How do YOU present your "disposable" portfolios?

[Rajah Sulayman]

So far I've kept two versions of my main 40-image* portfolio: one on my iPad to have on hand at all times, and one in an actual physical portfolio to bring on client meets. Recently I had a request for my portfolio and was trying to decide how to send it over.

At an average of $1 per page, a printed 8x10 book would set me back $80 (since I'd only have one image per sheet) and seeing as I don't expect to get it back, that's a little hefty. Moving down to a 7x9 book would effectively cut my cost in half, but I'm afraid the images might be too small to make a fair impact. As such, I'm trying to figure out the perfect marriage between affordable and effective.

Online and CD are out of the question; I don't want my portfolio to require a computer or internet connection to be seen.

How do you send in portfolios (that you don't expect to see back) when trying to land big fish? Do you have traditional portfolios of loose prints? Books? Other?



* I know, forty's a bit extensive. I need to pare it down some more.

[Jim Poor]

Unless the person / company you are submitting to specifically says they won't return your portfolio, why would you expect not to get it back?

[Rajah Sulayman]

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

Unless the person / company you are submitting to specifically says they won't return your portfolio, why would you expect not to get it back?

I'd rather err on the side of caution. Anything I send out, I prefer to do so under the assumption that I won't get it back. That way if I don't get it back, I was already prepared for it.

[OsmosisStudios]

The only time I've expected not to get my portfolio back was with unviersity: ALL other clients I meet face-to-face. Of course, you could always send a portfolio and, assuming you get the job, include it in your pricing.

[Jim Poor]

While it may happen, counting on it really makes little sense. Just send it with return packaging and postage. There's really no reason to send a "portfolio" to a potential client that isn't likely to return it.

Originally Posted by Rajah Sulayman

I'd rather err on the side of caution. Anything I send out, I prefer to do so under the assumption that I won't get it back. That way if I don't get it back, I was already prepared for it.

[LeeR]

What in the world makes you think you are going to get an art director or editor to look at 80 images? You'll be lucky if you can get them to look at three! Ten to twenty shots should be more than enough to whet their appetite and at least start a conversation about what else they might like to see.