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Print Vs. Tablet Portfolios: 2014 and Beyond
Without specifically invoking several threads on print portfolios, what are your thoughts for your portfolios? Anyone professional or semi-professional in the modeling and fashion world is welcomed to share your opinions. I remember, I was one of the many that defended the necessity and prevalence of the print portfolios, when the first iPads came onto the scene. 2014 is only a few days away and I wanted to know if—or how many—of you are passing up on print portfolios and using a tablet or similar as your primary portfolio to showcase potential clients. In this context, a desktop computer isn't nearby. You're either at a networking event, called-in to show your work (portfolio), or you happened to be at a public arena and an opportunity came up to present your work—either as a photographer, model, make-up artist, hair stylist, or wardrobe stylist, or prop stylist. You may accidentally bump into a celebrity you wish to photograph. You're in luck and you happen to bump into [Your Favorite Fashion Designer] and wanted to show the designer your modeling of their designs from prior shoots. Thoughts? Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL. This thread and topic assumes that you know what a "portfolio" is and that you have a "portfolio" to showcase. Each of us—photographer, models, MUAs, hair, etc has a differring standardized sizes for our portfolios. Dec 29 13 03:13 pm Link I think they both have a place. There is really nothing like seeing a 11x14 or 16x20 book - scratched/old sleeves or not. On the other hand, that's a lot to carry around and sometimes it's easier to bring a tablet or laptop. If it's a big job and a lot on the line then bring both, if it's some random meeting with a model or test shoot deal than bring just the tablet - or let the choice depend on what the client would want to see. Andrew Thomas Evans www.andrewthomasevans.com Dec 29 13 03:17 pm Link Ronald N. Tan wrote: That would depend on the type of event and if it would be expected to have some bring with a print book or not. Depending on that, it could be better and more attention getting to bring a book where as if it was crowded with little space then it would be better to bring only a tablet. Dec 29 13 03:18 pm Link I use a tablet and a comp card on casting calls.  Dec 29 13 03:28 pm Link I'm a bit old fashioned. I might be willing to let a print portfolio out of my sight for a while. I might not be willing to let my tablet out of my sight for a while. To me, that's the key difference. Dec 30 13 08:27 am Link I love the physicality of actual prints. But more and more agencies are moving towards iPads. In fact, every agency I am represented by has made the comment to me "Wow so rare to still see a physical book being used!" There are pros and cons to both. iPads are expensive but so is constantly updating your book with new prints. Comp cards are being phased out in some places too. Some agencies actually don't use them at all anymore. Dec 30 13 08:52 am Link I think there's a place for both. I mail prints and a hand-written letter to some editors/publishers. Rarely are they 11x14; typically 5x7. I think that it is important for an editor/publisher of a print publication to see my work in print. I've had an overwhelmingly positive response to this method. Some publications are web-only. By the same token, it is naive to ignore the fact that we are becoming an increasingly mobile society of web users. Yes, people have desktops, but more and more people want the web to go with them than be tied to a desktop. So I frequently show images on my iPad since, in all likelihood, that display is indicative of the final presentation. At networking events, don't take my printed book. My iPad is what I take. All at once it allows me to access and email contact info, CVs, show my work and allows me to show video as well (I do multimedia). The printed material that I take to networking events is whatever the latest and best print publication I've been in. Some might advise against that on the basis that they'd never want to show work in the context of a different publication than they're trying to get into due to associations. I don't think of it like that. I assume that the editor can objectively separate his/her thoughts about the publication it's in to see the presentation in context of what my work looks like on a page in a layout etc. Besides, I have some recent publications that were well-packaged and have a lot of my images. It's nice to be able to show it like that. Dec 30 13 08:59 am Link Even though there is a lack or real estate to showcase the details of photography work on a tablet, it certainly is easier to transport than a 11x14 or larger portfolio. Of course there is always the option to zoom in  Many model agencies use tablets now but I don't think they are yet the majority in NYC. I am guessing that the fine art world will stick to larger printed portfolio and the rest will eventually move on to tablets the majority of the cases. Dec 30 13 09:11 am Link It seems to me that the demise of the paper and staple magazine is inevitable (whether this is good or terrible is a subject for another thread). That being the case, I am leaning toward my tablet. Besides, you can have all your images at your disposal in case the potential client says they're looking for something a little different. As always, just random thoughts from my law school-warped brain. John Peralta Faces2Die4 Photography Houston, Texas, USA Dec 30 13 09:19 am Link I have a leather-bound A4 display 'book', which I can vary the contents of to suit particular situations. It's not a true portfolio, though. I use it mainly to show potential models what I'm currently doing, and to show clients to a limited extent. The pictures in it are big and colourful, and do impress. I don't think a tablet would have the same impact, but then I probably wouldn't use a tablet for the same purpose. If I had a tablet I would probably use it in the same way that I use my phone, and talk people through the pictures as I show them, which is probably terrible abuse of the technology. All this is in addition to the print portfolio, which I have very little use for these days. Dec 30 13 09:31 am Link I started this thread as an "off-shoot" to the Retina-ready thread in the Photography forum. As you know, the future is tablets and devices like Surface from Microsoft. The devices may be small, but they have zooming abilities. In the context and setup in my original thread, let's suppose that you are an MUA and you have an 11 X 14 print book and it is a face and presented doubled-trucked (meaning two 11 X 14 prints making up 22 X 14). Let's suppose that your another MUA friend brought in her latest and greatest iPad or equivalent with Retina (generic name is "HiDPI" publishing) and is showing her makeup work off with zooming capabilities to 100% pixel-peeping view. Let's replace "MUA" with "photographer." Admit it. All of us photographers LOVE pixel-peeping! Given that zooming ability and remember that the images viewing on the Retina iPad is 2880 Pixels at the largest end and 220 PPI. Zooming into 100% is crystal clear without any jaggies. Are you more more inclined to switch over or insist on remaining with your print book? Dec 30 13 10:32 am Link I think the biggest danger in using an iPad portfolio comes from how easy it is to add pictures. Some photographers end up trying to show 60 or more photos instead of the 15 or so that they should be showing. I've seen photographers manage to bore themselves with their portfolios. A really powerful feature of the tablets is that you can have a number of portfolios aimed at very specific target audiences. I still think there is nothing like looking at a print. I've never had "that feeling" from looking at a tablet or computer screen. Dec 30 13 10:47 am Link Electronic portfolios are fantastic in any environment except outdoors in direct sunlight. However, I like big stuff. I've printed many photos at 9x12 and I love the size. It feels BIG without being unwieldy. I think print still wins. Maybe I'm a young dinosaur. Since I am an outsider to the industry, leaving a portfolio behind may be unheard of. But if it is not...I know I'd be a LOT more comfortable leaving behind a print portfolio than an iPad. Dec 30 13 11:03 am Link It's funny, in the 90's my print portfolio cost much much more than an iPad (like $1,500). But everyone left them periodically. Now, my print book has been home in pieces for a few years now and I use my iPad. Of course I prefer the look of a printed book, but... Tablets will continue to improve their resolution and get lighter and bigger and less expensive. They'll eventually be the weight of a piece of thick paper. I think we're just on the cusp of virtually no one using a printed book in the not-too-distant future. Dec 30 13 11:15 am Link I still use print portfolio Dec 30 13 11:15 am Link Kelleth wrote: here's another con for electronic devices. Dec 30 13 11:18 am Link I haven't used a printed portfolio in a couple of years. I find a tablet very easy to use and more than adequate for what clients want. It is also much easier to tailor and keep up to date. Dec 30 13 11:18 am Link Ronald N. Tan wrote: high resolution displays are AWESOME. But zooming has limited functionality and quality. Dec 30 13 11:32 am Link I think one of the best things of an electronic port is the ability to have five, or six ports in one, to target your market. for example: How many books would you need for different tastes of boudoir clients? Dec 30 13 11:33 am Link Christopher Hartman wrote: While true, you don't see a cut back in typed letters. When was the last time you hand-wrote a letter? Compare that with how many emails/messages you type out each day. Dec 30 13 11:39 am Link I use three formats: tablet, 8 1/2 X 11 print book, 6 x 6 print book. Generally, they're all within easy reach in a computer case in the trunk of my car. They're not 'instantly available'; but I assume if someone can't wait a couple of minutes for me to retrieve my case it's not the best time to show my work to them, anyway. Dec 30 13 11:46 am Link I've asked that exact same question of my clients... the ones who decide who gets hired... They have given me a very definitive answer... "Both" They like the versatility of the pad and the look of the print. Frankly for me a bigger question was how do I present the printed work. My vote was for a hard cover book such as using BLURB.. Not a cheap option but I like the presentation over acetate pages or loose prints. Dec 30 13 11:50 am Link And what when the art director is too busy and says "drop your book off and call me", does "Sorry I only have a tablet" cut the mustard yet? I'm sure there is a place still for print quality and an audience for it. Having said that, I will be buying a tablet. Dec 30 13 01:21 pm Link Depends on your market. I've been printing books from Artisan State (found them them through a groupon deal or something and loved the quality) --- my clients have loved the books, they're cheapish enough to leave behind for a bit. for other-than-commercial clients, like families, engagements, seniors, etc - they also love them, and the books have become massive sellers. I normally now only do 5-6 prints (one for mom and dad, some for grandma) and then a book or two. Dec 30 13 01:28 pm Link For myself I like print, even when it comes to buying a book. Nothing replaces the texture and the feeling of those pages running through your fingers. The smell, the look, it's better. Sometimes you have to put the technology down... I don't think print will go away quietly...... Dec 30 13 01:32 pm Link For decades I used a print book because I was shooting film and that's what you got. Also, it was big, high quality and very impressive. I got old, I got lazy and I started shooting digital so now I have and iPad. The book is so much better, the iPad is so much easier to deal with. Of course I also say film is so much better but digital is so much easier to deal with. Dec 30 13 01:33 pm Link Ronald N. Tan wrote: Now, in the right environment, show them your 16x20 book... I still vote for both, or at least keeping a print book around the studio for people to go though. Dec 30 13 03:44 pm Link Kincaid Blackwood wrote: Nor should it. But for anyone using an electronic device as a portfolio, I'd still recommend they have an updated printed portfolio as backup. When it comes to doing business, one should never, or least rarely, depend on a single piece of equipment. Dec 30 13 04:56 pm Link One thing struck me looking at Thomas Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy" and Thomas Lawerence's "Pinki" at the Huntington Gallery in Pasadena, CA. "What if these masterpieces were displayed on a LED screen or similar, and what impact would they have on the viewer?" Even seeing a real Gutenberg bible in person while there is very different than seeing it on TV or on the computer which seems anticlimactic. Just something about seeing a real $8,000,000 oil painting staring back at you over one off an electronic screen that often makes it appear cheap, a copy, a lazy artist, or whatever. Shows you that someone actually put in some serious time in physically making their work over just putting a copy into an electronic device, and often smaller too. Seeing the real thing makes you say "OMG! It doesn't look anything like the picture off the computer." Wonder if old Ansel would have been happy showing his prints off on his iPhone or tablet, much less trying to sell them that way. Dec 30 13 05:32 pm Link Ronald N. Tan wrote: For someone at my level, print is not worth the hassle, so tablet and smart phone it is. Dec 30 13 06:19 pm Link Christopher Hartman wrote: At an important event, I would both a tablet and phone with portfolio on each. Dec 30 13 06:22 pm Link I haven't had my print book out for a client meeting in a while. I do have multiple small portfolio albums - I find that if a client wants to go somewhere else in the conversation, I can cover it by switching portfolios. I also have the dangle for the iPad that let's me drive a larger screen - and I make sure that the files I have look good on HDMI. If they want big, I can do big. Jan 03 14 12:05 pm Link I'm not sure print will ever go away, especially with some of the agencies. But services like Shutterfly have made it possible to send non-returnable "books" on the cheap. With that, most folks I know carry around a tablet. Jan 03 14 12:09 pm Link From my personal experience electronic displays are the way to go. Print is nice and all but most of my clients are now doing online campaigns. A tablet is nice because I can show them a small catered portfolio, then quickly pull up a mood board, switch from that to a browser to give them an idea of what the final images might look like implemented on their websites, etc. It's just a more efficient way of doing business. Not to mention most of my clients whip out their own tablets to show me some samples or inspirations they might have. We can then sync and share those right on the spot and I can easily take notes throughout the meeting as samples are pulled in. Plus the tablets are great for taking any quick snapshots and adding it to the mood board. If I walked in with a print portfolio, it's not like clients would turn me away, but I would have to bring a tablet with me anyways at which point the print portfolio becomes a bit cumbersome and redundant. Jan 03 14 12:53 pm Link Please keep the thoughts and opinions going. I think this is a good topic for any artist who are thinking of "Should I stick to print book or buy a tablet?" I remember buying a monogrammed portfolio from House of Portfolio. It was good. For around 300-ish USD for a 9X12, I could have used that towards an Android-based tablet, and my money will be used more "smarter." The 9X12 feels good, but I kind of regretted getting it. :-( Jan 03 14 04:49 pm Link Ronald N. Tan wrote: Do you think the brand of tablet matters, or just that it's kept up and nice? Jan 03 14 04:52 pm Link Andrew Thomas Evans wrote: If you have the cash and like Apple. The Apple Air is a best buy in my view. Second on a long list would be the Nexus 10' followed by the ASUS Transformers. The TF201 is a great unit and can be found on Ebay cheap. Not a big fan of the Kindles. I don't want the hassle of putting another rom on it for the full Android experience. I debated this with a few members a few years ago. One felt that art directors would have no use for a tablet. I disagreed. People today are used to seeing images on screen. So many art buyers use Apple phones and Macs that they won't mind seeing images on a iPad or tablet. Jan 03 14 05:04 pm Link Hi Andrew, I don't think a brand matter. I don't know much about them, besides the iPad with their proprietary iOS and the rest Android-based from Google. When buying a tablet, unless you're only getting for portfolio, otherwise, think about maximizing your spending. For around 500 USD, you could receive an Android tablet that you could use for your personal or business needs and use it as a portfolio showcasing device. In the previous post, I paid for a House of Portfolio (monogrammed and all) for 300-ish USD. I could have been more wiser and place that funding into a good Tablet with HiDPI resolution (a general name for "Retina" display). Retina is a brand name, just like Tylenol is the brandname for Acetaminophen. Get a tablet that you know you could use well. 500 USD is a decent amount of spending. Andrew Thomas Evans wrote: Jan 03 14 10:05 pm Link Much of this depends on what the Client is looking for. Should the end product be a print, then showing them prints would be to the photographer's benefit. If electronic images are the end product, then showing a Client electronic images should be sufficient. Jan 04 14 03:18 am Link I recently attended a portfolio review event and would have never showed my work in any way but prints, mounted and matted and in a formal box, separated by single ply paper. I carry my iPad mini all the time and have not only the images I showed there but the selected and images from most of my past shoots. If something specific comes up in conversation, with other photographer or models, I can show them what I've done previously. Jan 04 14 04:18 am Link |
