I was reading through Chase Jarvis' latest post "Escaping Your Portfolio" and it got me to thinking. I've always been a believer of "Showing what you want to be or what you shoot", meaning that your portfolio should only consist of the things that you want to be shooting creatively. That doesn't mean we won't take paying jobs that don't relate to our portfolios, but the idea is VISION, mean your vision and how you see. This I believe is a definite MUST in our world, and as Chase puts it, a necessary evil. Your vision starts to come together after you've been shooting for a few years, and you start to hone in on your style. It takes quite a while to get just a grasp of what that is as an artist, and a process that we must all embrace. Patience is the key. (not that I've had much of it over the last few years, but it's what my mentors keep telling me.) Hiring the right people (consultants, graphic designers, reps, etc) to curate/edit and package your work is the other key. So strive for the perfect portfolio? Not necessarily. Strive to create your style/vision and continue to update your portfolio. If you are shooting all the time, your work and vision will evolve, as will your portfolio.
The point of my post is that his post did push me to think about pushing my brand beyond just "taking pictures" and into the other interests and facets that I aspire to. That's one reason I've never attached "Photography" to my name. My goal is to push my brand into as many creative ventures as I can, and that in and of itself is a process. Is directing commercials in my future goals? Yeah. In what capacity, I have no idea. I've already begun a little (see my videos/stop motions). Maybe fine art? Maybe a clothing line, a restaurant, a bar? I have many other dreams and goals that take time and process. Remember being successful at something takes a lot of hard work. (10,000 hours perhaps?) In the end, I want my brand/name to be a creative entity, not limited to just photography.
With photography, the body of work you develop over a few years will evolve and will progress, and eventually be in your Default Bag so that you can explore other opportunities. Eventually you will have the staff to free your time to work on the projects you want to.
You are so wise and very inspirational!
Posted by: Greer Rivera | May 20, 2009 at 01:10 PM
thanks for this post. i am just starting a photog business with my sister and things can get very discouraging and disappointing because we are selling to many people who don't see things on the same plane that we do. it is so important to be proud of your art and believe in your vision. Thanks again.
Posted by: Christine (Artemis Clover Photo) | May 21, 2009 at 05:04 PM
I just discovered your blog today and find this post to be so timely, as I have lots of creative ideas/goals outside of photography. It's refreshing to read someone else's thoughts on pursuing creative projects beyond a single medium/industry.
Posted by: Denise | May 26, 2009 at 09:35 AM
I agree - great post by Mr. Jarvis.
My personal take is probably just a restatement of what both you and Chase are getting at: whether or not a project leads to something that ends up in a Portfolio-with-a-capital-P is less important than the desire to create something worthy of showing off every time you begin a project.
In that way, for me, the concept of a portfolio is a motivating factor. Can I pull off a project more smoothly than the ones I've already done? Come up with lighting that does something different and takes me in a new direction? Will I really connect with a subject and have that energy carry through to the images?
It's the drive to always improve on what my Portfolio contains that motivates me. That's why it's always changing and in need of weeding; it's a living concept and a moving target.
Posted by: Chris Bohnhoff | May 28, 2009 at 03:47 PM
wisdom well stated. needed to read/hear this today. thanks Nick for sharing your insight.
Posted by: stephanie mcbride | May 29, 2009 at 10:03 AM
@chris Exactly. It's pushing your portfolio is about pushing your boundries and capabilities. It is a moving target, but that's what's great, is we always have room to grow and something to keep heading towards.
Posted by: nickonken | May 30, 2009 at 11:43 AM
this is a great post. Thank you!
As a photographer who's been "full-time" for just over 3 months, having left the account management side of advertising, I'm constantly thinking of my brand and how to build something. But it's a great reminder that it all starts and ends with the images.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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