Showing your portfolio

[mark_jacoby___raleigh__nc]

When we meet with prospective clients I have my sample album and a

black portfolio full of 8x10. The portfolio is not fancy (cheap) and

has pages with clear plastic into which the prints slide in. Most B&G

flip through the entire book and sometimes go back and find a

favorite one or two.

 

The other day a couple young ladies were at the house and I gave them

the portfolio to look at and one of them asked is it ok to remove a

particular print & look at it. I said OK fine and left the room.

 

When I came back they had the entire table covered in prints and

were happily comparing them and making little piles of favorites. I

freaked out, "What are you doing?" and they looked at me as if I were

carzy and told me "Everbody like to handle photographs when they look

at them."

 

So the next time I meet with a client, The prints are going loose

into a presentation box and they can play with them all they want.

 

Has anyone else tried displaying their samples like this? Any

thoughts other than fingerprints?

[carl_miller]

Actually I haven't but it doesn't sound like such a bad idea. The fingerprint issue can be

quickly negated by spaying them with a matte finish like Sureguard or equivalent.

 

You could keep one set of 8x10's in a nice album and have a second set loose. Maybe

keep the loose set as 5x7's since they would also be easier to handle and spread out - and

just have the album handy to see a larger comparison if they want.

[jewan_runhaar]

why don't you buy a binder and some loose plastic showbags (i don't know how they are called. The photo's can stay in plastic but they can be taken out of the binder and handled all they want. At the end you just put everything back in the binder.

 

Keep in mind that there is plastic and plastic. You have consumergrade and clearer plastics. The better plastic are practically invisible and very durable, but (offcourse) expensive. I bought a pack of 20 the other day for about $35.

[jasonsmith]

Mark

 

Could could either buy or make some simple matt's and mount your 8 X 10s - that way they can handle them without putting there greasy mitts all over them.

 

Im sure I have some obsessive compulsive disorder - but I get extremely anxious if anyone puts there fingers on my prints. To my way of thinking I go to a lot of effort to get a nice finished product - you would think people would have enough respect not to touch the image.

[wistler]

concidering slipping each of those into a plastic slip just for added protection inside a portfolio box. If I do it right, I will be able to also put those matted pics into frames if I have a presentation where a framed portrait would be a better option...Just a thought. With a little work, planning and creativity, I think it can be done quite nicely on a budget.

MC

[chris m., central florida]

The Taprell Loomis (TAP) Parade 8X10 album holds up to 24 8X10 prints in matted pages and makes a beautiful presentation. They come in multiple colors, and suppliers like Wooden Nickel will imprint your studio name on the cover and/or inside for a very reasonable price. I've not had any clients try to remove my portfolio prints from these albums. The albums also come in a gold gift/storage box which is great for traveling to your client location. The price (no imprinting) is about $30 per album. I really like the platinum cover with black matted pages for PJ style work. They also have albums sized to hold 4X6 and 5X7 prints.

[fotografz]

As an Art Director/Creative Director at an Ad Agency, I get photographer's portfolios sent

to me all the time. Some are in boxes with loose prints matted with thin black card stock

that is hinged or are like a folder with a cut out. Others are simply laminated to resist

heavy handling. The laminated ones sometimes have a 1" or 2" black or white border

around them built into the print itself. The lamination is usually matte or semi-gloss.

 

I have a trunk full of 11 X14s and larger prints matted to 16 X20 or 20 X 24. Up until a

year ago that is what I used to present my wedding work. Now I show a slide show set to

music on a 23" screen.

[mark_jacoby___raleigh__nc]

Thanks everyone.

 

Chris, I'm going to order the TAP album as you suggested. For the price how can I go wrong.

 

I am also going to mat some and put in plastic envelopes.

 

Thanks again!