Portfolio Questionaire

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hh101

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Portfolio Questionaire

Hey there everyone was wondering if anyone could help me out with this questionaire which is for a project im doing wether you are a professional photographer or not there is a more detailed explanation of this project at the end of this post.

This quick questionaire is for the use of a university project relating to my Photography degree it will not only help me with my work but also as a photographer myself who will soon be seeking a career within the photography field. The questionaire consists of 10 simple questions please feel free to answer them in depth if you would like to.

1. Do you maintain a portfolio of your work?

2. In what form is your portfolio presented and why?

3. Would you consider a portfolio to be of good purpose/value if so why?

4. How many images does your portfolio consist of (How many is to
many/how many is too little)?

5. What would you say are the most fundamental considerations to take
into account when creating a portfolio?

6. How often do you update your portfolio?

7. Would you change your portfolio images depending on your client?

8. How does your portfolio stand out from others you may have seen?

9. Where would you say is the best place to source professional portfolio
supplies?

10. Do you have any other comments you would like to make regarding
Portfolios? (Hints & Tips?)


Thank you!


H. Hamit


Edit - For a much more clear understanding of the project it is to actually send the questionaire to as many photographers as possible by email and forums wether professional or not since everyone looks at things differently and everyone has there own unique ideas I need to gather the questionaires look through each of them and write a review on the entire process relating all the questionaires to find out what the majority of photographers would consider an overall great portfolio...The questions are quite basic to make it easier for the person filling in the questionaire since many people may be busy it would be quicker for them to answer rather than having complicated longer questions.
 
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If anyone else has a minute or two to sper please fill in the questionaire even if its just a couple of questions you will be doing me a big favour (the more replys I get the better) thanks everyone!
 
thank you for the advice I have done that also but I guess not many people like to fill in questionaires lol ...Your landscape/seascape pics look great btw
 
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I think you need to explain the purpose of your project more fully, there's always the suspicion that when someones first post is such a long list of questions that we're being expected to complete your homework.

This isn't to say this is the case here.. but others have come before you, and some of your questions are quite basic.
 
Thank you for letting me know I see what you mean...The purpose of the project is to actually send the questionaire to as many photographers as possible by email and forums wether professional or not since everyone looks at things differently and everyone has there own unique ideas I need to gather the questionaires look through each of them and write a review on the entire process relating all the questionaires to find out what the majority of photographers would consider an overall great portfolio...The questions are quite basic to make it easier for the person filling in the questionaire since many people may be busy it would be quicker for them to answer rather than having complicated longer questions.
 
I was quite willing to answer the questionnaire but given Q9 I presume you are talking about physical, hardcopy portfolios so my answer to Q1 is No and as most of the other questions rely on a positive answer to Q1 then there's not much point.
 
If you do not own a portfolio as a hardcopy, a website or in any other form then yes the questions would be much more pointless since you will not know much about a portfolio even though you may be able to make assumptions...as a university student I also dont know as much as a photographer who may be much more experienced than I am especially if they are professional or have a portfolio which they consider to be good which is the point of the whole project to understand from a variety of photographers from ameteur to pro and understand what the majority of photographers consider to be a good portfolio ...I understand if you cannot fill the questionaire due to not having a portfolio though I appreciate you taking the time to read through my post though.
Thank you anyway
 
I assume this is aimed at full time professional photographers rather than those who just make the odd bit of pocket money?
 
Its aimed at anyone who does photography and wouldnt mind answering the questions ...even if you have sold some of your photography work to someone im sure that someone has seen your pictures before buying them wether it being as an online portfolio or as a hard copy portfolio and wether it being a professional portfolio or not ...its basically what you consider to be a portfolio
 
I don't regard myself as a pro photographer although I occasionally take commissioned photos (portraits, company websites), so treat my answers accordingly.

Yes, folder of prints + website + slideshow, yes - how else can you demonstrate what you can do?, a large pool from which an appropriate number (6-12) of appropriate (relevant) are selected for any one purpose, relevance to the viewer and to the brief, frequently, always, it's mine, best to ask the pros this one, keep it relevant and focussed
 
Does not matter if you are pro or not its for all photographers ...thanks alot Alastair really appreciate it.
 
Please take my answers very lightly as I do NOT consider myself any more than an amateur who has sold a few images for small amounts. ;)

1. Do you maintain a portfolio of your work?
Only flickr at present.

2. In what form is your portfolio presented and why?
Flickr online. At present trying to sift through the many many online portfolio hosts as to which is the best fit for me. Too time consuming for me right now so it hasn't had much attention for a while.

3. Would you consider a portfolio to be of good purpose/value if so why?
For me personally no not really. At the moment I am not actively seeking to earn big money from my photography so I don't really advertise myself. If someone sees my photos on flickr that's fine if not that's also fine for me.

4. How many images does your portfolio consist of (How many is to
many/how many is too little)?
Don't really know.

5. What would you say are the most fundamental considerations to take
into account when creating a portfolio?
Variety of work, only your best shots, don't have "filler" shots to pad it out.

6. How often do you update your portfolio?
I don't really.

7. Would you change your portfolio images depending on your client?
N/A.

8. How does your portfolio stand out from others you may have seen?
It doesn't. :D:lol:

9. Where would you say is the best place to source professional portfolio
supplies?
No idea but personally I hate "poncey" portfolios. It's what's inside that counts for me, but then I don't judge these things so I can't really say what the right answer is.

10. Do you have any other comments you would like to make regarding
Portfolios? (Hints & Tips?)
Ask someone other than me. They will have better answers for the above questions than I will. :p
 
lol thanks alot Andy no worries im an amateur myself...something is always better than nothing
 
hh101 said:
If you do not own a portfolio as a hardcopy, a website or in any other form then yes the questions would be much more pointless since you will not know much about a portfolio even though you may be able to make assumptions...as a university student I also dont know as much as a photographer who may be much more experienced than I am especially if they are professional or have a portfolio which they consider to be good which is the point of the whole project to understand from a variety of photographers from ameteur to pro and understand what the majority of photographers consider to be a good portfolio ...I understand if you cannot fill the questionaire due to not having a portfolio though I appreciate you taking the time to read through my post though.
Thank you anyway
Click to expand...

In that case,

Portfolio Questionaire

1. Do you maintain a portfolio of your work?

Yes.

2. In what form is your portfolio presented and why?

I have a regularly updated blog with a portfolio page. The blog gets updated a lot more regularly than the portfolio page but the portfolio page has the images that I consider to be my best. I also have a Flickr which I will sometimes link people to but I don't feel it is as professional as a stand alone site.

3. Would you consider a portfolio to be of good purpose/value if so why?

Online/Digital yes. Printed/hardcopy not so much these days hence why I don't have one.

4. How many images does your portfolio consist of (How many is to
many/how many is too little)?

Currently, 23. I doubt I'll increase this to much more than 30. I have heard it say that people will generally stop looking after about 5.

5. What would you say are the most fundamental considerations to take
into account when creating a portfolio?

In the context of a publicly viewable online portfolio (such is mine) what you want to do and from this follows, what you want to show your good at doing.
Ie, if you want to be an art photographer, don't show 20 images of corporate/family portraiture. Obviously this doesn't apply if you are sending/displaying a portfolio tailored to a specific job application/commission.

6. How often do you update your portfolio?

Every couple of months, mine needs done now actually!

7. Would you change your portfolio images depending on your client?

Yes and no. I have never been asked for a portfolio by a client or potential employer, just to send/link to a few examples of work. This can be very specific "Can you send us some examples of photographs you have taken to convey an important message?" in which case I had to select specific images most of which would not normally be part of my portfolio or very vague "Do you have some examples of your work you can send me?" in which case I'd be sending some of what I consider to be my best images.

8. How does your portfolio stand out from others you may have seen?

It's quite focused. It contains a lot of black and white images and a lot of images which are scanned darkroom prints.

9. Where would you say is the best place to source professional portfolio
supplies?

My type of portfolio needs no supplies.

10. Do you have any other comments you would like to make regarding
Portfolios? (Hints & Tips?)




Incase you want a context to put those answers in,
I am a 29 year old male in 4th year of a BA (Hons) Photography course.
I am self employed as a photographer (as well as having several paye jobs) and have earned money from photography by being second shooter at weddings, doing press jobs for a couple of agencies and undertaking freelance jobs such as corporate portraiture.
I have also had paye employment as a photographer.
I now do very little paid work and instead concentrate on my studies and some self initiated social documentary projects.
 
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