Re: filmscanners: OT - portfolio

[SKID Photography <skid@bway.net>]

We shoot mostly celebrity portraits, but we bill ourselves as people/portrait 
photographers.  Our portfolio is 11x14, and currently we use Prat portfolio 
pages in our custom made leather portfolio binder.  It includes several 
different film formats.  We have 2 different sized images on 11x14 pages in our 
'book':  either 11x14 full bleed or 8x10, centered on the page.

You should print all your photos to the same orientation (which is to say, 
never make the viewer turn the portfolio to view a horizontal).  We do some 
horizontals as a double page 'spread' with the 'seam' at the gutter...It looks 
fine.

We have 10 pages in our portfolio, which translates to a possible 20 individual 
images.

Oh...I refute remark about not being able to make a 35 mm print bigger than 
8x10...That is just an opinion.  And it clearly does not ring true for many 
photographers and all subject matters.  It could be true in certain instances, 
but I stress, not a hard and fast rule.

Harvey Ferdschneider
partner, SKID Photography, NYC


RogerMillerPhoto@aol.com wrote:

> My comments that follow are oriented towards commercial photography.  You'll 
>probably find that sleeved portfolio cases are more common in 8x10 format 
>rather than 8x12.  If you use 8x10, then you'll either have to crop or else do 
>a custom elargment and print a black band at two edges of the photo so your 35 
>mm film will fit the 8x10 format.  Don't use a portfolio case to carry mounted 
>and matted photos.  It's too heavy to carry around or mail to a client.  But 
>you might want to mount and matt some for display in your home or studio.
>
> 11x14 is probably too big an enlargement from 35 mm film.  Portfolio quality 
>must be technically perfect.  It’s also too big for the desk of the 
>average art director, photo editor, etc.  8x10 (8x12 if you can find that size 
>of portfolio book) is probably a good choice.  A lot of model portfolios are 
>9x12 (expensive custom printing)as many people think that's a good aspect 
>ratio for full length figure shots.  Glossy paper is probably best.  For one 
>or more of your 6x7 negs/trannies, consider a custom 10x16 that you cut down 
>the middle to make two 8x10s for a double spread.
>
> Target your audience.  If you are trying to get work as a fashion 
>photographer, you would not want to show landscapes.  You might want to put 
>together several different portfolios, each targeted towards a specific field 
>or audiance.  My personal feeling is that a portfolio of "My Best Photos" 
>might look like a hodgepod of photos unless there's something else that ties 
>them all together.  If you have a lot of different types of photos, at least 
>group similar ones together and maybe separate them with a divider so that the 
>viewer clearly sees that he is shifting gears as he leafs through your book.  
>I wouldn't have more than abut 4 categories (stage, landscape, etc.) and maybe 
>about 6 photos in each category.
>
> You might want a small 4x5 protfolio that you could carry with you for that 
>surprise encounter with a potential client that you weren’t expecting to 
>meet.
>
> Make sure all photos are top notch.  Quality is far more important than 
>quantity.
>
> Some black and white should be included as well as color
>
> No two photos should be similar to one another, each should be very different 
>than all of the others.  You might have two similar photos that you really 
>like, but you can only use one of them in your portfolio.  The targeted AD, 
>photo ed., or viewer wants to see one theme, but they want a variety of photos 
>within that theme.  Reject duplicates.
>
> Have at least a dozen photos if possible; two dozen might be too many for a 
>busy person to look at.
>
> Because portfolios often require custom printing, you might consider doing it 
>all yourself with Photoshop and your own printer, or a printer at a service 
>bureau.  That would allow you to show more creativity as well and allow you to 
>format, crop, and size the image to best advantage.
>
> In a message dated Thu, 8 Nov 2001 11:41:19 AM Eastern Standard Time, "Tomasz 
>Zakrzewski" <tomzakrz@ka.onet.pl> writes:
>
> > Sorry, I don't want to introduce a lenghty off-topic thread but maybe you
> > could post some of your opinions (off-list?)
> > I want to create portfolios of my best work. Pictures of different motives
> > but having one thing in common - best of my work.
> > I'm in arrears with my enlargements. For several years I've been only making
> > standard 4x6" prints, sometimes twice that size. But now I want to enlarge
> > the most favorable pictures, both my family pictures and my commercial work.
> > But enlarge to what size? And what paper structure to choose for family
> > pictures/portraits, stage photography and landscape? What are your
> > preferences?
> > For me this is a difficult decision because I want the prints to be
> > transportable (that's what portfolio is for) and small enough to view them
> > at reading distance,but large enough to show the quality of them and to make
> > them stand out from standard prints. And I'm talking traditional prints, not
> > printouts.
> > I shoot mostly 35mm and about 10% 6x7cm.
> > The purpose of making the portfolios is to have the best hardcopy available
> > of my pictures, to be able to show them to my family/clients and to have fun
> > from fine enlargements ;-)
> > Especially the commercial work will be presented in separate passepartouts
> > and sets of them will be archived in special portfolio boxes.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Tomasz Zakrzewski
> > www.zakrzewski.art.pl