We recently gained the opportunity to send our work to Revolv photography agency and have it reviewed by some of their clients. I was really excited by the chance as I have struggled putting a portfolio together before and to have someone in industry review our work seemed like a great idea just before we graduate.
Ibby was very friendly and easy to talk to so it felt less formal which was lovely. I have found it difficult selecting a range of my images which illustrate all my skills and interests and was put at ease when Ibby simply said that your best work should be in the portfolio, work that you are proud of and feel best represents you. He also said that you can tailor your portfolio for different clients but it shouldn’t change too much as your style should be running through. The first three images are also the most important as most people are very busy and perhaps won’t have the time to look through all work so these really have to illustrate your best work.
When looking through my ‘Father’ project I was really surprised at how much he liked it and how I had overlooked so many details which have only come to light now. Theres a theme of blue and white which runs through all the images, which I’d never noticed. Ibby pointed out the significance of blue as a colour for memory, sadness, and thoughtfulness which all feel so relevant. He also helped me narrow down some of the images so my strongest were on view. I had also never thought about install shots and how clients can sometimes as you how you would display them in a certain space, so he said its always interesting to think about this when making and posting work.
With regards to my current FMP he suggested having a look through some phonebooks at home and noting the different sequencing, some more traditional whilst others are more sporadic. This would hopefully help me find what layout I want to move forward with and how to display work in my portfolio and website. Overall it was a really useful chat which I got some valuable knowledge from, I would now feel more confident to submit my work to agencies etc for others to review.
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