Hal Banfield’s High-Impact Headlines
When I began working on an Email Marketing Campaign project with Los Angeles-based photographer Hal Banfield, he was at a pivotal moment in his creative career. After years of dancing professionally around the world, Hal transitioned into photography, bringing an innate understanding of movement and physical storytelling to his frames. By applying the technical precision of a performer to his portraiture and lifestyle imagery, Hal captures the tension and grace of the human body in motion.
Like many photographers entering the industry later in life, Hal faced a unique challenge: standing out in a saturated market and building long-term relationships with clients who connect with his perspective. Although he had already worked with notable publications and published a photo book that won an AACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Hal lacked the steady industry connections that often lead to recurring projects.
The cover of Hal’s photobook I am Dance.
After completing a year of our Marketing Partner service, Hal shifted to consistent email marketing. His goal was to establish a sustainable monthly email cadence that highlighted his work authentically, nurtured client relationships, and reinforced his unique creative voice.
Helping Photographers Build Visibility
With our email marketing campaign service, our marketing consultants send out a monthly email newsletter on behalf of our photographers. We pull together images, write copy, manage the mailing list, and craft a consistent, branded presentation that speaks to potential clients. This service allows photographers to maintain audience engagement while staying focused on creating their work.
As a consultant who has guided photographers through both introductory marketing and long-term audience engagement, I designed a plan that balanced Hal’s creative strengths with market needs. We started by establishing how Hal wants to be represented: his tone, values, and vision. For Hal, our first call served as a voice-mapping session. This is where I noted key phrases, descriptors, and stories he used to talk about his work. From there, our calls became an opportunity to explore new assignments, his creative process, and what made his work distinctive.
Editorial Calendar and Quarterly Plans
To keep campaigns consistent and manageable, Hal and I planned three months in advance. This structure offered flexibility for his shooting schedule while ensuring steady newsletter delivery. Each quarter, we reviewed new work, discussed themes, and identified narrative threads to make every campaign feel personal and intentional. Together, we created a running editorial calendar, aligning newsletters with cultural moments and industry events.
Hal had a well-developed mailing list he built over a full year of our Marketing Partner program and through participating in LA portfolio reviews. As a natural networker, he continually added new contacts from in-person meetings. Hal also collaborated with our senior designer, José Silva Jr., to create a polished emailer template. This gave his newsletters a cohesive visual identity that aligned with his website.
The landing page of Hal’s website.
When writing copy, I focused on how Hal’s dance background, personal story, and commitment to diverse representation informed his work. His identity plays a crucial role in the trust he builds with the people he photographs. My goal was to make sure the newsletters reflected that.
Strong Engagement and New Opportunities
We paid close attention to analytics each month. Early on, long-form newsletters weren’t performing as well as we had hoped, so we pivoted to a shorter, more digestible messaging. Throughout the year, Hal’s campaigns consistently achieved 40–50% open rates and 15% click-through rates. Together, we developed an easy, productive rhythm, and Hal was always excited about the themes and trusted the direction we were taking.
One of the most impactful newsletters we built was titled “Why Representation Matters in Visual Storytelling.” It referenced current national campaigns generating cultural buzz, discussed the importance of diversity in casting, and featured a plus-size model as the hero image.
An impactful email campaign.
The response was immediate. A potential client reached out to say how refreshing the imagery felt and invited Hal to meet for coffee, specifically noting the authenticity of the newsletter as the reason it resonated with her.
“Hi Hal,
I just wanted to drop you a note and mention how much I appreciated your promo email. It caught my eye because the photo at the top showed a beautiful person who is not usually featured in a photographer’s cold email. So, I read it.
I have spent over 30 years working as a stills and footage research/clearance, with a niche carved out in the advertising world. Although I’m just a white lady, I was always trying to diversify the world-view of the client and agency, and am very proud of our success in that endeavor. I wanted to reach out and tell you that, at least for me, your email was successful.
If you ever want to grab a coffee, I would love to meet you and learn more about your story. I love to meet like-minded folks, and I love to introduce people to each other. Let me know if this appeals at all.”A photo researcher from Nickerson Research
Hal’s case illustrates how important it is for photographers to embrace their identity, story, and values, not just their portfolio. Clients seek work that feels personal and genuine. Hal’s willingness to center who he is in his marketing became one of his strongest assets.
The Long Game of Marketing
One of the most meaningful takeaways for Hal was understanding the long-term nature of email marketing. Even if someone doesn’t respond immediately, every newsletter contributes to relationship-building over time.
Overall, working with Hal was an incredibly rewarding experience. His background, openness, and passion made the collaboration inspiring and effective. The collaboration succeeded by establishing a consistent email cadence that showcased Hal’s voice and story. After a year of building this momentum together, Hal noted the impact the outreach has had on his business.
“Thank you, Liz, for your partnership over the past year. We’ve made some real traction with the consistent monthly outreach, and I intend on keeping it going!”
This article was originally published on Wonderful Machine.
