Help with port and juried gallery contest please

09/12/2012 08:12:32 PM · #1

Hi all. So I am deciding to get a hard portfolio together and I have a few questions. First I have the binder and will be printing everything to an 8x10 and just leaving white space for different aspect ratios. I have 40 shots uploaded into my options page but need to figure out how many to print and which ones need to be left out. So how many should I carry to show? Do you mind looking through my options and letting me know which ones you think I should definitely use and which ones need to be scrapped?

Secondly I am going to send in three options for the juried gallery showing but not certain of what to send in. I am thinking my latest moon entry (number 39 in my foldeR) and I think I may use one that is currently in voting, that is why number 31 is missing. I appreciate any help I can get. I have two framed prints that will be hung in a local coffee shop Friday and I get to choose 4-5 to take to a local framer to put in her shop. In addition there are a few other shops I want to hit and would like to have my options in a folder to show off. Thanks ahead of time.

Link to folder on dpc

//www.dpchallenge.com/portfolio_mgr.php?collection_id=40505

Most of these have been seen before and most are on here in one space or another but I wanted to consolidate my choices.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

09/12/2012 09:01:14 PM · #2

I am getting ready to crash but I will check this thread in the morning.

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/12/2012 09:15:45 PM · #3

Definitely need more details on the nature of the juried event to suggest entries. Your images are so wildly disparate that some would be great for some selections whilst others would be terrible entrants. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your photos, just that they pursue wildly different audiences and situations, so you need to assess your audience to determine that.

A general suggestion for your portfolio selection goes along the same lines. It's okay to have some variety, but your styles in some images is not consistent. You also have far to many of the same subject (you). I understand the struggles of getting a model, but your portfolio is to show the various shoots you have done, and that makes it look like you have not had very many, it reflects poorly.

ETA:
For anybody looking to setup a portfolio or a website, here are Zack Arias' critiques which will give you some good things to think about. They're titled Critiques and range from actual photographic technique to website design to selection of photos etc.

Message edited by author 2012-09-13 01:12:03.

mpeters

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/12/2012 09:35:38 PM · #4

In the context of a "coffee shop" audience, i'd say you need to keep the blood/gore/scary ones off the wall... With that in mind, here would be my picks for hangers: 7,17, and 5 or 7. That said, i'd look to narrow down your selection somewhat and unify the group(for example, #1 doesn't seem to fit at all, either in subject matter or processing treatment).

Spatula has a good point on the abundance of you. :)

09/12/2012 09:58:14 PM · #5

Well a tv show trumped bed but I am really gonna go to sleep now lol. Thanks for the replies and I agree about too many of me :) Need to start utilizing model mayhem more. As far as the over the top horror styles I don't think I will add any of those, perhaps in a separate port strictly for that style but it is such a small market it really should be separate. As far as the juried photo showing there is no theme but I would like to use one of my more "posthumous" style shots for that. Right now I am thinking of using 12-15 shots for my port and I think I will use the following.

and one I can't share at the moment.

Message edited by author 2012-09-13 16:44:05.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

09/13/2012 06:57:41 AM · #6

Bumping to see if anyone else has any thoughts.

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/13/2012 07:51:10 AM · #7

Image 9 is of the sort that is readily consumable, which means it's great to hang places, but also tends to blend in, generally. Likewise with 40. Shot 21 is interesting, is a good subject for many to enjoy, and still fits with what I would consider your style. I like 6 the most of your bird shots. I like 25, but it seems random when grouped with the others. It is a sports photo, and the others are very much not sports photos.

For entries in a general contest, I think something like shot 6, shot 21, and your moon shot cover many bases style-wise. If I were to keep any one of them out of the entry, however, it would be the moon shot, which is the most manipulated and alternately makes some people very happy and some people very unhappy. It's a polarizing approach.

CNovack

Canon EOS-600D/T3i Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

09/13/2012 09:32:36 AM · #8

Looking at the 40 you have in the portfolio it is my opinion you do not want to 'repeat' very similar elements because you want to show a wider range. For example 5 and 6 are similar in that they are both of birds and wing position are very similar. Number 3 is different because you are showing a different angle. Number 12 and 18 are also very similar in style composition even though they are both very well done. 13 and 14 fall in the same vein - should only do one not both.

And why oh why did you not include

????? Tonal ranges are fabulous and anyone in the literary crowd would instantly understand the connection to Hamlet.

I see that you have pulled out 12 to 15 already and it is a good spread showing off your talent and skills.

09/13/2012 10:28:20 AM · #9

Thanks for all that

CNovack I agree that I do want to eliminate similar ones to keep the redundancy down. I am not sure how many portraits I want to include since this really isn't portraiture work I am trying to showcase, I have an online port for that. Given that do you think my Yes or No entry would fall more into artistic or portraiture? Should I include 2-3 more portrait style shots just to round it out?

09/13/2012 03:13:23 PM · #10

Anyone else? Should I include a few non traditional portraits or leave it all with mostly stuff that could possibly hang on someone else's wall?