FotoFest 2008 Portfolio Review suggestions
Feb 17th, 2008 by Brad
FotoFest Photographer’s portfolio review is every two years (officially it is called “The Meeting Place”). The public part of the international FotoFest Biennial are the shows that occur throughout Houston.
The portfolio reviews give photographic artists 20 minute face-to-face reviews with important international museum curators, gallery owners, photo festival directors, representatives of photo agencies, collectors, magazine editors and publishers. At least 4 reviews per day for 4 days. (List of FotoFest Reviewers for 1st session, March 7-10)
I’ve been to Photolucida2005, FotoFest2006, and Photolucida2007. Below is some of my advice to other photographers who may be preparing for their first portfolio review.
Preparing for reviews:
Be ready to explain and talk about your work and explain the concepts that hold your work together. You should have a practiced and concise description that you can comfortably give at any time.
Know a few questions that you want to ask each reviewer. Have these in your notebook to remind you if you should forget in the heat of the review. I can’t tell you how many people have wished they had remember some key thing they wanted to ask.
Preparing your portfolio:
Only present your best work and seriously edit your work to 15-20 images that are all part of a consistent series. Tightly focused series do much better with most reviewers. I present one finished series and have a sample of a new series 4-8 images. Ask the reviewer if they would like to discuss the first series before asking to see if they want to see another series.
Consider using self-produced photo books to show a sample of another series that you are working on. These can also be handy to show others outside of the review.
The Review:
Be able to explain your work, but be professional and don’t talk to much. Feel free to ask questions. Take notes after each review before you forget important details. Write down everything both good and bad.
Often helpful to note which images each reviewer liked the best. Provide reviewers with some sort of leave behind something with an image is best.
Leave-behinds:
Follow up with the reviewers afterwards. The biggest mistake mentioned by many photographers at their second portfolio review is not following up at their first portfolio review.
Networking:
Network with your fellow photographers as they can also serve as a source of contacts and suggestions while portfolio reviews and afterwards.
Last year I provided my comments to Photolucida (hosted in Portland Oregon in odd years, next 2009) and they included them in their guide:
http://www.photolucida.org/images/PortfolioReviewGuide.pdf
