Building a portfolio

Hiya!

Im in a tricky spot! For years now I have been designing websites for photographer, organizing their images etc.

..Ive now decided I'd like to get my work out there and showcase it with a portfolio website of my photography.

I've built the site, all find and dandy, but now Ive reached something I just cant do...I cant organize my pics! I dont know which to put up, and how to categorize them!...

I have EXTREMELY high standards and I only have about 4 photos that I consider perfect, but I cant just put them up!

How do you guys manage!?


RiverCOttage

Since you are so hard on yourself, perhaps your concept off perfect differs from the opinions of others?

You said you have 4 that are perfect. How many do you have that are just excellent, very good, enjoyable and attractive to simply enjoy? I am being serious here, and not poking fun at you. But with your criteria, you won't get off square one.

As far as organizing your pictures, what do you shoot? Sports? Urban Landscape? Wedding? Floral? Wildlife? Macro? Ships? This should be the easiest part of the task. Unless I'm misunderstanding something I'm not sure what the difficulty is. Give us a little more info and I'm sure between all of us we can come up with some constructive suggestions.

Those are photos that are perfect to you. Never forget that tastes and opinions of perfection are relative to each person. I know that I wind up using photos that I don't particularly like because they are the form and style of pictures that mundanes like.

If it's a portfolio remember that you're using it to sell yourself. Ask who you're catering to and compile it accordingly. Sitting in an ivory tower and hunting perfection isn't going to achieve that.

I forgot to ask the obvious........ you've organized the work of other photographers for years, so you already know something about how to do that. What specifically is the problem? Do the same thing you do for them. That would be the simplest solution.

Fenster is absolutely right. I have yet to see a perfect website. But I have seen many that I really like, some that are stunning, and many more that simply give me aesthetic pleasure. You can find fault in everything..... and end up getting nothing accomplished in the end.

Fenster wrote in post #5060470
Those are photos that are perfect to you. Never forget that tastes and opinions of perfection are relative to each person. ...... Sitting in an ivory tower and hunting perfection isn't going to achieve that.

Hiya, sorry if I'm being a vague! My work seems to be all over the place, maybe with an underlining theme of dark...

Ive put a rough draft here with some gallery ideas (give the bottom left a wee click to pop up the different galleries )

http://www.logwoodmill​.com/test/index.html

Any ideas on arrangement, most most welcome!

RiverCottage, I like your images. Very much. The theme actually works. However, no matter what - just do it! Take a chance, put it out there. Anything can be changed, moved around, put up, taken down. Remember: he who hesitates is lost, but he who takes a risk wins the gift of confidence and just may climb to the top of the mountain. Don't take that chance and you are guarantee a seat at the bottom.

What area are you hoping to work in, specifically? And what gallery software is that, it looks spiffy.

EDIT: That is some cracking work.

Many thanks for the replies, I'll just go for it and launch it, as you say I can always fiddle around as I do better work I suppose I'd like to do more of the bizare art pieces (chap in a chair in the sea etc. but i feel the more chance of making money lies in fashion work? So maybe I should try and focus on that area, and get some more images!)

Its not really a piece of gallery software its a messed around flash template I found online, I'll try find you a link

Thankyou again

Nicely done work River - I especially enjoyed your places.... I'm a bit of an urban landscape kind of guy so that sort of resonates with me.

Yes, I agree..... just DO it and then it can be tweaked later on. I tried to teach myself html and web design a couple of years back but couldn't make any progress at the end of a long tiring work day. So I just hired a pro to do it and get me up and running. Smartest thing I ever did.

Fashion is where the money would be - the fine art work is nice, but basically you're trying to sell people ART and that is always very challenging. It's typically not where the everyday money is. People only buy "art" when they have surplus or discretionary cash, or are redecorating, or see something that REALLY strikes them. That doesn't happen too often.

RiverCottage wrote in post #5060761
Many thanks for the replies, I'll just go for it and launch it, as you say I can always fiddle around as I do better work I suppose I'd like to do more of the bizare art pieces (chap in a chair in the sea etc. but i feel the more chance of making money lies in fashion work? So maybe I should try and focus on that area, and get some more images!)

Its not really a piece of gallery software its a messed around flash template I found online, I'll try find you a link

Thankyou again