A continuing challenge for artists of all media, is presenting work to potential clients, whether it be art collectors or art consultants. While most of us use websites, or show our work using an iPad, there is nothing like seeing the actual piece of art “up close and personal.” As a photographer, I constantly hear, “Seeing the real photograph looks so much better than just seeing it on the screen.” Only when seeing the actual print can the viewer appreciate the image’s subtleties, the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship that went into creating the photograph.
Art professionals know about calibrating monitors, so the colors and gamma (brightness) are a true reflection of the original piece, but the vast, vast majority of computer monitors that are used to view photographs on the web are not calibrated. The colors and tonalities may vary subtly or greatly from the original work. I’ll be sharing an upcoming blog post on calibrating monitors, but let’s concentrate on presentation approaches for photographers who are showing examples of their work to potential buyers.
When the client is visiting your studio or gallery, you can show them actual, physical prints. But often, you may be visiting the client’s home or office, and need to take representative work with you. I typically use either archival portfolio boxes, such as Printfile’s Portfolio Boxes, or sleeved portfolio presentation books, such as Itoya Art Profolio Binders. When possible, I would prefer to show the print matted, and not in a plastic sleeve, but depending on the situation, either approach may be appropriate.
I’d be very interested in hearing comments from other photographers. What has your experience been?
Andy Biggs is an outstanding wildlife photographer, photo safari guide and businessman. He recently created a video demonstrating some of the available presentation materials that he uses. Being a consultant to Moab, some of his suggestions are Moab products, but his thoughts and ideas are, in my opinion, unbiased and interesting.
Portfolios for Photographers by Andy Biggs from Andy Biggs on Vimeo.
