Portfolio question

chrismoore

Hi, I've been asked a couple of times recently by potential buyers if I had a portfolio I could show them, meaning not my website but a binder of some sort with prints. Was wondering if pros keep such a folder/binder to show clients? What size are the prints? How is it organized/bound? Thanks so much.

BizShotz

I'm guessing you're not very old. Decades ago, this was the way it was done - before email and the internet and websites that had slideshow galleries! I have read several books on the subject and suggest you check your local library for some free advice in some old portfolio help books. There is an art to putting together a good book. Or, you could hit up Amazon and see if they have any books on it. It's def. important to do more than just throw some photos into a binder and call it your portfolio.

Good luck on going "old school!"

( and now, I feel old.....but of course, I'm no spring chicken! )

chrismoore

BizShotz wrote:

I'm guessing you're not very old. Decades ago, this was the way it was done - before email and the internet and websites that had slideshow galleries! I have read several books on the subject and suggest you check your local library for some free advice in some old portfolio help books. There is an art to putting together a good book. Or, you could hit up Amazon and see if they have any books on it. It's def. important to do more than just throw some photos into a binder and call it your portfolio.

Good luck on going "old school!"

( and now, I feel old.....but of course, I'm no spring chicken! )

thanks. I can see from their point of view the draw of looking at actual prints rather than an online gallery. I'll Luik around for some how-to books. Was wondering if any pros out there had such a portfolio put together to show clients, and maybe get some details about it-print size, paper, #prints, type of binding.
Thanks

Cygnus Studios

chrismoore wrote:

Was wondering if any pros out there had such a portfolio put together to show clients, and maybe get some details about it-print size, paper, #prints, type of binding.

I run with three books, 1 for commercial products, 1 for fine art and 1 for portraits. All are 11x14 prints, with the exception of the commercial products all have Lustre, Glossy and Metallic prints to showcase the differences. The fine art has silver rag and Hahnemuhle paper.
All my books contain 24 images.

For my portrait book, I also keep 4 non pro lab prints to show clients the difference between a pro lab and the local print locations such as Walmart or Costco.

I use Pratt Books. I have heard some very good things about Itoya books.

There really is an art to putting together your book. You want to show a range in your work, yet keep the theme tight. If you know your potential clients needs, you can arrange your book to meet their needs. It is also wise to keep enough prints on hand to put an extra book together at a moments notice if you have to leave it with the client.

chrismoore

Cygnus Studios wrote:

I run with three books, 1 for commercial products, 1 for fine art and 1 for portraits. All are 11x14 prints, with the exception of the commercial products all have Lustre, Glossy and Metallic prints to showcase the differences. The fine art has silver rag and Hahnemuhle paper.
All my books contain 24 images.

For my portrait book, I also keep 4 non pro lab prints to show clients the difference between a pro lab and the local print locations such as Walmart or Costco.

I use Pratt Books. I have heard some very good things about Itoya books.

There really is an art to putting together your book. You want to show a range in your work, yet keep the theme tight. If you know your potential clients needs, you can arrange your book to meet their needs. It is also wise to keep enough prints on hand to put an extra book together at a moments notice if you have to leave it with the client.

Thank you, that's very helpful. I looked at some of the folios and 11x17 is a popular size...only it's not a size that Bayphoto offers through Smugmug! I'll look around for folio sizes that match the print sizes offered. Thanks!

takeflightphoto

chrismoore wrote:

Thank you, that's very helpful. I looked at some of the folios and 11x17 is a popular size...only it's not a size that Bayphoto offers through Smugmug! I'll look around for folio sizes that match the print sizes offered. Thanks!

11x14