Portfolio: please have a look!

I had to put together a portfolio of my shots and I would like any criticism that you may have; good, bad, or indifferent.

http://www.flickr.com …5/sets/72157607​228585243/

Thanks

Here is one, look at the others Please.

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Your most interesting shots (in that set) are

1 (creek)
24 (poker chips - but too dark)
20 (candle girl)
12 (flower girl)
11 (luminaries)
9 (column)
8 (flower)
7 (stairs)
2 (sun in clouds)
10 (purple girl)

All except no.1 the creek) should have the overall levels adjusted - they are too dark (at least on my screen) and need more snap.

The rest are just snapshots and do you no favors. Delete them.

JMHO

#18, you have sensor dust that needs to be retouched?

They are nicely done. I do like the last shot of the sun in the clouds the best out of the series.

thanks for the suggestions. Will make changes accordingly.

Over all I think you have a pretty good eye for composition. The single biggest thing I'm seeing is a lack of consistency with the exposures...several of the shots look rather dark. My first question here would be, do you have your monitor properly calibrated? As some of these shots are correct and some of them aren't, I would also ask...are you perhaps doing your editing at different times of the day under different room lighting conditions? Image #12 for example looks pretty close, but #22 and 23 look too dark. Also, I'd go back on those two and take down the highlights a bit (looked like the model was sweating or something).

Also in regards to specific shots, image #3 really doesn't do anything for me at all...there's really no central subject to give the shot weight. Same thing applies to #15 as well. I really wouldn't include those two in a portfolio. I'm also not really crazy about #13...kind of makes me think "huh?". #12 is usable, but it's -way- too dark and you have the horizon too close to the middle of the image...remember the rule of thirds here! I'd go back and do more editing on that one. To me #6 really looks like an average tourist snap shot taken from a "scenic over-look" in a park somewhere...sorry, but there's nothing really special about that shot at all.

This is just my opinion here obviously, but to me your forte seems to be with the people shots, so I would put more emphasis on those for your portfolio...depending of course on the intent of the portfolio...a portfolio should always be purpose driven. A portfolio should reflect your best work...not just the shots that are actually "in focus". Exposure, composition, over-all aesthetics of the shot, etc., are all issues that should be considered when selecting shots for a portfolio. Remember, your portfolio is, for all intensive purposes, your "resume"...the idea is to show people (or potential clients) exactly what you're capable of...and those people are going to make judgments, good or bad, based on what they're seeing very quickly. More over, if you have even -1- bad picture out of 20 otherwise excellent shots, that one single bad shot is the shot folks are going to remember. As the old saying goes, "people never notice a salesman with clean finger nails, but they always remember the one with dirty finger nails".

You do have some nice stuff here, but you also have some stuff that's really just "so-so" at best and even some of the better shots still need some more post processing. If these were just snap shots or mementos it wouldn't be a big a deal but as you said these are for a portfolio, I would certainly address these issues.

Just my $.02 worth,
Jim

You have some nice photos in your portfolio. I would definaentley take into account the criticism offered by the other posters they are very much spot on when talking about your exposure.

My advice is for you to think carefully about the target of your portfolio. Right now your portfolio is not telling me much of a story and is not very cohesive for the number of pictures that are included. Be very careful about every portfolio you put togeather and custom tailor it to the client that you are approaching.