would someone take a minute to help me out?

shawnxstl · Mar 14, 2008

Im looking for some local photography jobs and i've made a portfolio so to speak of some shots i've taken.

would anyone mind looking over it and tell me which to keep, which to trash, and some other insight on them and maybe some tips for the future? thanks.

If you're interested in looking over this, reply with your email address so i can send it to you.

JerryPH · Mar 14, 2008

Dude, doing this on a web forum that is international is NOT going to cut it (you don't even have a location in your profile... there are people from ALL over the world here!). If you are good and dedicated, you WILL have to do it the old fasioned way... knock on doors.

Start by opening up your local yellow pages, get their addresses and start walking. I would not even suggest calling them, as they likely get calls every week just like yours.

If you want to do this, you have to PROVE you want it.

nagoshua · Mar 14, 2008

Just make sure what ever you put in your portfolio relates to the businesses you are aiming at. Only put in your best shots, be very very selective and get them printed and presented really well.

Maybe bring along some small business cards with an email and/or a website address.

SBlanca · Mar 14, 2008

slightly harsh jerry....

shawnxstl, it would also be a good move to upload your photos somewhere and make an online portfolio, that way people could just see them there, not many people are gonna want to wait for you to send them your portfolio..

good luck though!

JerryPH · Mar 14, 2008

SBlanca said:
slightly harsh jerry....

Not at all! I do not think that our young person realizes that this is an international site. Asking for help without even knowing where he is in this huge world is the challenge of the century. :lol:

Now, if you are asking for help, at least know WHERE you are asking. Thats not being harsh, thats reality. Also offering pointers about how to do it is again not being harsh.

If someone was offended by something as quick as that, wow, they sure as heck are NOT going to be ready to face a real live breathing customer.

I think people are a lot tougher than we give them credit for sometimes.

Oh, to add... I was reading in a wedding forum where they started discussing how many were losing clientele due to the fact that though they had professional level websites, that many clients walked away becuase they had no blog (outrageous to me a little, but hey, whatever, thats the market nowadays it seems).

My point... set up a blog somewhere (many free ones out there like www.blogspot.com, etc...). I suppose it is a way to get yourself out there a little more and show a bit of your personality to your clientele. If you are doing it to break into the field instead of for fun, make sure it only shows your very best side at all times. Me, I am doing it just for the fun of it and to kinda see what it is all about.

I'm playing with one now as I type this.

EOS_JD · Mar 14, 2008

if an online gallery - even usng flickr - is available, we could all look at the images and give a response. The international language of good/bad is the same. I would look and give critique.

andrew99 · Mar 14, 2008

Post some pictures or a link or something, you'll get a lot more response that way. Also it will benefit other people to see the responses/critique from the pros.

Mav · Mar 14, 2008

Yes an online album is a good idea, like flickr. I also don't understand what difference it makes as to where someone is. A good photo is a good photo (or a bad photo) whether you're from Timbuktu or Seattle (the OP's screen name suggests Seattle, but who knows). For local gigs, get an online album up of your very best stuff or a website of some sort, and then try searching or putting up postings on craigslist.

MarcusM · Mar 14, 2008

JerryPH said:
Dude, doing this on a web forum that is international is NOT going to cut it (you don't even have a location in your profile... there are people from ALL over the world here!). If you are good and dedicated, you WILL have to do it the old fasioned way... knock on doors.

Start by opening up your local yellow pages, get their addresses and start walking. I would not even suggest calling them, as they likely get calls every week just like yours.

If you want to do this, you have to PROVE you want it.

Wow, I don't think he was asking for a job or anything. He was asking for advice/feedback on his portfolio. Which I don't see anything wrong with on the forums. That's part of what they're here for, right? It's the Beginner's Place, and he's asking for feedback on his portfolio.

To the OP, I agree with the people who said to get a Flickr account or other image-hosting account set up, upload your photos, and come back and post the link. People just like to click and be able to see the shots.

Mystwalker · Mar 14, 2008

shawnxstl said:
Im looking for some local photography jobs and i've made a portfolio so to speak of some shots i've taken.

would anyone mind looking over it and tell me which to keep, which to trash, and some other insight on them and maybe some tips for the future? thanks.

If you're interested in looking over this, reply with your email address so i can send it to you.

I'm nowhere near qualified to judge work of others - I have enough problems taking decent pictures

I would be more motivated to click URL then to send an email asking for a portfolio.

I'm pretty sure "flickr.com" will allow you to store/display your pictures there.

You may get more feedback this way.

JerryPH · Mar 14, 2008

Well... didn't I make myself look like a fool. I promise to stop posting at 5:00AM when I've had less than 5 hours sleep in the last 3 days.

Apologies.

shawnxstl · Mar 14, 2008

yeah i definitely wasn't asking for someone to hire me. haha. And as for location, its in my name

(stl = st. louis missouri)

here's some examples...Some of the ones with the dates in them will be photoshopped out soon...and the ones taken in colorado were taken with a pretty crappy camera. Keep in mind that im not expecting anyone to think that these are spectacular because im not a pro.

JerryPH said:
Not at all! I do not think that our young person realizes that this is an international site. Asking for help without even knowing where he is in this huge world is the challenge of the century.

Im not an idiot

haha.

EOS_JD · Mar 14, 2008

JerryPH said:
Well... didn't I make myself look like a fool. I promise to stop posting at 5:00AM when I've had less than 5 hours sleep in the last 3 days.

Apologies.

jerry, join the club

EOS_JD · Mar 15, 2008

shawnxstl said:
yeah i definitely wasn't asking for someone to hire me. haha. And as for location, its in my name (stl = st. louis missouri)

here's some examples...Some of the ones with the dates in them will be photoshopped out soon...and the ones taken in colorado were taken with a pretty crappy camera. Keep in mind that im not expecting anyone to think that these are spectacular because im not a pro.

Colorado / crappy camera:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030106.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030109.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030237.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030591.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030153Photoshop.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/S5030633.jpg

Meramac state park / canon powershot pro
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3053.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3055.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3104.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3125.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3138.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3267.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/25photo.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3300.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3316.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/aspire727/SHAWN/meramac/IMG_3325.jpg

Im not an idiot haha.

There's lots of issues with many of these images - particularly overexposure in a few. Before looking at them all though, I would advise resizing for the web 600 pixels on the longest edge). These images are too big to look at them all and you should not post them like this - you are effectively giving everyone your full size images!

Once you have resized, you can add the link to the image.

JIP · Mar 15, 2008

O.k. without looking at any of your images I know there is one thing you NEED to do. You need to eliminate either the images that were taken with the "crappy camera" or eliminate the disclaimer. If you are afraid to stand behind the quality of an image it does not belong in your portfolio. Your portfolio is meant to represent your best work and there should be no disclaimers for the quality if the image sucks it does not belong in your portfolio. Now I am sorry for being harsh but when I was in school and when I applied for jobs noone gave me any quarter or help so I figure you would want the same. Lastly it would help to put up some of your images instead of links I think you will have alot better response. For me following youe first link was a slow process and made me not want to view any of your other pictures. If you want help take thie time to learn how to post images directly here so people dan open the thread ans see them.