What Does your Portfolio Say about You?

All creative artists either have or need a portfolio of some sort, so this post does not only apply to models or photographers.

• Do you have a printed portfolio?
• Do you have a business card, postcards, mailers, brochures,  comp card, example portfolio, folio or show reel on CD or DVD, to anything to leave behind for reference?
• Do you have a website which showcases your work?
• Or does your portfolio only exist on Modelling/photographer sites such as Starnow, or ModelMayhem or any of those similar sites.
• Or, better than nothing (almost), are you one of those Facebook only models, photographers, artists?

It seems that portfolios broadly fall into one of four categories:

1. Full Steam Ahead: those which show of a definite individual style, creative, tightly edited, technically excellent, and highly focused on the artist and future development. The product for sale or hire is you.
2. Steady as She Goes: those which are varied, and confident, but still showing creativity and untapped potential, professional and competent in tackling all assignments made available.
3. At Moorings, in Ballast: the general majority which show a limited range , low to average quality, and exhibit a sameness with so many other portfolios: no challenges attitude, just give me more of the same thankyou.
4. Under Tow to the Breaker’s Yard: those who spring about in all directions, chase trends, follow every piece of poor advice and bad information, worship false gurus, jump at every casting call which promises that “this will be great for your portfolio”

Amongst these broad categories only Category number One shows any understanding of the proper purpose of a portfolio to an artist:
Portfolios are not meant to document the past: they are to represent what you want to achieve in the future.
Family and friends look at a portfolio to feel proud of what has been accomplished: an industry professional looks at a portfolio to ascertain just how well your individuality, personality, creativity,knowledge, ability technique, professionalism and flair will be able to make his future project the best it can be, and to single you out from all the other portfolios he will be looking at in relation to enhancing his own image and reputation.
So take a second look at your portfolio, or when you are assembling your first portfolio, (as the case may be) look objectively at every image you wish to include, not as an artist, not as a photographer, and not as a model but as a prospective client, a future employer of your skills, as a prospective buyer of your services.

1. Does your portfolio tell prospects what you do – the subjects you cover well and how you do it with effective creativity, technique and individual style?
2. Do your visuals have marketability? Are they saleable?
3. Are the images geared to specific markets? Specific clients? Or able to fill an existing or niche need?
4. Is your book well edited and do the images have a relationship to one another?
5. Do the images flow well as the viewer progresses through your portfolio?
6. Does your folio “sell” you, your abilities, your creativity and your individual style?

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Time to do some thinking...

Spare a little time for some thought...

With the new financial year looming, and Crooning Joe´s extreme austerity budget delivered, and its real terror beginning to become apparent, I have been reviewing my fees and prices structure for the next year or so.

It has also proven a great opportunity to check out the ¨opposition¨ as their websites, or more accurately their Facebook ¨Business¨ pages are totally unavoidable.

These newly set up FauxPro businesses all seem to have the same things in common, including almost identical photographs, mainly consisting of low/no budget weddings, pregnant bellies, babies, kids, and family goups; graceless girls awkwardly posed, while dreams of making it as a supermodel dance behind meaningless stares; miles of oversaturated landscapes and sunsets, and subjectless panographs ..

Apart from lowering the value of photography for everyone, and acclimatising the general public to the belief that ¨Professional¨ photography is nothing but artless snapshots, are these newcomers really ¨competition¨ in any way, shape or form?

Navigating Facebook pages are a challenge at the best of times, and It is quite a feat to first of all wade through the plethora of self designed ¨Discount Vouchers¨, but eventually you can find what they actually seem to charge.

Judging from these published rates and fees, viewed beside the photographic examples, the majority seem to be squarely targetting the lowest rung of the market, that is the people who do not own a smartphone and are therefore unable to better the efforts of these ¨professionals¨ by taking a selfie.

After due consideration and evaluation of their business practices I am sure, (???) the magic and mystical number they arrive at ...almost universally without exception...seems to be $50 for a three hour session.

Extrapolating from this figure, and assuming that:

• the long accepted professional practice that for each hour of shooting an equal time is spent on pre and postproduction work,

• and allowing for the maximum number of shoots that can be physically fitted within the limited time of one week;

it works out they they will be able to gross (Gross, without any of the overheads and maintainance of running a photography business)

LESS that the current Newstart Allowance or similar govt. provided dole options....(Current not future)

Well, the artist starving in their garrett is an important part of the mythology after all!

¨But I´ll easily make it up with print sales¨ ... Can´t you just hear all those sheep bleating.

• Given the ever declining lack of interest in prints since the digital era began,

• the infinitismal markup which can be added to even the lowest quality printing costs to maintain any sales at all,

• and the fact  that they give away any number between five and twenty full resolution digital files with every sales package they offer.

Yes I repeat Give away: so whether restricted by a usage license or not, customers are free to print off as many copies of each pic as they want. 

These free digital files in hand , a quick trip to the local variety store photo booth will get them 10 x 8´s at the phenomenal price of : ...wait for it....$2.50 each.

Doh!


So not only are these FauxPros devaluing the work of all photographers in general, they place absolutely no value whatsoever on their own work.

Which in many cases seems quite appropriate.

However amongst the mileu there is an occassional tyro and all too often misguided photographer who shows enough talent and determination to place them above all those others who think that calling themselves a ¨Professional Photographer ¨would be a lot more ¨fun¨ than getting themselves a ¨real job¨.

To those occassional few the best advice would be to forget photography for at least three months:
- do even the most basic of business courses,
- research, and evaluate your skills, interests and strengths
- learn how to market those attributes effectively to the right audience,
- actively pursue a photographic niche
- formulate a business plan which would ensure that your business was actually able to maintain itself (and you) as a business...
- make an actual effort at improving yourself and your photography,


and then instead of aspiring to the already bulging ranks of the FauxPro

... I am sure you would be welcomed into the fold of Professional Photographer



Remember, that all photographs accompanying this blog are Copyright (All Rights Reserved) and may not be used for any purpose whatsoever without written permission from the photographer.

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