Critique AdoramaPix Portfolio

[ChrisAdval]

12X9 Portfolio Med 2011 - AdoramaPix

Let me know what of you guys think of the portfolio, its an all purpose just to carry around at all times with me and first photo portfolio print. In the future I'll have my laptop for specific target demographics/clients and interviews.

Be honest, and constructive. And yes I know one or a few has clipping/cropping issue but I may or may not replace don't know yet I'm going to check all my photos available once I get home back from work (at work now).

Also random question about AdoramaPix, has anyone ever entered their contests? (http://forums.adoramapix.com/home)

[lonni]

Nice work, but i think you overlooked negative space. Quite a few of the portraits would have benefited from a blank page next to it to draw the eye and make it stand out. Some of them were feeling a bit crowded and i just skimmed along them with out looking propperly.

Also i did not see any information about your self. Your portfolio is a way to sell your self so give some info about why you shoot, the vision behind some of the images, your style etc.

Grab the person reading it with your personality as well as just images, most customers will choose a photographer emotionally, after images.

HTH

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by lonni

Nice work, but i think you overlooked negative space. Quite a few of the portraits would have benefited from a blank page next to it to draw the eye and make it stand out. Some of them were feeling a bit crowded and i just skimmed along them with out looking propperly.

Also i did not see any information about your self. Your portfolio is a way to sell your self so give some info about why you shoot, the vision behind some of the images, your style etc.

Grab the person reading it with your personality as well as just images, most customers will choose a photographer emotionally, after images.

HTH

Thanks a lot Lonni for the very helpful advice I'll work on that into my portfolio but when I say something about me what should I say what I already say on my public [bio] on my website?

[scootermcq]

Chris:

Some of the image have little things about them that bother me, but none that I would say it has to go. I am sure if you looked at my stuff, your comment would be the same. Like this, don't like that etc.

The one thing that jumped out at me when taking a quick look is that it is mostly the same models. You have that one fellow in for about half the portfolio. This makes it look like you have really only done about 3 or 4 shoots. You might want to keep your best 2 of each model and select some work with other models to show diversity and experience.

Overall, looks good.....

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by scootermcq

Chris:

Some of the image have little things about them that bother me, but none that I would say it has to go. I am sure if you looked at my stuff, your comment would be the same. Like this, don't like that etc.

The one thing that jumped out at me when taking a quick look is that it is mostly the same models. You have that one fellow in for about half the portfolio. This makes it look like you have really only done about 3 or 4 shoots. You might want to keep your best 2 of each model and select some work with other models to show diversity and experience.

Overall, looks good.....

Thanks, I totally agree, I wasn't thinking much about model diversity but the lighting mostly, scenery, etc...like my ability to use lighting high key/low key, headshots,editorial/fashion, etc. I do have more its just I felt these were the best and its been very hard to pick a weaker photo to increase the level of diversity.

[lonni]

Originally Posted by ChrisAdval

Thanks a lot Lonni for the very helpful advice I'll work on that into my portfolio but when I say something about me what should I say what I already say on my public [bio] on my website?

It depends on who you are aiming at, i do mainly commercial customers so i echose some of the most eye catching, or faveourite shots and explain a little about them, what te customer was after, how i created the image, why i included it etc, it inly needs to be a paragraph or two.

I get the most comments about one of my images it is a beautiful black and white side lit, disapearing into the shaddows, black bg image, you know the type, it just happems to be of a big glass dildo, very realistic looking too.

I explain in the paragraph how the customer aims their business at women and i photographed the whole collection for a catalogue in an artistic style to appeal to the demographic and that i get so many compliments on the image despite its subject. people like to read that sort of stuff.

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by lonni

It depends on who you are aiming at, i do mainly commercial customers so i echose some of the most eye catching, or faveourite shots and explain a little about them, what te customer was after, how i created the image, why i included it etc, it inly needs to be a paragraph or two.

I get the most comments about one of my images it is a beautiful black and white side lit, disapearing into the shaddows, black bg image, you know the type, it just happems to be of a big glass dildo, very realistic looking too.

I explain in the paragraph how the customer aims their business at women and i photographed the whole collection for a catalogue in an artistic style to appeal to the demographic and that i get so many compliments on the image despite its subject. people like to read that sort of stuff.

yea, thats not easy if I'm going print portfolio route... if you had very limited funds to having print portfolios, how would you build it? Would you build it to mass appeal for general all purpose or made to specific market appeal? That's tough when photo books are pretty expensive and they generally are the best eye catchers than binder portfolios (where the binder could allow me to customize it anyway I want for specific market viewing)... Would you think making my own 36pg general all purpose portfolio every year would benefit me?

I want to appeal to commercial/advertising, family portraits, and portfolio services, but mostly commercial/advertising clientele.

[lonni]

Blurb.com

Thay have great new trade and pocket size that can print colour now, from about $12 per book. and a glossy one that is not too bad a price.

also a nice folder or portfolio case with mounted or printed photos in pockets is also an option so you can just slide in what you need at the time.

You just got to be creative. Plus i always do mine just before tax time as they are tax deductable, technically they are promotion.

[ChrisAdval]

I'm strongly considering making a general all purpose 36-40 page photo book of my 2011 portfolio, of all best my work from model photography that was created (and released) in 2011 printed into 36-40 pages. Would be the best route? That would only cost me about $100 a year and make a yearly series of my portfolios and if I show it to anyone I can show my work from this X year and that X year, etc... like a volume.