Ackerman Gruber Images | Minneapolis Photographers » Business

A Few Things about your Photography Portfolio

Jenn Ackerman + Tim Gruber — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:51:14 +0000

After a lot of editing, toning, retoning, printing, reprinting, reordering(repeat a few more times for good measure) my print portfolio is finally finished. The beautiful or perhaps the ugly thing with a portfolio is that it’s never truly done. Your portfolio just like your mind will continue to grow and evolve. There’s a good chance the work you like today you’ll hate tomorrow.

I thought I’d share a few things about the process. Here are 11 random thoughts about the experience in no order. Anything I miss?

11 – Edit tight.
This should be a no-brainer, but it’s still a mistake we all make. Leave the audience wanting more. Show only your strongest work. Like they say you’re only as good as your weakest photo.

10 – Editing for print and the web are two different beasts.
The web is forgiving. It doesn’t mind if your image isn’t tack sharp at 100 dpi and 1000px wide it’s willing to forgive and forget. A lush sheet of matte paper isn’t nearly as understanding. That soft image that looks good on the web will do you no good in print. Laying out your pages for the web and print are also different. Your sequences and edit for the web and print may differ. In my print portfolio I have some pages comprised of four images with a full bleed image on the accompanying page something that doesn’t make sense on the web.

09 – Things change.
Don’t fret your portfolio will evolve and change over time. The important thing is to keep shooting and keep getting your work out there.

08 – Make it a musical score.
Your portfolio should have a rhythm. Most it importantly it needs to have soul. The question of what to include and exclude in your portfolio will haunt you. Trying to find the perfect melody for your body of work won’t be easy. One image out of place and it disrupts the whole show. Start strong and end strong but doesn’t mean you should load the middle of your book with empty calories.

07 – Step away.
Go for a walk. A run whatever just get away from your work for a bit and come back to it refreshed. You’ll see things when you come back that you completely overlooked when you were consumed with the edit.

06 – POD Book vs Screw post portfolio?
The first issue I had to tackle was whether I wanted a print on demand book like Blurb, WHCC, Asuka, etc or a screw post portfolio I’d print and assemble myself. For the longest time I was leaning towards a POD book for the production ease and the classic bound book appeal. I’d still like to try the WHCC book with hinged pages for a project. With time I saw that a screw post portfolio would be a much better fit for me. I had a few reasons for that with the biggest two being image quality control and easily changing the edit. I change the order/edit of my work as often as I shower, which would of made a blurb type book a PITA and more expensive over time. Everytime I’ve done a POD book I always seem to have a few problem images that are always printing dark or light, but never just right. Printing myself I was able to print multiple proofs until it looked perfect.

05 – The portfolio viewing experience.
Keep the manila folder full of creased prints at home. This should be common sense, but if you are a professional your presentation needs to look that way. People will only start respecting you and your work if you start respecting it first. Some questions you will want to ask yourself: What size is best for my work? What orentationion? For me that was a 11×14 book. Sleeves or no sleeves? I opted for no sleeves due to glare issues and the tatical feel of paper. Helps that I have my own printer so making new prints won’t be an issue. In short make sure your presentation highlights your work not detracts from it.

04 – Rules?
There are no rules. Take what I say and what anyone tells you with a grain of salt. A portfolio is a very personal thing. What works for me or others may not work for you. Sure there’s general guidelines you’d probably be wise to follow, but don’t be afraid to do your thing. If it works great if not you know what not to do next time.

03 – Don’t like what you see?
Not happy with the images in your portfolio? There’s only one person to hold accountable and only one way to fix it. Keep creating.

02 – You can’t please everyone
If you try to please everyone you’ll please no one including yourself. They may love it or they may hate it, but do yourself a favor and make every portfolio your FU portfolio.

01 – Your portfolio is you.
You are what you eat, but you’re also what you shoot. Most importantly though you are what you show. I’ve shot my share of sports in my life, but it’ll be the last thing you see my portfolio. This isn’t a time for peer pressure. Show me who you really are not what you think I want to see.

The benefits of a SEO friendly website for photographers

Tim Gruber — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:49:09 +0000

I learned an important lesson yesterday.

Having a decent SEO ranking on Google matters.

Seeing as I’m only in KY for the summer I haven’t given much thought to my SEO ranking among Kentucky photographers. I’ve always subscribed to the idea that it’s the work that matters most and still do.

Thanks to using WordPress and mainly the All in One SEO Pack most everything related to SEO on my site has taken care of itself.

Yesterday I landed a freelance gig because I had a decent SEO ranking on Google.

I’m shooting the assignment for a 1 million circulation magazine in Australia and the only reason I’m shooting it is because they found me through Google. I don’t say that to be boastful, but to establish the idea that some fairly decent sized publications do use Google as a way of finding people in a given region. Not all, but some.

There are photographers in this area who are way more qualified and talented than me, but through Google they can’t be found.

Ironically I rank right behind Jenn on the search for “Louisville photographer” who also uses WordPress to drive her website. As you see we don’t rank on the first or even the second page, but we do show up before any other editorial or reportage photographers in the area.

So if you haven’t yet make sure you make SEO a part of every new website you build. It may not lead to many assignments, but it only takes one or two to make it well worth your time.

Rob over at A Photo Editor had a great post recently about building SEO friendly websites. Check it out if you haven’t yet and while you’re there check out some of his new photo friendly websites.

What drives photographers and creatives

Freelancing and photography

Tim Gruber — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:20:25 +0000

This says it all:

Via: The Freelance Switch Add it to your RSS feed if you have even the slightest of idea of going freelance. The site is much broader than photography, but the same principales apply.

Freelance photography and self promotion

Tim Gruber — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:30:40 +0000

If you’re looking to enter the world of freelance photography or are already in that realm this post by art buyer Heather Morton is for you.

We work in a world of paradoxes and conundrums: Send an email blast vs. no one reads emails. Send a nice promo card vs. it will get chucked. Get face time with an AD or AB or PE vs. no one has any time to meet with you.

Every interaction that you and your work have with an agency is a potential to sell or unsell the experience of working with you, don’t let that go to waste.

Thinking of yourself as a brand

Tim Gruber — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 01:30:44 +0000

If you’re a freelancer or ever thought of going freelance you need to think of yourself as a brand and market yourself accordingly. Even if you’re not freelance you should be thinking about this stuff. This slideshow will get you on the right track:

How to bridge the distance between business strategy and design. The Brand Gap.
[slideshare id=28886&doc=the-brand-gap-14630&w=425]

via: The Business of Phototgraphy

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