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Archive 2017 · What does my portfolio say to you?

  
 
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What does my portfolio say to you?


Just updated my portfolio in an attempt to refine my "brand" (a pleasant euphemism for getting the right client). My client is interesting, has life experiences, is mature, relaxed, understanding, appreciates good art and will let me have pretty much 100% creative freedom throughout the day. Let me know your guys thoughts please!

http://danielbostwickphotography.com/

Link is safe for work and family. EDIT, in the studio & editorial section there is a girl in a sports bra, forgot about that.



Oct 19, 2017 at 10:36 AM
IrishDino
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What does my portfolio say to you?


My $0.02

Homepage - There's a lot of family photos scattered in here. Is this a significant portion of your business?

Wedding Portfolio - I'd cull this harder. Seems to be a lot of "forced" PJ shots that aren't that interesting.



Oct 19, 2017 at 11:55 AM
amonline
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What does my portfolio say to you?


It says...

Your style can vary quite a bit, but your processing is solid.
You like a lot of candid shooting.
You are flexible with traditional and modern posing as needed.
Your focus is primarily on connection and life.
You like to shoot close a majority of the time.
I have no idea of your location, or where you offer services.
I finally found your location.
Your E & Family shoots are cheap, but your weddings might be high for what is delivered.
Your delivery will probably be minimalist. (based on the presentation)

That's what it says, viewing through my "potential client glasses".



Oct 19, 2017 at 12:23 PM
hardlyboring
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What does my portfolio say to you?


It says you left a link and I won't give you the satisfaction of clicking it.
have a nice day

hahaha



Oct 19, 2017 at 12:26 PM
JacobsLadder
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What does my portfolio say to you?


You have some definite magic happening on your home page - tossing kid with water splash in foreground, boogie boarding kid with folks in b/g, couple on beach at sunset with birds in sky - these say creativity to me, even though not weddings per say. The thought process that led you to these images makes me want to see what you could do with my family. Then you have some candid and posed images at a level just below those (still very solid), and then more residing at a 3rd level - technically solid but not amazing or unexpected.

Your 'Meet Danny' gives off a casual vibe, not high end. I don't see high end planners gravitating towards this, but that's probably not your target anyways. I'd have loved to see you and your beautiful wife smiling or having fun in the photo. That photo does not match the light hearted persona you presented us in your Meet Danny.

Overall I found your site to be clean and easily navigable. Nice images and nice vibe.



Oct 19, 2017 at 12:39 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What does my portfolio say to you?


Some really nice shots, some great layering.
fount the Harley shot to do not fit, too conventional
you like sunset shots
would consider to split up between wedding and family


heiko



Oct 19, 2017 at 01:23 PM
pasblues
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What does my portfolio say to you?


There's a shooter on here named Ken Cravillion who has an answer on his website to what kind of photography do you shoot where he sums it up with: "Damn good!" I love that. And, from what you've shown here, it applies to you. You don't just shoot "safe", you really push it in a great way without gimmicks.


Oct 19, 2017 at 01:27 PM
sungphoto
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What does my portfolio say to you?


I'd say that it doesn't emphasize your best work very well, and there are a few candids that don't really to really tell the story of your brand.

Personally, I thought it was odd that the first image was of a silhouetted woman where her face was almost completely dark.

Like others have mentioned, I'd cull down your home page images to just your top 15-20. I think you have some great work in there, but it's buried.



Oct 19, 2017 at 01:45 PM
glort
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What does my portfolio say to you?



What does my portfolio say to you?

What does it say to a bunch of other shooters largely technically and gear obsessed on a photo forum?

Who the Fk cares?
What you should be asking is what it says to your potential CLIENTS.
They have a whole different way of looking at things than shooters. There is also the small detail that no one here is likely to hire you unlike non shooters.

I'd recommend asking as many women ( and guys) in your target market as possible and get THEIR feedback and comments. They are the ones that will be booking and paying you and I'll guarantee their comments and things that are significant to them will contain things that shooters will never see but in fact may be highly significant to a potential client.

At the end of EVERY shoot I do, no matter what it is for, I ask the client to tell me what I did wrong and what I could Improve. I tell them in the same breath, Please don't say nothing or be polite because that does NOT help me one little bit, I need it straight between the eyes. I say if there is nothing I could do better than that means I'm perfect and we know that is laughable so lets have it.

I'll bet the majority of shooters never ask for feedback from their clients which is missing out on a lot of potential to improve and grow their business in many ways.



Oct 19, 2017 at 05:12 PM
amonline
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What does my portfolio say to you?


Well, obviously, glort didn’t read my post. I didn’t talk about technicalities or gear. I conveyed what a potential client would see, think, and wonder before picking up the phone. I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of feedback he was asking for.

And I would disagree, glort. I’m fairly sure any photographer here that considers themselves a professional, asks their clients for feedback. I know I sure as hell do... from start to finish.



Oct 19, 2017 at 08:50 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What does my portfolio say to you?


You've got some great shit in here, Danny — I love your work.

Maybe you're going about this the wrong way. Show the moments you're most proud of, the "groundhog's day" events (ones you wish you could shoot over and over). Also, pick 3-6 adjectives to define your brand and make sure every introductory image you show talks directly to those 3-6 words.

Wondering for a moment, the more crowded the information age gets, the world seems to react to super tight portfolios/presentations. Ever see how many followers brandonwoelfel gets on Instagram? And every photo, looks the same — pretty girl, cross-processed colors, foreground bokeh — now repeat. And over 100,000 people press Like evertime. How many existing-light 20-something hipster wedding photographers get great bookings and NEVER show any reception images? As long as I've been doing this, and know I should fall prey to what I'm about to admit, I find myself drawn to photographers that only show one type of image. It's like they shoot the same session over and over, only with different people. So ... rather then 3-6 adjectives, only pick 3 — and keep it tight.



Oct 19, 2017 at 09:42 PM
glort
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What does my portfolio say to you?


amonline wrote:
Well, obviously, glort didn’t read my post.


I'm amazed you read my reply.

I did glance over your post but I answered the question and gave my independent of other responses reply.

And I would disagree, glort. I’m fairly sure any photographer here that considers themselves a professional, asks their clients for feedback. I know I sure as hell do... from start to finish.

I think you give the majority of shooters too much credit. You are talking about people whom equate any basic sales techniques as being " A used car salesman". The same people that will argue the need for any business knowledge as being far less important that taking the preittiest pictures possible. And the same people that if replied honestly would tell you they probably don't spend 1/50th the time educating themselves in any business skill as they spend reading about equipment, even if it is not applicable to the gear they use or the work they do.

The other day I read of someone here saying they never asked why people booked them. I would suggest that is fairly significant feedback one would do REAL well to ask.

Given the average level of business and marketing skills I see with shooters who don't apply the most basic level of marketing to their business ( other than blogging and facetwitgramchat), I'll stick with my position even though I would fully expect most if asked to say one thing even if they do another.



Oct 20, 2017 at 04:29 AM
tonyhart
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What does my portfolio say to you?


Hi Danny,

Been enjoying seeing your recent work around the place. Always something interesting to see. Some thoughts on the portfolio, which overall is very good.

1. A few photos to lose out right IMHO:

  1. Kid dancing with the inflatable mic in the air. Doesn't do much.
  2. BW of Lady dancing on guys shoulders. It's a snoz shot. I think a lot of brides would worry that you're not alive to there insecurities.
  3. Miller drinking shot. Coupled with the slightly cool WB it feels a bit cheap.
  4. BW getting ready shot (in the basement?) with the ceiling fan. It's not got something for the eye to grab ahold of.
  5. Muddy stilletos shot. They're not dirty enough to be comedic and tbh, they just look like grotty shoes!
  6. Cake cutting shot with bride licking her fingers. Neither funny enough or pretty enough. Everyone looks bored.
  7. Couple portrait with yellow bouquet/button holes. Hard to see that the bride is sitting and she just looks unintentionally like a tiny person!

2. I'd start with either the 2nd image - which is astounding - or possibly the one of champagne overflow, as it hilarious and will prompt people to look further.

3. Not sure if it is on my screen only, but a lot of the images look quite soft. Some in particular look significantly OOF. Some are probably worth it for the moment (bridesmaid and Mum/Grandma seeing daughter in the dress) but have a think about how images are displaying on high DPI screens (I am on a 5K display).

4. Overall, the feel is that you're able to move effortlessly from strictly PJ stuff to quite contemporary constructed images. I think that it actually ends up feeling somewhat dichotomous because the PJ stuff feels quite classic, whereas a lot of the portraiture feels like it's trying to be different or unusual. Which is in no way bad... but they pull against each other a touch in my view. Perhaps you could split it into two portfolios to resolve it? That said, I'm not sure I'd want to do that myself...

5. I am not a fan of the mechanism for moving around. On Safari I had no sidebar scroll option. I could mouse wheel, and I could page down, but there was no way to quickly find an image midway down the page.

Hope that's some help buddy. For what it's worth, you're regularly producing great work.



Oct 20, 2017 at 06:27 AM
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What does my portfolio say to you?


ZachOly wrote:
My $0.02

Homepage - There's a lot of family photos scattered in here. Is this a significant portion of your business?

Wedding Portfolio - I'd cull this harder. Seems to be a lot of "forced" PJ shots that aren't that interesting.


Thanks Zach!! Yes, Families do create a crucial element to my business. If we looked at total piece of the pie financially, it wouldn't be as big of weddings, but I use them for A)Practice B)Networking. I've booked a lot of weddings because I shot fill in the blanks family photos and I saw them on Facebook and loved them!"

That being said, I'm going to go get ruthless on this portfolio and knock it down it sounds like.

---------------------------------------------

amonline wrote:
It says...

Your style can vary quite a bit, but your processing is solid.
You like a lot of candid shooting.
You are flexible with traditional and modern posing as needed.
Your focus is primarily on connection and life.
You like to shoot close a majority of the time.
I have no idea of your location, or where you offer services.
I finally found your location.
Your E & Family shoots are cheap, but your weddings might be high for what is delivered.
Your delivery will probably be minimalist. (based on the presentation)

That's what it says, viewing through my "potential client glasses".


Thanks for the thoughts, all of which is pretty accurate.

---------------------------------------------

hardlyboring wrote:
It says you left a link and I won't give you the satisfaction of clicking it.
have a nice day

hahaha


Cool.

---------------------------------------------

JacobsLadder wrote:
You have some definite magic happening on your home page - tossing kid with water splash in foreground, boogie boarding kid with folks in b/g, couple on beach at sunset with birds in sky - these say creativity to me, even though not weddings per say. The thought process that led you to these images makes me want to see what you could do with my family. Then you have some candid and posed images at a level just below those (still very solid), and then more residing at a 3rd level - technically solid but not amazing or unexpected.

Your
...Show more

Thanks, buddy! Yeah, the general consensus is I need to cull this down a bit. I'll be doing that in short order. The Meet Danny section is designed to give off a blue collar sort of feel. I have no desire to work with the high end. I've worked with some pretty high end weddings, well into the 6 digits for the wedding, and I have zero desire to work with that crowd. My typical clients are teachers, accountants, cops, start-up owners, nurses, with the occasional doctor or lawyer. I do need to update that shot, the idea of taking a self portrait weirds me out though.

---------------------------------------------

heikoM wrote:
Some really nice shots, some great layering.
fount the Harley shot to do not fit, too conventional
you like sunset shots
would consider to split up between wedding and family

heiko


So, I kept the 2 together on the landing page to keep folks interested. They are split up in the portfolios section. The harley shot is meant to be a mechanism to show that I like traditional portraits as well (which I really do), and to let them know it's not all kissy shots in a field. But, I probably have a better one somewhere to prove this point which I'll look into.

---------------------------------------------

pasblues wrote:
There's a shooter on here named Ken Cravillion who has an answer on his website to what kind of photography do you shoot where he sums it up with: "Damn good!" I love that. And, from what you've shown here, it applies to you. You don't just shoot "safe", you really push it in a great way without gimmicks.


Ha, man that's my take, too. I just want to show good photos (or what I perceive to be good photos).

---------------------------------------------

sungphoto wrote:
I'd say that it doesn't emphasize your best work very well, and there are a few candids that don't really to really tell the story of your brand.

Personally, I thought it was odd that the first image was of a silhouetted woman where her face was almost completely dark.

Like others have mentioned, I'd cull down your home page images to just your top 15-20. I think you have some great work in there, but it's buried.


Thanks buddy, going to get to work on the cull down. Cheers!

---------------------------------------------

glort wrote:
What does it say to a bunch of other shooters largely technically and gear obsessed on a photo forum?

Who the Fk cares?
What you should be asking is what it says to your potential CLIENTS.
They have a whole different way of looking at things than shooters. There is also the small detail that no one here is likely to hire you unlike non shooters.

I'd recommend asking as many women ( and guys) in your target market as possible and get THEIR feedback and comments. They are the ones that will be booking and paying you and I'll guarantee
...Show more

You know, I thought about this a lot. I know that anymore there way too many posts related to dual SD slots and whatever the new camera is and how many MP there are floating around, but there are some folks on there with opinions I really respect. I really wanted an objective third party to look at it. Yes, clients will all say the pictures are pretty, I get that, but I am trying to go beyond that for my own sake. I think it's hard to improve when I am just worried about the client. I want trial by fire and I want to continually force myself into uncomfortable territory. So, asking a bunch of jaded wedding photographers there opinion, I thought might get me there.

---------------------------------------------

LeeSimms wrote:
You've got some great shit in here, Danny — I love your work.

Maybe you're going about this the wrong way. Show the moments you're most proud of, the "groundhog's day" events (ones you wish you could shoot over and over). Also, pick 3-6 adjectives to define your brand and make sure every introductory image you show talks directly to those 3-6 words.

Wondering for a moment, the more crowded the information age gets, the world seems to react to super tight portfolios/presentations. Ever see how many followers brandonwoelfel gets on Instagram? And every photo, looks the same — pretty girl, cross-processed colors,
...Show more

Thanks buddy, my wife and I are visiting Denver in a few weeks, who knows, might be sending in an application to associate shoot for you haha!

Anywho, yeah, will be culling this down. I like the 3-6 words objective. Will give that a shot.

Speaking to those instagram kids. I don't concern myself with them. He does something cool, people like it, that's dandy, I'll be out here hunting for my own "thing". (That guy particularly is interesting, it's just 50mm and pink and blue bokah in every image. I literally 10 minutes ago just read something Dan Winters wrote that said, "When we allow ourselves to fall into a formula we die as artists" and I thought that was particularly interesting. I don't know if that applies to this dude, but it's poignant for us all IMO)

---------------------------------------------

tonyhart wrote:
Hi Danny,

Been enjoying seeing your recent work around the place. Always something interesting to see. Some thoughts on the portfolio, which overall is very good.

1. A few photos to lose out right IMHO:

  1. Kid dancing with the inflatable mic in the air. Doesn't do much.
  2. BW of Lady dancing on guys shoulders. It's a snoz shot. I think a lot of brides would worry that you're not alive to there insecurities.
  3. Miller drinking shot. Coupled with the slightly cool WB it feels a bit cheap.
  4. BW getting ready shot (in the basement?) with the ceiling fan. It's not got something for the eye
  5. Muddy stilletos shot. They're not dirty enough to be comedic and tbh, they just look like grotty shoes!
  6. Cake cutting shot with bride licking her fingers. Neither funny enough or pretty enough. Everyone looks bored.
  7. Couple portrait with yellow bouquet/button holes. Hard to see that the bride is sitting and she just looks unintentionally like a tiny person!

2. I'd start with either the 2nd image - which is astounding - or possibly the one of champagne overflow, as it hilarious and will prompt people to look further.

3. Not sure if it is on my screen only, but a lot of the images look quite soft. Some in particular look significantly OOF. Some are probably worth it for the moment (bridesmaid and Mum/Grandma seeing daughter in the dress) but have a think about how images are displaying on high DPI screens (I am on a 5K display).

4. Overall, the feel is that you're able to move effortlessly from strictly PJ stuff to quite contemporary constructed images. I think that it actually ends up feeling somewhat dichotomous because the PJ stuff feels quite classic, whereas a lot of the portraiture feels like it's trying to be different or unusual. Which is in no way bad... but they pull against each other a touch in my view. Perhaps you could split it into two portfolios to resolve it? That said, I'm not sure I'd want to do that myself...

5. I am not a fan of the mechanism for moving around. On Safari I had no sidebar scroll option. I could mouse wheel, and I could page down, but there was no way to quickly find an image midway down the page.

Hope that's some help buddy. For what it's worth, you're regularly producing great work.
...Show more

Thanks, Tony! I like this. It's funny, I just felt like I should show some reception shots in there, so I sorta picked a few haphazardly to be honest because I never come away with anything I am particularly jazzed about. White people dancing in a ballroom all looks the same to me.

The one of the sister/mom seeing the bride is a little soft, but I liked the moment so I kept it. That should be the only one. I've had issues with quality of images being sent through the site though.

I see what you mean about the dichotomous portfolio, but that is actually the goal to be honest. My entire life I have never liked being put into a "Crowd", I've always dabbled in different worlds, different activities, and played the lone wolf card. In high school, I chased girls, played every sport I could, but still wrote poetry, learned a few instruments, started a novel, and found photography. That continues to this day where I hunt, train jiu jitsu, lift weights, and am a professional photographer and am still writing. Anyway, it's my way of trying to be good at everything. I want to be able to slay it PJ style if the situation demands it, make epic portrait when the light pours through, and keep it traditional and conventional to appease Mom. Not sure if that makes any sense, but none the less, that's where my heads at in that sense! I probably would split them up sheerly out of laziness to be frank haha!

Thanks for the feedback on the website. I'll look into that one! Thanks for the feedback on the whole thing, this was super helpful and was exactly what I came here for. I wanted a bit of an objective third party opinion from a friend and a brother in arms, not praise from the untrained eye.



Oct 20, 2017 at 07:50 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · What does my portfolio say to you?


> my wife and I are visiting Denver in a few weeks

PM me. Buy you a beer (we make a lot of them here).



Oct 20, 2017 at 08:27 AM
brick33308
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · What does my portfolio say to you?


I love your portfolio. Of course take that with a grain of salt as I'm mainly a candid street shooter capturing every day life without my subjects faking a pose. That said, in my humble opinion, I think your approach works best for showing the big day as it unfolds. I especially love this one.

http://danielbostwickphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/For-Web-6-of-22-856855681.jpg



Oct 20, 2017 at 10:12 AM
mkenaston
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · What does my portfolio say to you?


Ignore the 'haters.' Very solid work. Well done.

Also, huge props for not destroying your work with watermarks.



Dec 06, 2017 at 11:18 AM
amonline
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · What does my portfolio say to you?


mkenaston wrote:
Ignore the 'haters.' Very solid work. Well done.

Also, huge props for not destroying your work with watermarks.


3 posts. All about watermarks.

LMFAO

Welcome, watermark nazi.



Dec 06, 2017 at 02:40 PM
Mr. Stacey
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · What does my portfolio say to you?


"Seems legit."

That's all you need for a bride to contact you.




Dec 09, 2017 at 02:58 AM
mogud
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · What does my portfolio say to you?


You are a very good photographer. Keen eye with a very non-traditional approach. I like the edgy style and that you include families and guests of the bride and groom more than the boring traditional wedding pics.

Forget the "hater" comments. The traditional group, parent and fake badly posed portraits are long gone and tired looking. You're interpretation of the couple's day is a refreshing change for the good. You're style and results will make couples pull out their wedding photos and have a good laugh and remember their wedding day and smile. Isn't that the goal?

I'll bet your busy.




Jan 30, 2018 at 07:05 PM
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