{Q+A} My portfolio building experience {McKenna}
A lady named Wendy from one of the photography groups I’m in asked if she could interview me for one of her classes. And I thought, hey, why not share it with all of you?! Hopefully some of you will find it helpful.
When you first began your journey in photography, did you know what type of photography you wanted to shoot? If not how long did it take you to discover your passion?
I knew that I wanted to work with kids but every photographer wants to shoot weddings right? So I guess that was my goal at first, but I never really enjoyed them… You know? So I guess I knew from the beginning what I wanted to shoot, but I kept my options open and tried everything out first just to make sure.
When you began to put your portfolio together did you see a consistent flow in your work? Did you style always match up?
I like to think that my photos had a similar “look” about them, but I definitely did some experimenting in the beginning. My framing, and “artistic eye” have more or less been the same since the beginning (at least I like to think so. Lol), but it took me a while to figure out the over all look.
When editing, do you have a workflow that helps to keep your style the same?
I actually don’t do much editing to my photos, but I guess that is part of my style. After culling, I sharpen and add contrast to every photo, then I double check to make sure the white balance is consistent in each image. That’s about it! Occasionally I come across a photo that needs a little more work than others, but I always compare it to another photo to make sure they look as similar as possible.
What about your style helps you stand out from your competitors/other photographers?
My editing style is clean and straight forward, which I think that most people like. I like my photos to have a really warm feel about them, which makes them feel more whimsical and inviting. As far as my shooting style goes, I like to take a mixture of “posed” photos and more candid ones. My goal is to capture emotion, the joy of new parents as they hold their first baby, or the mischievous glint in a little boy’s eye. People come to be because I capture who they are and how they feel in that specific moment. There are obviously many other factors that go into this though, such as how I interact with my clients, customer service, and branding.
What do you bring to your sessions that spark the emotion that you are trying to capture?
A charming smile and sparkling personality! Lol. Really though, I make a fool out of myself! I will do anything to make a client laugh! It also helps to know how to instruct your clients to do some sort of action so that you get the emotion/interaction that you want in your photo. For example, I tell my couples to snuggle and whisper in each other’s ear to get intimate emotional shots, and I tell kiddos to play peek-a-boo or tell me a funny story to get natural excitement. You can get any type of photo if you know how to instruct your client well.
In your opinion, what makes a strong portfolio?
This may sound obvious, but your portfolio should only include your best work for the type of photography that you want to offer. If you don’t want to photograph children, then don’t have children in your portfolio, if you don’t want to do weddings… well you get the idea. Your portfolio should have a good variety of everything that you are able to offer to your client.
Aside from your online portfolio, do you have a physical portfolio also? Something tangible your clients can feel and touch? Where do you have it printed?
I actually don’t have a printed copy of my portfolio. Most of my clients find me online, and I don’t have a chance to meet with them in person until the day of their session.
When setting up your portfolio on line, did you have a certain flow you wanted to show, or was it randomly put together? For example in your children’s portfolio were all the images placed in a certain order or did you mix up different sessions?
My portfolios are a mix of photos from different sessions. I normally do about 2 photos from each session per gallery. I try to mix up the photos as much as possible. This way if a prospective client only makes it through the first half of a gallery, they will still get a good idea of what I have to offer.
What type of mood do you feel your portfolio presents to clients looking to book you as their photographer?
When people look at my galleries, I want them to be able to connect emotionally with the photos. I want them to see the happiness, laughter, and fun that my photos capture and desire it for themselves.
