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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Too many or not enough gallery links
Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 12:02 AM on 09.28.09 |
->> Trying to take a poll on the # of galleries that is good for a folio site. I just saw an article that talked about mistakes photographers make, one of the bullet points being photogs with two many galleries on their site because they are trying to be all things to all people.
i.e. They have 15 galleries stretching from news to sports to wedding to food photography. You get the point, instead of focusing on a few things they are good at or should work at becoming good at they try to show they are "versatile." Just for the sake of argument, I think we can agree a food photographer shouldn't try to also put a bunch of football pictures AND some aerial images all on the same site. It might look silly.
My question is this: how to decide on the galleries to show. I've got 7 right now and wondering if that might be overboard. An editorial one with news and sports. A separate auto racing gallery. Magazine gallery for work I've done for the company mag. A photo story gallery.
The other 3 galleries are more personal work. One is a hodgepodge of personal images, another is architecture, and another is HDR. I'm not trying to show with the HDR or architecture galleries I'm the best there is, its just images I've done that I really like and its something I do in my free time. I'm not trying to appeal to everyone, I know thats impossible. But are people looking at a site set up like that going to see the difference? I also like doing light painting and have a few images from that but hesitated to put it up for now. |
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Debra L Rothenberg, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 9:44 AM on 09.28.09 |
->> Erik,
I think, personally, it is all a matter of preference. Some will tell you it is too much, others will not. I have many different galleries and have clients that call for just about everything. I don't shoot still life so I wouldn't bother putting that up. My feeling is-put up everything that you shoot-or are willing to shoot. If you have no desire to shoot weddings, don't put up a gallery of wedding photos.
DLR |
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Mark Loundy, Photo Editor
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 10:43 AM on 09.28.09 |
->> Erik,
I agree about HDR, which is the "burned corner, tilted horizon" popular tool of the moment. It's like having a special section for images shot with lenses longer than 135mm.
--Mark |
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Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 11:57 AM on 09.28.09 |
->> Erik,
I don't think there is anything wrong with a food photographer also doing football, as long as both are really good.
Only a few at best can really make a good living working as just a sports photographer these days. If you've also got the skills for other markets, even niche ones, more power to those people. I'm sure food photography pays well and would be a great way to supplement ones income during the week.
There certainly is a good argument that it might make more sense to make a dedicated site for a food business, just as a lot of wedding shooters have dedicated pages, but that isn't a hard and fast rule.
I think the bottom line is simply to present your best work, and make sure the information is easily accessible to a client, even if your trying to attract a diverse set of clients to one website.
If I'm looking for an aerial photographer and someone has impressive samples of their work I can easily find on their website, why as a client would I care if they also are shooting football or food photography ? Only shows that they are versatile and who knows, maybe that client who's looking for an aerial photographer also needs some product shots and glanced at the food gallery and was impressed ?
I think the only things that personally aren't good are the so called "hodgepodge" ones because as a client I'm not going to know what to look for, or even understand what the photographer is trying to show. For example, I've seen shots of a girl posing with a car on a website. Does that mean the photographer does automotive photography or are they trying to show me they do portrait work ? Then the next shot might be of a building, or a pets. I don't get a good understanding of what they can offer me.
If you do one thing, or 5 things, or even 15 things, as long as they are all clearly presented and quality images I don't think its a negative. Only if as a client I can't view what I'm specifically after would it be a bad thing. In other words, I don't want to spend 5 minutes on your site looking for examples of your portrait work because its 3 layers deep into another gallery. As long as I can quickly find what I'm after the rest isn't going to bother me at all. |
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Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 12:10 PM on 09.28.09 |
->> Erik,
You can look at the issue from one of two perspectives. You can post galleries for the work you want to specialize in or set up your website with galleries for all the work you capable of doing.
Personally, the latter makes more sense. I would limit the number of images to 10 to 15 in each gallery with a note asking the viewer to contact me for more examples or with their specific needs (I have to do this very soon to my outdated online port). Case in point, I can shoot executive portraits and did so for many years as a military and university photographer. I don't have a online gallery with this genre because I don't own the rights to those images. Without examples to display, I don't receive unsolicited inquiries. Nearly all my unsolicited requests for possible work are for sports and pj work.
OTOH, if I had a strong client list that for food or catalog work that was 80% or my regular client list then, then I would be more inclined to limit my display to that work only.
The question you have to answer, for your situation, do you want to specialize in one genre and possibly limit your earning potential or do want be known for being able execute in several different areas to reach a broad potential market? Is your business in a position to put all of your eggs in one or two baskets or spread them around evenly to 1/2 dozen or so?
Hope this makes sense. |
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