What to Look when You Attend a Portfolio Review

In this mail, I explained the importance of doing Portfolio Reviews and how to prepare for one. Yet, I shared my bodily experience during the process. This is considering when you look online almost "How to prepare for a portfolio review",  y'all observe many results. I felt sharing my own experience would help many people who are preparing for this opportunity.

I also plant that no ane discusses how the portfolio review actually works, as in what to expect, what things can go wrong, where y'all wait, what happens during the dead fourth dimension, and other issues. I think these things are very important. What I'll share here is my personal experience and what worked for me. Information technology'south not universal, but I hope it helps you to sympathise what to expect.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE PORTFOLIO REVIEW

A few days before the portfolio review, I always recheck all the bios, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles of my reviewers. This is very important because when you sit down with them, you lot want to detect a genuine connection, either through your work or on a more personal level. In my example, I checked Instagram to see if they had a dog or liked animals, or if they traveled somewhere interesting.

I took a minor notepad and wrote down specific bullet points to study before my meeting.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN Y'all GET THERE

The first thing yous practice is to register. Then y'all go to the waiting surface area/photographers lounge. Each event is different. For example, for L.A. Photoworks, we had this cool studio space with tables to work and hang out with other photographers. I had to spend many hours there waiting for my next review, so it was nice to take this space to work and network.

When I went to the Palm Springs Portfolio Review it wasn't that convenient. They only had a few chairs lined up with no space to go out your things or work. The space was so small and crowded that I barely had an opportunity to network with anybody as I would have if I had the chance to await somewhere else more comfortable.

And so, 2 minutes before my next meeting came, the organizer arrived to ship everybody a reminder. At this moment is when I pulled out my notes and revised them to remember exactly what that person does and what she looks for in a photographer. I also prepared my materials:

  • Portfolio Volume
  • Table or Computer (to show actress work if necessary)
  • Notebook and pen (to accept notes)
  • Leave-behinds

Information technology'S YOUR Plough, WHAT NOW?

You may find, when you are lining upwards to get in, there are papers with the names of the reviewers and their table number. In my feel, I was taken to another area and looked for the table where my reviewer was. I went there and I did a proper handshake and I did my pitch. I know that the handshake must feel obvious, and there'south nil more horrible than the "wet fish handshake". Nobody likes it and you shouldn't exercise it.

LA-photoworks-portfolio-review

My pitch was: Hi, my name is Alicia, and I'k an animal photographer. What you'll see in my book is mainly personal projects, my commercial, lifestyle, and editorial deputed jobs.

I cordially sat and let the reviewer pb the conversation. Typically, many interviewers like to take time to become to know me a little more, even before opening my volume. They inquire questions, such as

  • Where are you from?
  • Have yous done portfolio reviews before?
  • What do you lot wait from this meeting?
  • What do you want to go out of this review?

Depending on the person, I say one affair or another. For example, when I was with Molly Roberts, National Geographic Magazine's Senior Photography Editor, I told her that I wanted to talk to her about how could I exist featured in National Geographic. I asked questions, such as, "How does the magazine cull the stories, and what are they based upon?"

Nevertheless, when I talked to Jigisha Bouverat, possessor and photo agent at JBC, I told her that I was looking to get an agent and that I wanted to show her my work in the event a future opportunity were to arise.

When I talked to Robert Morton, editor, agent, and artists seeking publication in books, I told him that I've been wanting to brand a volume with my series of the Sphynx Cat. I wanted to prove him my piece of work and get his honest feedback and see if there were whatever opportunities for us to work together.

This is why it'southward of import to check each reviewer in depth to make sure you are choosing the ones who tin really help you. For example, I liked how Palm Springs Portfolio Review was prepared considering when looking at the reviewer's bio, they included what the person was looking for:

Reviewer Preference: Open to seeing motion samples, in addition, to still photography.
Reviewer Preference: Photojournalism/reportage, environmental portraiture, travel features; love to look at personal projects. Delight no withal life and catalogue photography.

There were some reviewers that I wanted to speak with, but I knew that my portfolio would not be of their interest because they either don't accept clients that have animals or because I don't have motion or photojournalistic piece of work to testify. When you see a reviewer and you show them something they are not looking for, it's a lack of respect and a waste of time for both parts. And then delight do your homework!

In add-on, I always have my notebook ready to take notes about some of their feedback, comments, or ideas. You might call back "I'll recall"... but you won't. Bear in mind that you only accept 15 or twenty minutes to be with each reviewer (time depends on each event), so you will talk near many things and many people. You will want to follow up on the notes. In Palm Springs Photo event, I had 4 reviewers in a row with no time to sit and write their comments, so I'one thousand glad I had my little notebook to have notes during the review.

little-note-book-to-take-notes

When there are 5 minutes left, somebody typically goes effectually and gives the heads upwardly, and so you lot know the time is coming to an end. When the time is up, I wake upwards, hand over my leave backside and I say how bully was to meet them and I thank for their time.

In one case I'grand back to the waiting area, I write down all the things I have discussed with the reviewer so I tin can practice a proper follow upwards with them after a week.

Here is a photo of the notes I took so you lot get an idea:

If you choose to speak to Photo REPS,  go ready to reply questions like:

  • What are your marketing efforts?
  • How much exercise you spend monthly / yearly?
  • How frequently do you shoot for commercial clients?
  • Why practice you think yous need an amanuensis?
  • Why are you doing a portfolio review?

However, not all my meetings went as planned. Here are some of the situations I encountered and how I reacted.

MY REVIEWER TALKED Too MUCH

I met this one reviewer that was a very nice guy but he loved to talk. And did he e'er talk! He talked most things they weren't relevant to me, similar how much he loved Barcelona (where I'm from) or the things I could exercise to promote my piece of work (99% of the things he said I was already doing them). So I establish myself wanting to interrupt him but without being rude. I tried to lead the conversation again, and in a moment he said something about Barcelona, and that is when I jumped in and said: "Exactly! For instance, this SHOOT Here was washed nearby Barcelona" and I fabricated him focus once again on my work.

Recall that you are paying a lot to see these people and yous are doing it to get something from it: contacts, feedback, and advice. Make sure yous say all you have to say.

IT HAD BEEN v MINUTES IN AND MY REVIEWER HADN'T OPENED MY BOOK However

I met with this reviewer that also loved to talk. Five minutes had passed and she was however asking questions about my life and why I chose animal photography. I was getting a scrap broken-hearted considering this was only a 15-minute review and I just had 10 minutes left to show my book. Of course, I didn't want to shove the book into her face, simply at some point, and while she was talking, I grabbed the book and opened it and left information technology there. Information technology wasn't a smooth motion simply I reminded myself that I was there to promote my work and become future commissions, so I had to exercise information technology.

I WAS RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND THE REVIEWER HADN'T GOTTEN TO MY BEST Work

Typically, the reviewers commencement checking your book from the get-go and while they pass the pages you are too chatting. And of course, they desire to encounter each page and show their involvement in your work. But, in this example, I found myself in a couple of situations where the reviewer was halfway through and hadn't seen my favorite work nevertheless. And so I had to jump in and say "I'g distressing, I see that we just have v minutes left, so permit me testify you some of my favorite projects" and showed him.

One of the things I learned from this experience is that time flies and that I have to swap my work in the volume and offset with my personal series similar the Hairless Cats, and A Dog'south Life first. The reason why I had most of my best work at the stop was that I idea that, this way, they would get out them with a strong memory. Nevertheless, that wasn't working for me and on multiple occasions, both photographers and reviewers told me that I should move my 2d one-half of the book to the front. So that'south what I learned to do.

The Fetcher / One of the photos from my series "A DOG'S LIFE" 

The Fetcher / One of the photos from my serial "A DOG'S LIFE"

WHEN I HAD Zilch ELSE TO SAY TO THE REVIEWER - HE WAS Serenity. IT WAS Becoming Bad-mannered...

This is a rare scenario, only it happened to me. I wasn't sure if he actually wanted to be at that place or what, merely he mentioned that he was overwhelmed with all the reviews so he looked kind of tired and didn't engage with me much. Nosotros all the same had 5 minutes left to talk but he was pretty much washed with me and I wanted to avoid that bad-mannered silence. So, I tried to recollect of a story virtually a photo from my work or an anecdote to keep the chat going. If that happens to you,  yous tin can pass the ball and enquire the reviewer something about what kind of projects does he/she likes to produce, for instance.

Here is the overall feedback I got from my 2 portfolio reviews:

  • Start with my personal piece of work, as it shows who I am as a photographer
  • Add together my strongest work to the front
  • I need to add more stories to the book
  • Starting time with more powerful images (correct now I have a cat)
  • But 1 person said that he preferred another type of paper. The rest liked my book and press. Although I know I could have done something ameliorate, time and money was a constraint. I'll invest in a ameliorate book subsequently digesting all the feedback and creating new work.
  • Consider having an iPad to take different portfolios depending on the reviewer I'1000 meeting with.

MY TAKEAWAY:

  • Discussion well-nigh publishing my Sphynx volume.

  • My Personal projection A DOG'Southward LIFE got buzz and interest in being published in other magazines.

  • 2 photograph reps are interested in my work and to possibly starting time a human relationship.

  • Marketing advice.

  • I got free photo editing communication.

  • Begin of possible stories or how to become into National Geographic magazine.

  • Networking with other photographers to collaborate on projects together

CONCLUSION

Portfolio reviews are undeniably the best method of getting your work presented and noticed past experts in the field. In my experience, I have had to make quick decisions and exist quite savvy in meeting with top-notch professionals, and they take seemed to piece of work out. There are ways to make the all-time of your short fourth dimension with these experts, and I promise that my ideas requite you the knowledge and confidence in doing so.