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During the month of February 2022, I had the opportunity to work with New Orleans, LA-based photographer Lemar Arceneaux. When I first reviewed his profile and spoke with him, I thought Lemar’s portfolio was one of the most original of the photographers I have worked with so far so I was eager to collaborate with him.
Lemar specializes in portraits of musicians and social documentation of music festivals, so he wanted help creating a list of potential clients that lined up with his specialties. The purpose of the Custom List Build was to ultimately reach out to them to secure meetings so he reached out to Wonderful Machine to work on a Client Introductions consulting project.
As a photographer from New Orleans, Lemar is incredibly proud of his vibrant city. It’s the place where he first began to see and admire people in their natural forms of enjoyment. His photography focuses on portraying genuine human moments; portraits of natural gestures, dancing, singing, laughing and jumping. As part of his portfolio, this also translates to the work he has done in street fashion.
My career as an executive producer in media and performing arts has allowed me to work with advertising agencies, production companies, contemporary music festivals, theater, dance, and opera. When I spoke with Lemar, he instantly transported me back to the world of music festivals, a world that I am so passionate about as a music lover.
From our initial conversation, it was clear to me the kind of clients Lemar was looking for. He was interested in having a mix of brands, agencies, and publications on his prospect list in order to extend his current client roster. Within the brands he wanted me to focus on record labels and music festivals. We included clothing or accessory brands focused on street fashion, as well as clothing brands that highlight diverse cultures and use multiracial models. Agencies and publications would also fit a similar profile and Lemar recommended two great examples, SUNU Journal, and The Gentlewoman, so I used that as a guide when putting together his list.
Once we launched the email campaign, we received significant responses. The Gentlewoman publication responded to say that they would like to consider Lemar for the next edition which is for September this year. VP Records, a reggae music label, also responded saying that they thought Lemar’s work was fabulous and would get us in touch with their US team.
One response that Lemar and I were thrilled to receive was from an Amazon Studios & Music representative saying that he had grown up in Nola and was very excited to see Lemar’s work. He remarked that he “loves the work,” and would consider him for future projects. We also secured an appointment with the agency & production company Genero, and Lemar is now part of their team of photographers.
At the onset of working with Lemar, he showed his trust and gratitude each step of the way. He was very flattered when I sent him the copy I intended to use to pitch his work and replied:
Thank you for focusing your text on what is important to me.
Our efforts led to connections both abroad and close to home and, as a result, I think Lemar was very satisfied with the service we were able to provide.
Further Reading
Wonderful Machine: Expert Advice: Pitching Picture Stories to Magazines
Wonderful Machine: Expert Advice: Visual Identity for Photographers
Wonderful Machine: Marketing Mentor & Client Introductions: Brett Deering
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