Digital Photography - Portfolios

http://froknowsphoto.com/digital-photography-tip/

Super Secret Project time again, this is where I give you digital photography tips that will help you grow as a photographer. This week I wanted to talk about the importance of having a portfolio. Your portfolio be it online or printed out is extremely important. In fact its one of the most important things for a photographer to have. How else would someone know what your work is like and decide to hire you?

What is amazing about photography is you let your work speak for itself many times, a resume is just that, a piece of paper that doesn't fully represent what you do. A degree is great to have but that does't mean you are better than someone who doesn't have one. It all comes back to your portfolio, he has what the employer is looking for will get the job. I also have an Ipad which is great for showing images and many other things. But there is still something to be said for having a physical photo in your hands, the look the feel of a real print. Sure the Ipad is cool and looks pretty good but your not turning the pages. I love my work to stand out when someone see's it, I like larger prints and when I hand someone a book that has 12×18 full frame prints in it they go wow!!

We are always building our portfolios, they are always changing, taking images out putting images in. I personally have 5 or 6 different books showing different styles of work from sports to weddings to music. I bring out certain books for certain situations depending on the type of job I am trying to get.

In this digital age you need to have an online representation of your work but you can not rely on just that. You also need to have a physical representation of your work to hand to someone in person. There is still something to be said for physical prints of your photos, it just feels better and looks better when done properly.

I have many different ways of showcasing my portfolios in the past, from prints in a box to laminated images to Itoya portfolio books. About a year ago I started to look for a print company who made a photo book using real photographic prints. The problem I was running into was that most companies were doing what are called press prints. These are basically large photo copiers pumping out your pages on slightly thicker paper than normal. An example is a company like Blurb or Mpix Press. I looked at both companies along with some samples. As soon as I opened up the packages they sent me I knew that product wasn't for me. Thin pages, four color prints, I could see the dots of that made up the images, they just did not pop.

I finally came across AdoramaPix and their "high quality photo books". I read every piece of information I could in their FAQ section to determine if I should test out their product. I even called customer service a few times to get even clearer answers to my questions. I found out that the photos were all printed out on REAL photographic paper meaning they were not ink jet or press prints, they actually went through chemicals. I could put a horizontal image all the way across the page without having to cut the image in half and trying to line it up with the gutter like I had to do with other companies. AdoramaPix even has a very simple to use photo book building online software to walk you through the process of building your book.

What ultimately sold me on the book's from AdoramaPix was they were running a 50% off sale. Without ever seeing or touching a sample book, based solely on my research and one day left on the sale I placed an order for 6 books. When the books arrived I was more than pleased, they were exactly what I wanted to represent my work. Something nicer than just prints from the store, an actual photo book that makes people say wow when they see it.

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• digital
• photography
• tips
• nikon
• canon
• raw
• d3100
• d7000
• DSLR

[kmarriner]

Jared,

What size are the verticals coming out to? It looks like there is an inch border on the top and bottom, which would bring them to 10x6.67 or so? It is hard to tell from the video.

[JaredPolin]

@kmarriner that is pretty close, i do that because i do not crop my images and want to show them full frame.

[JaredPolin]

@kmarriner that is pretty close, i do that because i do not crop my images and want to show them full frame

[xbrandonolsonx]

I've seen a few other comments addressing the same thing but no response so I'll ask about it as well.. What do you think about electronic portfolios? Example the iPad? I have an iPad and I carry it in a nice leather case and it looks very professional and I have all of my respectable photos on it. Going to start a business in 2011 and I am thinking of using it as my portfolio. Pros? Cons? Your thoughts?

Thanks again Jared for everything you do for us!!!

[JaredPolin]

@xbrandonolsonx I have an ipad as well and it is good for showing work but there is still something to be said when you hand someone something physical in the book form that makes them go wow. When they open up to a two page spread and boom they get hit with a full frame full page print 12x18 that makes an impression. I have a whole gallery portfolio of work that is 30x45 and 40x60 real prints real freaking big.

[mipmipmipmipmip]

I have that Fisher-Price clock!!!!!

[JaredPolin]

@mipmipmipmipmip sweet. 

[TheOneWhoSux]

very very very good photo

[bogdan7alex]

i like your hair man. it's really cool :D

[kentuckyfriedmeat96]

How much would a book like that cost?

[zacharney1]

why don't you crop? i crop all the time for better composition, is that alright or is no cropping ever better?

[prmass1]

Thank for sharing! Good information the way it should be. Continue the good work.

[kmarriner]

@JaredPolin

I realize you don't crop, I don't either. I was just asking because in a 12x9 page I could drop them in at 8x12 but it wouldn't look goo with only the black showing on one edge, so I am trying to figure out how much border I should use.

[5Sportfreak5]

Hi Jared,

I've applied for Photography for college next year and I have to make a portfolio for the recruiters next month but I have no idea how. I've been told I should stick to one theme, but the problem is that I don't have a particular theme nor I have enough pictures of one theme to fill the book. I do a little bit of still life, macro, landscape, etc. and I was wondering if you think its okay if I included all different themes in the portfolio.

Your reply will be much appreciated!