Every year I make a concentrated effort to put together a good portfolio site and it's always a pain deciding what should go up to represent myself, what I think will generate work and what is stuff I am really fond of, and what will give the impression of my style. The problem lies mainly in my style is all over the map. Every project I do I try to do a new style for, and every model shoot I try to make unique from all the previous ones. Anyways after 10 years of this and trying to make sites via namo, blogger, photo.net, fotoblur, etc. I went ahead and did a livebooks site and changed the name of the bizness to my actual name, David Miller Photoworks. Livebooks sites are versatile, easily accessed from any internet portal, can appear as html mirror sites for smart phones and pad technology (as opposed to the flash site I get on my home computer-- something a lightroom flash web gallery can't do). Most of their starter sites are $40 a month but I think it is totally worth it. Anything less professional looking is simply a turn off to potential clients.
I get a lot of good advice from podcasts and one thing I have picked up on is "present work that relates to what work you want to continue doing." So, if I have a great image of some dude with a cigar, but I have no interest in shooting, say, an ad for a cigar company, it should go. I get asked a lot about horror and pinup kinds of shots and both are, to me, the most obvious, least appealing, easiest-to-look-cheap kind of model photography around... although I have shot some pinup and slightly grotesque images that I am pretty proud of! If I want more work like that, I should present that; if I don't want more work like that, it needs to be edited out in favor of what I do really enjoy. The main premise is, in a portfolio you don't just present great photos, you present concepts and styles that you have explored and worked hard at so you are, for lack of a better word, a "master" of the concept and style. Also, most of my photo career has been with social documentary and travel kinds of images, things beyond fashion and portraiture, and it's important for that to stay represented even if it's been a year or so since I've really done any of that.
Besides the site I made another trip to Los Angeles. It's always good for inspiration and a huge variety of locatons and models. This trip was a bit different in that I knew most of the people I photographed beforehand, had a little variety by shooting a band and an engagement, and was able to come up with fairly simple scenarios using tools I was familiar with (motion blur, xrays, light painting, projection, large format photography) instead of trying new and complicated stuff or being responsible for hair, makeup and wardrobe. Each time I do these trips I learn from my mistakes and one big one of the past is that I hadn't been well rested and would stress or rush around... this time I took it nice and easy, never drove around at 4 am or whatever, and I think the more balanced mental state shows in the photos. 
Posts
