Recently, Chris Armstrong, an author at PhotoPolitic.com, sent me a link to a post written by Mara Serdans, Senior Art Producer at Deutsch in Los Angeles. It is titled How To Get the Most Out of Portfolio Reviews. And, given a recent post on our own blog from Team One, Associate Art Producer Katie Bunstsma on the same subject, I though it timely and decided to re-post it here.
Mara outlines perfectly what works and what doesn’t when it comes to hosting portfolio shows or showing off your own portfolio. It is a must read for anyone who finds themselves having to present their own work or even the work of others.
The only thing I would add to the conversation is something Hunter Freeman does when he shares his own work. I think it is a great idea and really provides direction for the short meeting. He starts out the meeting by telling the reviewer that there are three images he would like them to remember him by at the end of the meeting. He then makes sure to emphasize these images during the meeting, tells the story behind those images and even asks questions to reviewer. He then ends by giving them leave behinds of those images as well.
This little trick gives a focused purpose to the meeting and allows Hunter to concentrate on the imagery that he finds most compelling. Everyone ends up walking away with a clear view of what Hunter has been up to lately!
If you are not familiar with the photo industry blog PhotoPolitic, be sure to check it out. They have some very experienced contributing authors.