Putting together my first portfolio: Part 2

So after several weeks of indecision over potential portfolio options I finally came bit the bulletand made my purchase, and its a decision that fly's somewhat in that face of previous advice given in part one of this blog post, and with good reason. The advice previously given concerns the student photographer who is in the final stages of formal education, with graduation on the horizon and looking to hit the streets with their book from the get-go.

Why I changed my mind:
This however is not my position, I am currently finishing up my first year of formal photographic training with another full year of study and portfolio preparation before I am to venture out into unforgiving world of the freelance photographer.

With this in mind I decided to compromise on one factor when choosing my portfolio: Price. As we all know students are hard up, and I am no exception, the idea of spending £200+ on my first portfolio is an extravagance at present (especially given that my body of work is a still in its infancy). However I still maintain that as you are only good as your book in the clients eyes, quality and professionalism are still paramount concerns. So with this balancing act of economy and quality I set out to find my perfect first book.

As I have been working in London for the last 6 weeks working for various photographic production houses I have been able to visit several portfolio stockists, Including Cowling and Wilcox (known online as Portfolioplus.com) Here I found a fantastic selection of well priced portfolios and presentation boxes at a price range that went from £20- £200.

Having handled several folios I settled on a 14x11 inch size (this being a standard size for fashion and editorial books) as it will allow me flexibility when printing using A3 paper, allowing for easy border less print crops, as well as fitting snugly into a standard courier style shoulder bag. I have also decided that despite the lure of colored folios, a simple black leather finish will fit my branding and help me keep my price down.

So what did I go for?
So with this spec I mind I was presented a number of options from brands such as Pina Zangario, Prat, Techstyle Agency, and Itoya, as well as Cowling & Wilcox's own bespoke products.


I went with 14x11 inch black bonded leather finish display book from Parisian manufacturer Prat,The book has a classic look and hard wearing construction which should survive the knocks and scrapes it is likely to encounter.

I decided to compromise on extensibility in order to keep the price down by choosing a fixed sleeve folio, with a maximum of 20 views my book may be smaller than larger books but it will easily fit the work that I wish to present, and be within the 15-20 image guideline that top photo agent Mark George recommended in part 1.

And the best part about this book is that it only cost my £9.95! Having hunted around for the book design I liked I discovered that last years end-of-line model was available at a fraction of the price ( I believe the R.R.P. was £40) With this minute cost I felt confident that I had discovered a bargain and quickly snapped up the book. Even if this deal is not still available it has still taught me to look for the bargains, C&W had a great selection of sale items such as this and even their current stock carried a 15% student discount, which made many of their prices fantastically competitive even at the top end.

So I have my book, but given that I spent so little on it, i felt like getting a bit creative and given the minor financial risk decided to make some modifications...


Mods...
As I mentioned in part 1, having your name on your book is a great way to differentiate your work and branding from the crowd, given that Ive gone for a black standard 14 x11 folio I was in desperate need of some differentiation.

So when I returned from London I paid a visit to the Art Institute at Bournemouth's resistant materials department and had a custom vector of my logo laser engraved into the leather cover. The wonderful technician Ed made a great job of the etch and I am amazed by the results. My £9.95 folio has been transformed, the etching providing that professional look and feel that would normally cost a significant amount more.

You can download Cowling and Wilcoxs Product Catologue HERE,

and for more infromation on Lazer etching check out this engraving obsessed website.