Portfolio editing, again, always …
It is, and will always be, a formidable task. To edit your own work and present just the very best at online galleries or at portfolios reviews. Make it your own mantra: less is more!
This post from Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey nails it … again. More than 250 comments in his post highlight the ‘formidable’ task that editing is for most.
there should be a big difference between your web presentation and your archive…two totally different animals….many fail to see the difference….. rather than really seeing the good pictures you do have, many editors will just exit in frustration over just too too much miscellaneous material…they do not want to go on a treasure hunt…they want to see the really best work … fast, concise, clear… period … - David Alan Harvey
“To edit your own work and present just the very best at online galleries or at portfolios reviews.”
That’s a scary task in my opinion.
After I received my first few sales on an image that was of my very first images, not one I personally was that “in love” with, I began questioning my own editing. I know my images are all cohesive and have the same style, that’s not the issue with my editing process. It’s choosing which ones might be more powerful to different people that poses the biggest challenge. Ones that are meaningful and beautiful to me and the ones that are meaningful and beautiful to you or anyone else can be very different.
To think that that first image would have been edited out of my web portfolio by me, and that it now continues to be the biggest seller and the most asked for image for articles/blogs kind of scared me.
I always include others in my editing process from now on. Typically 3-4 different people all with different tastes and kind of do an average on all their choices.
Aaron,
I understand your points and I agree that best is to edit the portfolio integrating the feedback of other people. At the end, for a portfolio where all the images are excellent and cohesive (like yours), the final selection becomes more arbitrary and driven by personal tastes as you indicate.
I see that the portfolio is no more than a business card to drive additional interest to learn about the photographer and his/her work. Then additional images can be presented if the objective is to sell them … I can even see two sections in the website, one with the portfolio and one with an archive of additional images for sale …
Best regards,
Miguel
Another interesting thought process for photographers who already are known by name alone…
A prominent photographer (who fits into the already known category) once suggested to me that I keep all of my best images hidden and away from the internet. That way, when people see an invite to an upcoming exhibit or come to the exhibit, they will be blown away by all of these never before seen images!
I can see his point, but I’m not sure I would attempt this technique if you’re not a VERY well-known on name alone. I’m not trying this technique anytime soon.
I always try to show a combination of what I consider my best work and what other people consider my best. Sometimes these sync up, sometimes not (as Aaron mentioned), but between the two, you get a pretty good coverage.
I find that this is one area that a blog helps. It’s a good place to post random photos, away from your ‘best work’, but in front of the eyes of your best fans. It helps me to gauge peoples’ reactions, to see if I want to include them in my main portfolio.