PART4 / TOOLSPhotographers have lots of questions about the specifics of a
portfolio, and often in the quest for answers they lose sight of the
three main messages that every portfolio to envy must deliver.
Your book needs to clearly state the topic you shoot, illus-
trate your visual approach, and build trust that you will deliver.
What is your point of focus? Is it food? Still life or lifestyle?
Do you shoot architecture or corporate locations? Having a
portfolio that clearly expresses your topic is key.
Your visual approach to your subject must come through
clearly in your book. If you are a lifestyle shooter, are your
images warm and fuzzy? Are your images cool and contempo-
rary? Are your people directly connecting with the camera, or
are they props in your images, body parts that provide a bit of
information but are not the main focus?
Trust, the last important message that your book must
convey, is communicated through a book that contains a well-
developed vision and is properly edited, paginated, and beau-
tifully housed.
A portfolio that has been developed in this fashion is a port-
folio that will sell and one that others will envy.
Creating a portfolio that sells is not a simple task. Much
thought, time, and effort will be needed. As you begin, it is impor-
tant that you know how clients source talent and that you under-
stand today’s buyers have many assignment and nonassignment
(stock and royalty-free images) choices when purchasing photo-
graphy. In addition, it is important for you to be aware of the
impact that these choices have on a buyer’s desire to get a clear,
specific, and focused message from each portfolio viewed.
Today’s buyer may be asked more often than not to pur-
chase stock photography. They may be used to going to stock
catalogs to pick out the exact image in a specific color palette
that represents a simple concept. Because of this scenario,
many newer buyers are used to seeing the image that they will
use before they purchase it.
They have no need to use their imagination or to use their
concepting abilities. Tasks are easily and quickly accomplished
in this world of sort, look, and select.
When looking to work with an assignment shooter, these
folks want to see quickly and clearly what you offer. They are not
interested in your diverse range of subjects and approaches.Chapter 18.qxd 6/27/07 9:05 PM Page 112