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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:44 am 
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I agree with you.

At the end of the day the pictures will end up printed and what better presentation could be than a printed portfolio?

I also think a good print looks much better than a LCD screen.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:31 am 
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rhommel wrote:
I was just reading this blog regarding IPAD as a tool for photographers:

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2010/09/15/ipad-review/

I can see why a lot of photographers would buy IPAD. To show their portfolio to potential clients, instead of bringing laptops or macbooks. ( I am referring mostly to Wedding Photographers)

Maybe I am just old fashioned.

When a potential client emails me regarding a wedding, I usually send them my online portfolio so they can view some of my work and if they're still interested, I will set up a meeting.

When I meet clients (weddings), I don't bring my laptop. I always bring 2 wedding album samples, 1st sample is with an actual wedding album from a wedding I covered, and the 2nd one (different size) is more like a 'BEST OF' album where it contains shots from different weddings I shot. I figured I would need to show them album samples anway. 2 birds in 1 stone kinda thing.

Is IPAD really beneficial for photographers to be used as a tool to show off work? IMO, I disagree


I think it can be. It's nice to see someone's selected best work, but as a client that's often not enough. I know when I was hiring a photographer for my wedding, I wanted to see more than just the "best of". I wanted to see samples of the whole set of shots that the photographer has delivered to his clients. This allowed me to get a feel for what the quality of the overall deliverable would be. For this, a laptop or an iPad could be helpful, it's much easier to very quickly scan through several hundred photos that way.

Having said that, viewing prints was nice too. So really, a combination of all methods, print, screen and album can be useful.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:35 am 
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radup70 wrote:
I agree with you.

At the end of the day the pictures will end up printed and what better presentation could be than a printed portfolio?

I also think a good print looks much better than a LCD screen.


More and more couples are predominantly interested in the delivery of digital images only, with at most a few prints. I know this was the case for myself, and have found the same for many of my friends.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:41 am 
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Good points, OP, but that is focused on one type of photography (wedding) of course.

Having an online mass of photos give you the ability to have multiple collections if necessary, if a client wants to see, say, your corporate head shots too, or in my case, if the discuss is what kind of themse to work with for photoshoots, it's helpful to have different types of photos in albums if you need to move back and forth between different types of photos.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:56 am 
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rhommel wrote:
qualdoth wrote:
radup70 wrote:
I agree with you.

At the end of the day the pictures will end up printed and what better presentation could be than a printed portfolio?

I also think a good print looks much better than a LCD screen.


More and more couples are predominantly interested in the delivery of digital images only, with at most a few prints. I know this was the case for myself, and have found the same for many of my friends.


I completely understand this. But, prior to meeting the client, they must have seen your online portfolio already.


Absolutely, but your online portfolio isn't going to give the client an idea of how many pictures from the entire set you deliver they will like. For me it was important to get a feel for whether or not I would like 5%, 20%, 50%, 90% of the photos that would be delivered.

The guy we hired actually suggested we review 1-2 sets of photos he's done (he let us choose which ones) after we went through his selects and prints.

At the end of the day, whatever works for you and your clients. I just wanted to give you a scenario where a digital device (ipad or laptop) may be useful to show off some work to a potential client. Whether that scenario is pertinent to you and your work, you're likely the best judge of that.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 11:53 am 
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Hrm.... that URL looks strangely familiar...

I'm no pro... and still waiting for my iPad, but to address the topic...

I see the advantage of the electronic portfolio is that you can show the breadth of your work, and for someone like van Niekerk, there can be a lot to show. When your goal is to show off to a client, why not bring the cool tool that can show off pretty much anything you may have to offer them.

The problem with bringing print only, is that you lose that breadth. If I were in that place, I would bring a sample of both print and electronic so you can show off what you can do, and what stuff should really look like.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:26 pm 
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Keep in mind tge average human doesnt realize hard prints are good to make so it wont make a difference tgey just see it as a picture save your money on prints they wont appreciate it


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:15 pm 
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Mr.Walczak wrote:
Keep in mind tge average human doesnt realize hard prints are good to make so it wont make a difference tgey just see it as a picture save your money on prints they wont appreciate it


But the printed album itself is a potential sales product that you want to show off, so it's not to be discounted entirely.

(and van Niekerk had a few articles on wedding albums recently. Geez, you think I read that blog too much?)


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:25 pm 
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I use an iPad to show potential wedding clients my portfolio. I agree with the fact that showing them the wedding album kills two birds with one stone, but I still find it pretty invaluable.

Discussing church/reception, and possible wedding party photo locations using an iPad is great. You can pull up google maps; or you can quickly browse through a few locations on a Flickr map.

Showing clients a wedding contract, going over it point by point, making changes to it on the fly and e-mailing it immediately is really handy.

Also, never forget the wow factor of an ipad. It might be wearing off these days, but people were pretty amazed by the device when I put it in their hands 6-12 months ago.

If you have already talked to a couple via e-mail, they have already seen your portfolio online and received a quote; you are not really meeting them to go through the same information again. They are meeting you to see how you get along and if you are a good fit for their wedding. Because of this, impressions and presentation are everything. The way you dress, the way you talk and the materials you present. Appearances go a long way and if an iPad helps me book even ONE wedding over another photographer, it's worth it.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:51 pm 
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rhommel wrote:

but I still disagree that having an IPAD will land you those wedding gigs. your portfolio will do that for you, not your ipad.

and I don't think other photographers would have that EDGE over you just because they showed their portfolio using their IPAD and you showed prints.


Of course your portfolio is what matters, I was just saying that in an all things being equal type of way. An iPad wont help a bad photographer land a gig. But as I said, if it gives you an edge over another, comparable, photographer 1 times out of 20, it's worth it.

A lawyer who drives a Porsche isn't better than a lawyer who drives a Hyundai (NOT COMPARING PRINTS TO IPADS HERE!!), but it gives a certain perception to people who don't know any better. Like I said, for some, it has a wow factor, and that can make the difference, even if its 1 times out of 20. I'm looking at this in a whacky flailing arm inflatable tube man kind of way. If it helps you stand out a bit, even a BIT, then it can't hurt.

Imagine if you went to a meeting with potential wedding clients with your camera, and you took a few quick pictures of them right there and sent it to them. Does it make you a better photographer? Not necessarily. But when it comes for them to make a decision between you and a comparable photographer, it might help.

At the end of the day, its about being prepared. Having wedding albums to show clients is a part of that. Having a laptop with images, contracts, internet for maps and potential locations helps even more. An iPad will do those basic things the laptop does, but it just makes things a bit easier. AND if the client is impressed with an iPad, all the better. But, I think most people have seen or played with one by now, so it doesn't really impress people as much as it used to.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 4:02 pm 
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rhommel wrote:
but I still disagree that having an IPAD will land you those wedding gigs. your portfolio will do that for you, not your ipad.


Your portfolio only gets your foot in the door. Whether it's an ipad or a laptop doesn't really matter. However, as I previously mentioned, I simply would not have hired a photographer where I couldn't see an entire set of photos he delivered for a client -- this goes beyond a portfolio consisting of your best photos. I couldn't care less if you your portfolio was fantastic unless I had confidence that you can consistently take great photos during a session. Maybe I would only like 2% of the work you produce and deliver to a client? Would I see that from your portfolio? Of course not.

An iPad or a laptop is simply a tool that would allow you to showcase something beyond your online portfolio. I doubt your online portfolio would show that, nor would you bring 1200 prints you delivered to a client to show prospective clients.

I can't really tell if you're arguing specifically about an iPad or any digital device that would allow you to showcase your work. If it's the latter, I don't understand why you're arguing about it. You asked a question, got feedback giving you reasons why it would matter (some feedback from people who have been in this situation as clients!) but you seem resistant to accept the feedback.

You may make a choice not to use an iPad (or something else) and that's fine, that's your choice. But to say it doesn't figure in the overall equation is naive.

rhommel wrote:
and I don't think other photographers would have that EDGE over you just because they showed their portfolio using their IPAD and you showed prints.


But if other photographers are able to show more than their existing portfolio then they do have an edge.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 4:13 pm 
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I personally like the iphone .. Its easier to pick up chicks .. Show them the pics and then you can get them to add there pho e number while they have your phone .. Try doing that with prints


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:52 pm 
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Mr.Walczak wrote:
I personally like the iphone .. Its easier to pick up chicks .. Show them the pics and then you can get them to add there pho e number while they have your phone .. Try doing that with prints



"Hey, want to see my portfolio?"

http://www.jakprints.com/underwear-printing/


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:57 pm 
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i use my iphone...

i also made my portfolio site iphone and ipad friendly, so i won't miss out the millions of potential clients who view my site on their apple device...


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 10:55 pm 
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Ole skool hear

Actually just old, but........

I just toss down a couple of my season in review books done through Blurb, and especially my "Shoot To Thrill" books, which encompass a wide range of shots, and it sells people on my work.

A print "IS" the final product, and once people start loosing digital files to hard drive crashes, they will be a wanting hard copies, and I always try and steer folks towards buying prints. Large prints that they can't scan.

I also carry a book of 8x10 prints from through the past few years, so they can see prints too, so they realize the quality, the lustre, and richness that a quality print has.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:19 am 
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An iPad is just another tool in the arsenal. From the discussion, it seems obvious that there are purposes for both types of portfolios.

I just went to Maureen's F8 show, and there was a guy there showing off his other shots on his iPad, but what motivated pulling out the iPad? The quality of his printed work.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:58 pm 
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i realize most of the people here worry about ipad won't deliver their print qualities are from wedding photogs.... i could be wrong..


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:40 am 
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Another selling tool. In fact, why not sell them a complete set of previews on an engraved white iPad 2! Pretty sure Brian used to offer a package like that with an iPod.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:27 pm 
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As a hobbyist who doesn't sell my stuff or look for clients I got NOTHING to say on this issue.

I guess I just wanted to let Bartimus know that I thoroughly enjoyed his "Fasken's United Way Calendar '11" series. That's all. Funny stuff.


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