Greeting Cards & the GCA
Getting my creative thinking cap on working with greeting card designers and publishers.
One of the first greeting card designers I worked with, Jill from Rocket 68. I loved this particular design of Jill’s and the resulting image. I was able to use a model Spitfire that my grandad made in the Avro factory during WWII as a prop, alongside silver sugar pearls to represent bullets. This card was one of Jill’s cards from her Boys Brigade range so no wonder it appealed to me!
Greeting cards are by their very nature a very emotive product, having lots of different meanings, themes and covering lots of different topics. The UK is a world leader in the field, and it is a deep-rooted part of our culture to send and receive cards.
This way of transmitting a feeling is even bucking the trend for moving to digital products, as discussed in this Guardian article ‘How Gen Z Saved the Greetings Card’. Quite aside from the primary reason that people love to receive a physical product with a loved one’s handwriting on, the article discusses aspects such as low-volume print runs that have been enabling smaller publishers to succeed. Designers, illustrators and artists contribute to the creativity seen within the field and I aim to do my bit by putting my thinking cap on when creating settings, styling and using props to create unique imagery.
I’ve been working with greeting card designers and publishers since the business was setup providing still-life photography (sometimes referred to as lifestyle photography) and unique template solutions. I’ve worked with lots of members of the Ladder Club and the Greeting Card Association and I've even written a guide on photographing cards, which is published in Progressive Greetings Online; How to Photograph Greetings Cards.
A group image taken for Katy of Gift Wild, showing just some of the industrial and organic props I have in my prop cupboard. Flat-lays are a really good way of showing a range and as they’re photographed from directly above they avoid any distortion of the cards. I love being in the woods and forests, and regularly collect new pine cones, leaves that I press, pieces of bark etc all to add authenticity and organic textures to my work.
The Greeting Card Association, commonly referred to as the GCA has been the voice of the industry since 1919 and is an independent not-for-profit organisation and works with members large and small to help them succeed through their various initiatives. The GCA also have other members including retailers, suppliers, trade fair organisers, and agents. Because of their knowledge, this makes them a real hub to seek out information for any designer or artist wishing to enter the field.
Here’s some information on the GCA website, of How to Get into the Greeting Card Industry.
A group image for artist Karen Hadjitofi of New Leaf Cards
I have an extensive prop store that can be used alongside your card ranges. This includes many different surfaces, backgrounds and individual props. I use professional lighting equipment and techniques that allow us to illuminate special foils and other finishes, whilst also picking up textures from card stocks. It also allows for consistency between individual cards which is very important when shooting an entire collection.
All images produced are covered by my standard copyright policy which allows you to crop and resize the image in any way they need. For further alterations, and to allow for inserting replacement artwork please ask about an extended license.
A slightly different style to a group image, slightly looser and more playful and a little bit more natural. Taken as part of a suite of images for Olivia Bell
Having worked extensively in graphic design before I do understand some of the complications with the printing process, and am very used to working with designers. The process begins by having a conversation about styling, content, and your requirements. All styling and setting is done in-house.
I’ve worked with Hannah Marchant Illustrates, Helen Russell Creations, Jo Scott, Perkins and Morley, Mrs Lovesy, Rocket 68 Design, Deckled Edge, New Leaf Cards, Seedlings Card & Gifts, and The Handcrafted Card Co. amongst many others. (links go to blog posts about those designers).
"Richard Bryan captured the special finishes we have on our greeting cards perfectly." Handcrafted Card Co.
"Richard interprets my ideas perfectly, & has a good understanding of creative industries." Helen Russell Creations
"Richard was very empathetic with what we were trying to achieve - the ambience of the images." Alff a Bet Cards
