Keeping Your Exotic Photography Portfolio Fresh by Tanya Vorgan
No matter how proud you’ve been of the work you did ten years ago, the professional exotic photographer must bear in mind the normal passage of time in which hairstyles, make up, and fashions change over the years. No matter how nice your portfolio has been, you will need to update it regularly to continue to attract new and current clients. Growing your art as an exotic photographer means seeking out new techniques and different approaches to older photographic challenges. As technology changes, so should your approach to these problems reflect the changes through which your art has passed. As one handsome image is completed, it should be added to your portfolio, replacing an older, less timely image. With the same intent, consider using a more modern portfolio book which reflects your improved professional skills.
If your current portfolio has transparent pages, examine it from time to time for scratches. Maybe only one or two pages need replacing. Nothing says ‘yesterday’s news’ more swiftly than scratched plastic pages.
Even if you are now only photographing your spouse or girlfriend, put your best recent work forward always, and you’ll make a habit of improving as you go along.
How often should you change your portfolio’s images? Well, at least bear in mind the old saw about being remembered by the worst image in your portfolio. It’s still true. Look through it occasionally, and if you see an images that looks a little dated, don’t pass on the opportunity to best yourself and go for it. If you are an active, growing artist in the exotic photography field, I would say the majority of your images should be less than a year old. It’s also tempting for some photographers to keep adding pictures to the portfolio, but resist the habit. Your business could suffer from the contrast of years between the older and newer pictures.
In fact, if you haven’t any images to swap, question whether you are still growing in skill in this area. Don’t let the bright new talent speed by you. In fact, if you are a professional, you should also offer an online portfolio as well.
While you might also have a digital version of your portfolio to display on a laptop, nothing can ultimately make as brilliant an impression as a top drawer portfolio of your best photographs to share one-on-one with a potential client. Consider that most clients that make the decision to try your work will want to buy prints, so show them the glossy formats in which your models are likely to appear.
By the way, templates do exist on the Internet for signed model release forms, and that signed form should accompany each image in the portfolio, whether it is a physical book or part of a website.
I find paging through my portfolio fun, and I look mine over several times each week. I enjoy swapping out old pictures for new, but it is not a set of hard choices for me to make. Why is not hard to choose? Almost of my old techniques and models enjoys an afterlife in an older portfolio book. Some new enthusiastic clients enjoy seeing my old work.
About the Author
Tanya’s passion for great coffee is only second to writing, learning, and sharing. Visit http://bunncoffeemakersforless.com/ to find out which Bunn Home Coffee Maker most suits her fancy.
Lusine – Excess [HD]
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iRelease – the pro model release form app $7.99 4+~~FULLFRAME PHOTOGRAPHICS AND DESIGN PTY LTD~~FULLFRAME PHOTOGRAPHICS AND DESIGN PTY LTD~~http://itunes.apple.com/app/irelease-pro-model-release/id375621084?uo=5~~2010-2012 FULLFRAME PHOTOGRAPHICS AND DESIGN PTY LTD~~2.1~~7319672~~1505073~~http://www.ireleaseapp.com~~http://www.ireleaseapp.com/pages/support.php |
