Final Physical Portfolio
My final physical portfolio shown below, is what I decided to produce based on the research that I had done. I decided to produce an archive box as I found this to be the easiest way to add and remove work when updating my portfolio. I also liked the idea of separating each project with small bulldog clips. I feel that this makes it easy to distinguish between the projects, and makes the portfolio more interactive. The box I have chosen is a simple black fine weave cotton cloth. In the future I aim to buy a leather embossed box, however as I have produced this project on a budget, this box was still effective to display my current work. I have also added a copy of my CV, and a business card on the top of the box to make it easy to distinguish that this portfolio belongs to me.
Physical Portfolio Inspiration
In terms of creating a physical portfolio, I wasn’t sure which option would be best to create. The styles that I was most drawn to when researching were the style of a display book, and also an archive box. I feel that the display book is extremely practical and easy to travel with when attending interviews etc. However on the other hand, an archive box gives me more freedom in terms of adding and removing work as and when I please. It is also a great way to show photography work and it is easy to lay out the works next to each other to create a narrative. Thinking about costs and having to do this portfolio on a student budget, I have opted for the archive box, as I feel that it is still effective, and a lot cheaper to produce. It will also be an easier way to update with new work as I can just remove and add images.
Business Cards
Following from my research into the style of business cards that I wanted to produce, I designed the front of my business cards in Indesign, and chose Moo as the company to order them from. To keep my branding coherent throughout, I used the same font ‘Work sans extra light’ as my website. The information I have provided on the business cards is very minimal and basic, and included just my website, my email address, and mobile number. I decided not to add links to my Instagram, as I feel that providing a link to the website is enough, and the website then provides links to all other online presences. It also ensures that people who pick my business cards up don’t just check out my Instagram and actually look at my website, meaning that if they want to find my Instagram, they need to look at my work beforehand.
I chose three of my best images at this moment in time for the back of the business cards, as I feel that this is a good alternative to post cards, and it is more practical in size.
Business Card Inspiration
The promotional material I have decided on is solely business cards, and not post cards. I have made this decision based on the fact that I think post cards are less practical and people might be less likely to pick up a post card, rather than a post card. I understand that business cards should be simple and usually become outdated quite quickly is there are images featured on them. For this reason, I have decided that I want to produce business cards that feature three different alternate images on the back. This way, I am creating the same effect as post cards, but in a more practical size, and I can just update and reprint them every few months in the future.
After making this decision, I browsed some websites to see which ones offered the option of creating alternate images on the back of the business cards. The company that I chose was Moo as they offered a wider variety than others I looked at such as Vistaprint, and Mixam. To inspire me with my business cards, Moo have an ‘inspiration’ section which I browsed for a while. The style that I liked the most was the portrait style, and I was most drawn to the business cards that were really simple. This is something I will keep in mind when creating my business cards.
Social Media
Having an online social media presence is an essential way to market and promote myself. I am aiming to become a freelance photographer after graduating, therefore having a relevant Instagram is extremely important as this is the most effective way to be seen in the industry. I have had a professional Instagram account for a long time now, however during this project I started to think more strategically and started curating it in a more effective way. I have used this platform to post regularly during my final major project, and have added hashtags to each image in order to create a social media strategy. I decided to create a different account to my personal account, as I feel that it looks more professional, and helps to keep my personal life from my work life.
As well as having an Instagram account, I have also had a Facebook page for a long time. Facebook targets a different target regarding age groups, however I felt that it is still important to have a presence on there. I have curated my Facebook page as a platform for me to post my projects on there, and also a way for potential clients to find me and message me. I have kept my profile image the same as my Instagram, to keep my branding and presence coherent throughout.
In the meantime I have not created a Twitter page yet, as I feel that this is a good platform however I feel that I need to create a wider following before this being a good way to promote myself.
Company/Careers Database
After graduating from University, I am intending to market and launch myself as a freelance photographer. The companies I have looked into are companies that I would like to work for in terms of shooting advertorials, and also magazines that I would like to be featured in, and shoot editorials for. In my database I have included the contact details, and also a small note as to why I would want to work for that company.
Online Portfolio/Website
After looking at some online websites I started to create my own website using Wix, as I found this platform very easy to use. The layout that I created was heavily inspired by Alexandra Leese and also Dafy Hagai’s websites. I decided to choose a scrolling gallery for the front page, where I have shown one image from each image, where you can click and it takes you to that particular project.
I decided to keep my branding very minimal with just a simple white background, and simple black font. The font I chose was ‘Work sans extra light’, and I added some spacing to my name, to divert it from the original font and make it more unique. I also decided to have my menu along the top, as I found this to be the most simple and easy way to navigate the website. I seperated my work into projects and also added an ‘about’ and ‘contact’ page. On the contact page I also added my Instagram account so it is easily accessible. I also added small social media handle symbols along the bottom, to give direct links to my other online platforms.
Overall I am extremely happy with my online website as I feel that it is very contemporary, modern, and easy to navigate.
Alexandra Leese
Alexandra Leese’s website has many attributes that I like and will take inspiration from for my own online website such as, the scrolling gallery on the home page, and the menu along the top. However I feel that the spacing between the images on the front is too little, and doesn’t give the images enough space. The menu along the top is effective, clean and simple and definitely something I will look into when creating my website.
Alessandro Dal Buoni
Alessandro Dal Buoni is a fashion photographer, and his website has a very sleek and ‘clean’ aesthetic to it. The entire website is very monochrome, and has a clear theme. It is a recurring theme from the websites I have looked at, to keep it very minimal and simple, and I think this is the most effective style of layout. The use of having a square gallery on the front, reminds me of an Instagram account, so I think I will stay away from this style of layout, as I don’t think it looks as professional as previous websites I have looked at.