For my Portfolio Exploration course at the Art Institute, I got to interview a professional photographer in my area. It was awesome, so I want to share it here on the blog!
1. Who is your target market?
Eric Cassée –That is a tough one. I have
primarily 3, High end portrait, fashion, and beauty. High end is like Esquire,
Wire, that kind of thing. Shooting
stars, politicians and regular people. In art and commerce, beauty, that is
subjective. It is up to the beholder to determine if it is appropriate for advertisements
as opposed to commercial.
©Eric
Cassée
2.
Do you have a printed portfolio? What do you
usually use it for? When did you stop using a physical portfolio?
Eric -Yes. It is invaluable as a tangible
way to market myself to have something to talk about at a meeting. I can tell
people about the prints they are passing around. This way people remember me as
well as my art. It is an association thing. Even if they will be seeing stuff
they have already seen on the site. Secondly, when it goes with Wonderful
Machine (a company that represents artists and drive art directors, publishers to
their site as well as assist the artists with marketing). Then all the prospective clients will look at
the portfolio along with several others to choose which artist fits their bill.
©Eric
Cassée
3.
What types of portfolios do you use?
Eric - Both printed portfolio and website.
You have to have a website.
4.
What colors and fonts do you use in your
marketing materials and/or portfolio? Did you choose these or hire a designer?
Eric- I chose them. It is all custom; some
people used designers. The color is white and minimal linear font as not to
distract from the images.
©Eric
Cassée
5.
Where have you shared your portfolio (if
printed)?
Eric - Anytime I go to a meeting with an
advertising agency or magazine. Any meeting where I am trying to get
hired. Editorial publications and even
businesses.
6.
How often do you update your portfolio?
Eric- The web one is always in flux,
sometimes with a magazine, I have to wait until it is published. With personal
stuff I post it already. On my Tumbler I update it at least once a month. The
books are about 600 dollars to print, so I don’t update it any more often than
once a year.
©Eric
Cassée
7.
Are your images displayed in any particular
order?
Eric- Nah, yeah, sortof. They are
scategorized. Online they are pretty organized, in the print they are organized
by mood. I like to open and close the book with vivid images with a lot of red
in them.
8.
Do you have any advice for emerging
photographers when it comes to portfolios, what to do, what not to do, etc?
Eric- Yeah, I think that a lot of people get
stuck in the rut where they fill their portfolio with market specific stuff. It
is better to demonstrate what you love that you are good at and something that
is different while also showing that you are technically proficient to do what
the client wants. These shoots generally take 12 hours. Clients need you to be
honest about your skill set so they can pair you with the right project. Be identifiable.
Shoot what you love. Don’t clutter it up with a lot of subject matter that is
all over the place. You need to tell who you are in just 25 to 30 images that
leave a distinct impression. Don’t clutter the page with crazy text or graphics
either, keep it simple.
To view more of Eric's amazing work, check out his website at http://www.ericcassee.com or like his Facebook page at /EricCasseePhotography
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