Have you ever been limited by professional photo labs that don’t print “odd” sizes?

See how we helped Louisiana-based Danny Izzo — who photographs musical groups and Mardi Gras krewes — expand his options and serve his portrait clients well.

Ready for the Stage

Growing up in a family of musicians, Danny Izzo has been a professional musician, music teacher, band director, and choir director. When his heart turned to photography, it’s not a surprise that school music groups were among his first clients. But they also posed a unique problem: Their sheer size begged for a non-traditional print format.

Enter Red River Paper

Although portraits are often printed on standard-size 8” x 10” and 11” x 14” paper, Danny found those sizes to display more background and foreground than he wanted. And so, his company, Nouveau Photeau, developed a series of panoramas for these music makers. “The panorama eliminates [the problem],” Danny says. “Pro photo labs could not help because of the odd sizes, so we started printing our own using Red River Paper.”

Specifically, Danny prefers RRP’s 68lb. UltraPro Satin, which happens to be our top-selling brand for good reason. It looks and feels just like photo-lab satin with a lightly textured surface that breaks up reflections and minimizes fingerprints. The bold, brilliant white reproduces deep blacks and higher contrast, with a broader color spectrum and smoother tonal transitions.

“RRP provides paper that allows us to give our customers a great-looking product at a price that parents feel good about paying,” Danny adds.

See More of Danny Izzo’s Work

Danny’s website, Nouveau Photeau, showcases his individual and group portraits from the high school music world along with colorful Mardi Gras portraits and stunning architectural images of churches and cathedrals. His Instagram features portraits of families and furry friends. To learn how a simple “yes” began what became Danny’s longest-running professional relationship, read our Q&A below.

Enjoy our Q&A with Photographer Danny Izzo…

What year was your business founded and how did you get started?
I moved from Illinois to Louisiana and was teaching part-time to begin with. I started my photography business in 1989 and left teaching to run my studio full-time in 1995.

Tell us a little about what product or service your business offers.
We are primarily a portrait studio, but our portraits are mostly school-related or business/event-related. Our portraits also run the gamut from individual to small and large groups — sometimes very large groups.

What makes your business unique?
We photograph mostly school music groups, such as bands, orchestras, and choirs, as well as Mardi Gras groups. We photograph lots of school music groups on stage. Several years ago, we developed a series of panoramas for these groups because regular 8” x 10”, 11” x 14”, etc., just didn't look right — too much background and foreground. The panorama eliminates that. Pro photo labs could not help because of the odd sizes, so we started printing our own using Red River Paper.

Where do you source your raw materials from?
We buy most of our paper from Red River Paper. We printed the large marching band and the band on stage using RRP 68lb. UltraPro Satin. For another project, a large sign promoting bread, we used RRP Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag Big Sheets; it’s the same paper I use for the artists that we print for.

In what ways does the business reflect your own personality?
I started as a musician and music teacher. I’ve been a band and choir director. I come from a family of musicians. I know how directors think and act, allowing me to talk to them in their own “language.”

Who are your typical customers?
Parents of students in the music groups we photograph and the members of the Mardi Gras Krewes we work with every year.

What is the most interesting project you've encountered in the course of your work?
Mardi Gras balls are right up there, but probably the most interesting is a marching band competition we photograph. There are 36 bands in 15-minute intervals. We have to set up and photograph each band in that 15-minute time frame. It's quite the day.

What has Red River Paper done for your business? Is there a particular challenge Red River Paper has helped you overcome or a goal they helped you meet?
RRP provides paper that allows us to give our customers a great-looking product at a price that parents feel good about paying.

What do you appreciate most about Red River Paper's products/services?
Quality and service. Both are great with RRP.

Is there a special story or testimonial from one of your customers you'd like to share?
We work with several high schools in town. One is the original public high school, Lafayette High School, which hired a new band director in 1995. At the end of his first year, the band director asked if we would start photographing his band. I immediately said, “Yes.” The school has been a customer ever since and we now photograph several groups led by his former students. Although this band director retired in May, we have many customers because of him.

Last updated January 15, 2024

Original Publication Date: January 17, 2024

Article Last updated: January 17, 2024