Portfolio Building

[DanaDawn]

Should you charge for portfolio building?

I'm in the process of trying to lay out a business plan, which includes pricing out sessions. I need to build my portfolio so I was thinking of offering portfolio building sessions at a deep discount. Thoughts?

 

[supercool2]

Im at this stage as well. But I am not even close to doing it as an business . Right now I'm primarily learning /practicing things . When I show the portraits I have taken so far, to others they say wow, those look professional ! But I know it's because they see the background bokeh from my lens/aperture setting that is not normally in a point and shoot , or the fact its so extremely crisp&clear ...but that's because I have a *very* nice camera, and I think those people are used to seeing cell phone pictures etc......
Anyway I am not personally comfortable charging any one anything . I advertised for free sessions and got no bites. I advertised for a "deal" $25. First time session and got an email from one person. I then told her I was really free. The people out&about/acquaintances I have offered to photos for free acted like they did no take me seriously . I wondered if it was because offering it for free gives people the impression I don't know what I'm doing or they will get crappy pictures. Then I show them a few my tablet and they go whoa! But then they still dont set a date with me for anything. So far I only had the pleasure of being able to take portraits of my neighbor's 2 yr old daughter and one other person. I feel like I have to be charging big $ to get anyone's interest (?) . I need practice and learn best by doing in the real life situations. So it has not been easy just getting people to give me 30-60 minutes (or more if they want ) of their time in exchange for free photos. And one of people are always taking their kid to that portrait innovation place,with the silly super faked out back grounds (like their new "at the fair" one) , so its not like they don't have time to get their kid's pictures done. Speaking of time, and that company ... The wait time there is horrible! So by going there, you are not saving time. You can get a 1-3+hour session with a private professional photographer in the amount of time it takes to get those cheap pictures there.

 

[DanaDawn]

Im at this stage as well. But I am not even close to doing it as an business . Right now I'm primarily learning /practicing things . When I show the portraits I have taken so far, to others they say wow, those look professional ! But I know it's because they see the background bokeh from my lens/aperture setting that is not normally in a point and shoot , or the fact its so extremely crisp&clear ...but that's because I have a *very* nice camera, and I think those people are used to seeing cell phone pictures etc......
Anyway I am not personally comfortable charging any one anything . I advertised for free sessions and got no bites. I advertised for a "deal" $25. First time session and got an email from one person. I then told her I was really free. The people out&about/acquaintances I have offered to photos for free acted like they did no take me seriously . I wondered if it was because offering it for free gives people the impression I don't know what I'm doing or they will get crappy pictures. Then I show them a few my tablet and they go whoa! But then they still dont set a date with me for anything. So far I only had the pleasure of being able to take portraits of my neighbor's 2 yr old daughter and one other person. I feel like I have to be charging big $ to get anyone's interest (?) . I need practice and learn best by doing in the real life situations. So it has not been easy just getting people to give me 30-60 minutes (or more if they want ) of their time in exchange for free photos. And one of people are always taking their kid to that portrait innovation place,with the silly super faked out back grounds (like their new "at the fair" one) , so its not like they don't have time to get their kid's pictures done. Speaking of time, and that company ... The wait time there is horrible! So by going there, you are not saving time. You can get a 1-3+hour session with a private professional photographer in the amount of time it takes to get those cheap pictures there.

I have read other people running into this problem as well, offering sessions for free gets them nothing, but offer a discount and they get a few bites.

I feel as though if I'm going to start building a portfolio, I need to have the rest of my 'business' in order. Website, facebook page, etc. Which includes setting my session prices & any discounts for portfolio building.

 

[nycphotography]

You should PAY the MODELS for helping you to build your portfolio.

How much you pay them and how much they pay you and what the net cash settlement is... well open to negotiation.

But really, TFP didn't get to be the norm by accident.

 

[nycphotography]

After all, you do want MODELS in your portfolio, right?

God bless em, but people really are stupid enough to hire the photographer with the best looking subjects, as if they can magically be transformed into being best looking subjects as well. So you may as well build your portfolio with the good looking subjects.

 

[supercool2]

Ok, so for me personally, I shouldn't talk of a portfolio at all, and purely concentrate on the learning I'm doing. But I still have the issue where I feel I need experience shooting other people, other kids, etc.. in different lighting&locations to help me learn best. My kids are tired of me taking their pictures. They need a break from it every once in a while .

 

[DanaDawn]

After all, you do want MODELS in your portfolio, right?

God bless em, but people really are stupid enough to hire the photographer with the best looking subjects, as if they can magically be transformed into being best looking subjects as well. So you may as well build your portfolio with the good looking subjects.

You have a very good point! A lot of the portfolios I've looked at have very pretty people in them. Beautiful families, and cute kids... I just figured they were "real life" families.

 

[nycphotography]

exactly.

 

[sm4him]

I have very little experience in portrait photography, I'm not a pro and I don't have a portfolio...but, I dunno...
I think if I were going to have one, I *wouldn't* want models. I'd want real people. Yes, I'd want them looking their best and all that, but I wouldn't want people seeing models and thinking I'm gonna be able to make the ordinary, slightly overweight and completely out-of-shape family man/woman look just as good.
That just kinda seems like the polar opposite of "Underpromise, overdeliver."

 

[nycphotography]

Discussing the gray areas in the ethics of marketing... hmm... not sure I want to peel that onion. ;-)

 

[supercool2]

I have no trouble finding super cute people (see picture below ) to use for a portfolio once I am ready to have one up. I am having trouble actually getting people (meaning strangers,and even acquaintances) interested in allowing me to take their pictures in the first place lol , portfolio or no portfolio even if its just for learning/practice.

Below: example of super cuteness, but not one I'd use for for professional advertising as I know there are things wrong with that picture such as her not looking my way, probably the coloring/editing etc.. Just posting it to show her super-cuteness . I have permission to use this photo BTW . *background: I took this the other day for practice/ learning . Her mom can only let me take her photos so many times though, lol. So I need to find other people to let me practice on them.
View attachment 54143

 

[KmH]

FWIW - You don't need permission to use photos you own the copyright to, in an editorial use.

A Digital Photographer's Guide to Model Releases: Making the Best Business Decisions with Your Photos of People, Places and Things

From a practice/learning perspective, I would worry most about the rather severe subject underexposure in the image you posted.

DanaDawn. How much is a "deep discount"?

But, paying models is a smart way to build a portfolio.
The average person knows there are limits to how good a photographer can make them look, and models you can afford to pay won't necessarily be the most beautiful people available.

 

[gsgary]

I have no trouble finding super cute people (see picture below ) to use for a portfolio once I am ready to have one up. I am having trouble actually getting people (meaning strangers,and even acquaintances) interested in allowing me to take their pictures in the first place lol , portfolio or no portfolio even if its just for learning/practice.

Below: example of super cuteness, but not one I'd use for for professional advertising as I know there are things wrong with that picture such as her not looking my way, probably the coloring/editing etc.. Just posting it to show her super-cuteness . I have permission to use this photo BTW . *background: I took this the other day for practice/ learning . Her mom can only let me take her photos so many times though, lol. So I need to find other people to let me practice on them.
View attachment 54143

+ all the light is on the background and none on the subjects face, needed a reflector or subtle fill flash

 

[DanaDawn]

DanaDawn. How much is a "deep discount"?

But, paying models is a smart way to build a portfolio.
The average person knows there are limits to how good a photographer can make them look, and models you can afford to pay won't necessarily be the most beautiful people available.

I'm not really sure at this point. But I was thinking like... DEEP DISCOUNT lol example: Regular Session Fee $200, but for portfolio building purposes Session Fee $50 + digital prints (numbers are totally made up, just giving an example). I don't know if this is a good idea or not.

 

[tirediron]

If you want to build your portfolio 'on the cheap', use Model Mayhem; 'Trade for Print' shoots are a great way to get models. There tends to be a high flake factor, and you may meet some "interesting" people, but overall it works well.