featured in this months PDN magazine!!! (can you sense the excitement?!?) No, this doesn’t mean I instantly got 20 jobs the next day from the mailers, but YES I got a lot of replies from them, and that builds a solid bridge to future jobs.