what size is your portfolio prints

[my2dramaqueens]

I purchased a 13 x 19 portfolio. will it look bad if some of the pages i put 2 8x10 shots instead of one 13 x 19. of even smaller like 5x 7 or 4x6 ......

dont want to look "cheesy"

[NGrinerPhoto]

To be completely honest with you, I use the internet and image CDs as a portfolio. Do you need it for school or work?

[GPR1]

I think the acutal image size can vary a great deal as long as you have the base material the same size. For example, if you're not mounting the prints, print everything on 13x19 paper. Some prints may just have a 1" white border, while others might have borders that run several inches on each side. It might be tough, however, to run from 4x6 to 13x19.

Greg

[Mike Panic]

most of my stuff is internet or cd... but i am slowly building a print porfolio again - and using 8x10's

[swatcop169]

I'm using 8 x 10's

[CyberDyneSystems]

I don't think it will be "cheesy" if they are properly mounted to the same sized board,..

If you intend to share multiple images on a single larger board,. then I would say you need to be very carefull... keeping images that will work together on a single board..

[Vegas Poboy]

I've just redid two of my portfolio's Sports & Portraits both of them is 8x10's. I questioned a few pros & 8x10's and a good website seems to be the in thing for today's market. Now if I can only find the time to put my wedding album together. That will be a mixture of 8x10,5x7 & 4x6's

[Barb42]

I use a 13x19 portfolio, prints are a minimum of 11x14. I use Epson watercolor paper. It looks great. A portfolio should include only your best and in the largest size you can print. Try and keep all the images close in size and concept or color tones. Your want it to be as unified as possible. If you have more than one concept going, set up for more than one portfolio. Every artist should have several.

[epeace]

im curious . . what should i mount my prints on?

[Barb42]

Depends. Formcore works well for mounting, or matboard can be used - non-acidic, of course. I have used both. Just make sure you use the same thing for all images in a particular portfolio. I would avoid colors, unless you are using black or a light beige, tan, etc. type of color. A quiet color as neutral as possible. Cut matboard to frame the image should be white, off-white or black. Colors are distracting. Again, just be sure you are using the same color for all. I have several type of portfolio cases. Some are made for loose prints and are separated by a paper designed for that use - its a non-acidic tissue. Do a search on archival products. Lots of companies sell any of these products. Some of my portfolios are designed for foamcore/matboard backing only, others for same with cut matboard to frame the image. I use whatever the occasion calls for. Of course, I also use the kind with see-through clear folder types that I just slip the image into for protection and easy viewing. These are great for general storage and quick viewing. What you don't want is the image surface damaged in transport, anything that detracts from the image (draws the eye away or conflicts with the image), or something that marks you as an amateur. Another issue - try and keep the images in the same range - color only, B-W only, concept, size of image, all vertical or all horizonal. You don't want people tilting their heads - they won't take the time. And put your best in only. Don't waste time with second best to fill out a selection. Better fewer images than padding with second best.
Good luck.

[PhotosGuy]

if they are properly mounted to the same sized board,.. Good point. My prints for agencies were 16" X 20" and bleed trimmed, or if they are smaller, they're mounted on black 16" X 20" board. 4" X 5" & 2-1/4" transparencies are mounted on 10" X 12" black board.
If I knew an AD well, or if it was otherwise appropriate, I'd sometimes show 35mm transparencies in plastic sheets of 20.
Now, with digital, I would give them a weblink before the meeting, & just take a FEW of the very best with me for the "show & tell" 'cause they like to have something to fondle. ;-)

[Avalonthas]

I use 8x10 in my print portfolio, however i am weighing my options of whether i want to switch to a Digital Portfolio as it is much easier to carry around (I can literally have my portfolio at all times because i can just slip it in my bag and if someone approaches me, i can show it to them). However about 25% of my portfolio consists of my older SLR photographs that i took a year and a half or so ago before i got into Digital, so although i got tons of great digital's, i dont want to let go of my old film pics :/ Hard decision.

[Vegas Poboy]

Vegas Poboy:

It was my experience (five years ago) that wedding portfolio work, generally, was presented in the same medium that your product would be presented in: namely, full-size wedding albums and parent books. Things may have changed.

Composite weddings can be presented in one full-sized album, but generally, your prospective client will want to see what a full wedding looks like. Generally, this is presented in a permanent album with a collection of 4x5's, 5x7's and 8x10's with 4x5's predominating. I showed my partial and composite weddings in small 4x5 and 5x7 "parent" books.

Re: mounting work for commercial presentation to ad agencies and design studios. There are a couple of ways to go with your paper prints: prints permanantly mounted on black artboard (not Fomecor) and ptints placed in the binder-type folio. The binder types come in several grades, and most are overpriced. Buy what you can afford, and keep your eyes open for better presentation media.

I disagree that all photos should be 8x10's. It might have been the first ad agency that I called on whose art director told me: "Don't show me a bunch of 8x10's. I don't think in terms of full page for every image, nor should you." That stuck with me. I can understand why the AD might not want to see all 8x10's because not every image that goes to publication appears as 8x10.

Of course, that's just the opinion of one AD, but after that I could see the point, especially if I want the AD to look at shots in sequence. Four 8x10's might be overkill.
By the same token, if the shot DEMANDS an 8x10, present it as an 8x10. Some great photos look better as smaller images, though. (My own feeling is that the closer that an image of a person approaches life-size, the smaller the image can be if it will be held at arm's length. That's just my own sensibilities at play, though).

You may have one image that's a killer at 4x5 (4x6) but a dog at 8x10. Should you not include it because it just doesn't work as an 8x10? My answer is no. What if you photograph a ketchup bottle. Would you necessarily want it to be presented as an 8x10? Maybe, maybe not. I can see why one might rather see it presented as a 6x10 to compliment the dimensions of the bottle.

My point is that not all images have the same impact at the same size. Of course, that's for you to decide. That's what portfolio presentation is about: presenting your work so that it looks its best.

Jerry Fruchtman put out a book twenty years ago called" Pro Techniques of Studio Photography." He says a lot about format (and a lot about studio photography, of course), and each picture in his book is presented in a different format (as well as studio data pertaining to each photo). You'll see how each image has been cropped for the greatest impact. I recommend it.

Fruchtman, Jerry. "Pro Techniques of Studio Photography,"
HP Books, Tucson, AZ, 1986.

ISBN 0-89586-384-7
Library of Congress Cat. No. 86-81084

What I say may not apply to anybody else's situation and my conflict with others' experiences. If you market your work to billboard agencies, you'll want lots of BIG prints!

Bloo Dog, you're correct on the sizes, I'm so use to 4x6 I made a mistake it will be 4x5's

I purchased a display album by Renaissance afew months ago and with it I also purchased different sleeves. Just have to take the time to put it together. :)

[Vegas Poboy]

VegasPoBoy,

Actually, you can use 4x6's in a wedding album. Most manufacturers make mattes to accommodate 4x6 prints. The problem comes in when the photographer shoots 21/4" film. This can't be machine printed as 4x6 in a long roll lab. Maybe it can, but the labs I've used won't do it.

However, if you use a long roll processor, that place will print your 35mm as 4x5. But since we're talking digital (sorry, i had a brontosaurus moment) your small prints are most likely to be 4x6.

So cancel the comment about 4x5.

.
Ok thanks for the info, I purchased the album & mats 4 months ago just have not made the time to put things together