Portfolio Preparation

[Rev]

Hi guys, thanks in advance for any advice. I'm looking to compile my photos into a proper portfolio to hopefully be able to do any freelance work in the future. So...

1. Recommended size for fotos?
2. Medium/book/album type to showcase the fotos?
3. Recommended place for printing the fotos?
4. Minimum number of fotos?
5. General hints/tips?

[nemesis32]

Let me see...

I think it depends on what sort of portfolio you preparing for.. Are you a fashion, wedding or landscape photographer?
8R should be the norm for size, probably using an album or a foldable clear display folder that can stand on its own.
Any labs can do decent 8R but i think you shd have your fav? If not try the usual that's recommended here. I recommend Konota (for fuji film) and Fotohub (kodak). If digital, try Beautiful Memories (Stamford House).
I think minimum is abt 20, It's the quality and not quantity that counts.

That's all.... btw, i am not a professional photographer but i have seen some portfolio and have created one for myself and thus advice based on what i have know. Cheeers and good luck!

[Rev]

any advice is appreciated. Thanks man!

ok, more specifically and might be impossible, I'm gonna try for car magazine... I think my quality is ok. but quantity is on the low-side.

[arttl]

Hi there,

Can't really give any advice since i'm not into automobile photography thingy. But I do recommend to SHOOT MORE & choose only the best to showcase.

In your case, you might want to explore more opportunities in this field to increase your portfolio. (quantity)

I prepare my portfolio (in prints) 5R which I'm very comfortable with. 20 of the best pics should be able to showcase your talent.

Gd luck!

[Witness]

have one online for quick reference...

i do my prints on s8r mounted in a3 black paper....

quantity is ard 20 ......

cheers...

[Rev]

Hi Witness, you mounted the foto yrself? Thanks again guys.

[nemesis32]

Originally Posted by Rev any advice is appreciated. Thanks man! ok, more specifically and might be impossible, I'm gonna try for car magazine... I think my quality is ok. but quantity is on the low-side.

If shooting for car magazines, you have to print relatively big, min 8R i think.

Also, try to include various types of shots. ie. panning, car moving, car in studio, closeup etc.

[tommon]

Depending on the type of work U are looking for, U will probably leave out the big commercial stuff like cars, as they require gigantic prints and large warehouse type studios. Anyway, may I ask what are the equipment U are using? B'cos the more Megapix the better your chance of getting these jobs. Also get attached to a studio to get more experience and jobs.

[Rev]

Quote: Also, try to include various types of shots. ie. panning, car moving, car in studio, closeup etc.

yea I have all these man =)

Quote: Anyway, may I ask what are the equipment U are using? B'cos the more Megapix the better your chance of getting these jobs. Also get attached to a studio to get more experience and jobs.

Thanks man... Using a d70. is that enough? I like to think my studio is the outdoors... since the car belongs outdoors anyway, I think =)

I don't know yet, propbably, the market for car photography is very small but I'm gonna give it a try.

[tommon]

The studio I work for uses KODAK DCS14 and DCS750, these are 14 Megapix CAM.
Go to the Kodak site to check out the sample prints and be blasted by its quality.

U need them for poster-sized prints as many megazines need them for promo stuff. The D70 is considered serious amature and U should at least go for D2x or equivilant.

And use only Nikon ED lenses with fixed aperture and invest in a good light meter (minolta lightmeter 5f or 6) to correct exposure everytime.

Once you have proven your copetency in these good stuff, U R ready for the big boys.

[nemesis32]

i think if you are concentrating on outdoor shoot, D70 is ok. But a higher end, full frame dslr like D2x will prob be the best choice due to high fps and high res.

Locally, i think there's no real car mags except for those by AA etc and the quality of the pics are quite low (excluding those supplied by the car manufacturers/sellers as they are professionally shot). Hence, if you target these mags, D70 can do the job already.

Impt part is prob the post-processing. You may need some interpolation software to push up the resolution for printing for instance. Colour accuracy shd also be very impt so your colour mgt and printing is crucial.

[imaginary_number]

Originally Posted by nemesis32 i think if you are concentrating on outdoor shoot, D70 is ok. But a higher end, full frame dslr like D2x will prob be the best choice due to high fps and high res.

D2X is not a FF body.

[moos blues]

But if u get the job, esp at a mag, wont u use wads avaible in house?


If you are investing in your own equip, I think ur D2x would not suffice in long run as well, might be better off with a MF digiback, but i'm just suggesting. I've seen alot of guys work with a 1Ds and so on...for mag photogs, i always see D100, S2Pro, D1x, 1D, and so on.

and not to forget lights, portable strobes hahaha....

but then again this thread aint about equpiment and i apologize for the OT

[Rev]

hmm, interesting. I'm actually looking to do outdoor shoots portion like the magazines. I feel I probably could do a better job. But tommon is saying that studio experience & high end equipment is equally important? Oddly, I've seen the hotstuff photographers use a 300D =)

For post processing, I dont have the capability like this guy www.eastonchang.com but I'd like to gauge my capability in actual photography without heavy post process.. having had zero formal education in photography.

maybe U guys can help to gauge a little for me. my sig is my 'quick reference' portfolio. uhh, need to click on the 'cars' gallery tho

Thanks again guys =)

[tommon]

Well the res on the page is not enough to gauge the quality.

As a good phtographer, it is important to take the best pix first with minimum post processing. The real worth is in the actual pix as time spent of post stuff are just too slow. When you have a good pix everything else will be secondary.

The reason I suggest the studio attachment is that the studio provides the cams for you to use thus solve the prob of buying.

[Rev]

yea I agree. otherwise no point taking the pic in the first place, any monkey could do that. and dont have the patience to post process little bits of rubbish out =)

So now comes the next question. where/how can I sign up for studio attachment? Yellow pages?

[Witness]

mounted as in paste onto the book lo...if u free to drop by seed let me know la....i can show u the album if u want..

[Rev]

seed? What's that? When & where's a good time?