Portfolio, cruel or kind I'd love to hear your thoughts

[monochrome_joy]

I know in my heart that documentary photojournalism is my calling. I don't get paid for the work yet, but I'm trying to build a portfolio that shows I can be relied upon to tell the story. The portfolio I've been putting together is of the area I live in, Clallam County. Clallam County is over a hundred years old and has a diverse population though it remains partially, to very, removed from any large cities.

Please, I would love to hear your thoughts on the selection of images I've put together. One thing I've learned through this process is that there are a few things I'm mising to complete the profile, but at least by performing this exercise, I've identified the missing pieces.

Cruel, honest, confused, kind, and or encouraging thoughts are all welcome. In fact, it helps me more to hear the first three adjectives than the last. Either way, share away.

Thank you all so much for looking and especially responding.

http://pa.photoshelter.com/gallery-slideshow/G0000lrVwv60Is.E/

 

[FS Vontz]

The first picture was outstanding, there were a few other good ones, but the rest were in my opinion(although I don't feel I'm qualified to say so) not up to much.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

These look like photos from various newspaper assignments. Or pieces of 18 different projects. Find a story you are passionate about and stay on it. Don't shoot photos that look like "documentary" photos, shoot photos to tell the story. Stay on it, live with it. Everyone is a documentary photographer these days. It's common, disposable. You must stand out.

If you are asking if your photography is technically o.k., yeah. But we don't need technicians. We need passion.

 

[Carlsen Highway]

The first two pictures are excellent.
The others are not worthy of what you have asked of them (being in your portfolio)
Think about how you got your strong photo's, and - try harder 🙂 (Thats what they told me in school)

 

[tbarker13]

The first thing you need to do is figure out the story you are trying to tell. Random pictures of your community don't tell the viewer anything. No matter how good those photos might be. (And I do really love that first image.)
Some people will find this to be a real challenge. It forces you to get to know your subjects and to truly commit yourself to telling their story.

My approach (and I make no claims about it being the best approach) has been to find specific groups/activities in the area to focus on.
For example, I've spent a couple years working on two different projects here in St. Louis.
The first is a behind-the-scenes look at a local community theater. I've spent many, many hours hanging out with these actors and actresses, documenting what goes on around their productions.

In the second project, I've been documenting the refurbishment of an old WWII bomber by the Commemorative Air Force - basically a bunch of older guys, many of them vets. Again, I've spent many hours hanging out around the hangar with these guys, just getting to know them and documenting what they do.

 

[MatthewThompson]

There are some strong pieces in there. Set yourself apart by writing and shooting about specific facets of your county. Somebody's story, a struggle, somebody fighting to keep a farm, that sort of thing. Writing/Photography is a one-two punch that can help you sell in different arenas.

What you've shown us is that you can handle your equipment enough to present your top photos. Wether that's your top 10% or top 1% depends on how much you shoot and how well you choose your subjects.

Make it coherent, apply your technical skill to a story, something meaningful and combine that with a good piece of copy (yours or a partners) and you're onto something.

 

[dirojas]

I think the first dozen is much stronger than the last third. Your theme is about the area you live in, I didn´t get any additional piece of information in the final pictures. I would say most of the pictures at the beginning of the series stand by themselves as good pictures, which is good.

 

[le vrai rdu]

great picture, interesting subject

people are quite different (soldier , farmer etc) maybe you could give the project more unity shooting and framing a specific way : for exemple frontal portrait etc 🙂

 

[monochrome_joy]

Thank you so much, everyone. This has helped me immensely. I have a few ideas on where to go back to the drawing board and make improvements. Namely, to focus much more on a few specific topics, and based on your suggestions which topics those might be. Thanks again!

 

[35mmdelux]

Your fotos are wonderful. Here is what I would add:
1) Stick w/ a strong theme.
2) You got the "photo" part of photojournalism, now work on the journalism part of the word.
3) Take a few courses on writing. It may just be what you need to put you over the top in a highly competitive profession.

Good luck -

 

[gavinlg]

I can see some really strong photos in there, and some really strong hints that you'd make some really brilliant photos if you immersed yourself in a story. I'd be tightening the reigns on what you shoot - do it more specifically and make sure it's a really interesting story. Focus on just that and do it over a long period of time.

 

[Keith]

All good photographs IMO ... the first nine or so gave me a real feeling of the county and the people ... then I got a little lost in the rest!

 

[Damaso]

You've got some good images, especially the first two and a good eye. I think you should focus on telling the story of a few people instead of a broad region. You biggest weakness is in storytelling not image capture. You should find a mentor to work with to help you refine this...

 

[emraphoto]

agreed, good imagery but can't really figure the point?

watch your highlights as technical merit will be a strong point when any editor/pix desk or judge? is looking at your work.

any picture/photo editor will tell you that a photographers biggest mistake is not editing tight enough. you have about 3-4 stellar images and the rest could hit the "cutting room floor".

being a great and innovative photographer is only part of the battle. you need to recognize a story that will sell or garner funding. dig deep. sure everyone is a documentary photographer but a few are actually getting pay cheques!

 

[Turtle]

Feel & think, then shoot. You are shooting a project for a reason. Why is it important to you and what are you trying to show or provide a windo into? Try to find things that elicit a response from you; find your interest in your subject and try to convey that through images to others. If something has not really interested you when you fire the shutter, you can be sure it wont interest others. being fascinated yourself is only the start as many will not be (rightly or wrongly).

I agree that there are some very strong images in there but also others that are rootless for me. I don't understand what they are about and so they not elicit a response from me.

I would recommend narrowing your interest. You have quite a few distinct areas that could represent projects in their own right, like agriculture, surfing etc. I think you are trying to do to much and as a result your are taking a thin sliver from the top rather than digging below the surface and showing what people might not ordinarily expect or see with their own eyes.

The honest truth is that producing super images may result from treading the same paths literally hundreds of times. I think you are on the right track but need to tighten up on what you are focusing on or trying to show people. Once your own vision tightens up I suspect you find a lot more to show within your chosen issue/topic/angle. Docu work is fascinating but incredibly difficult. I am shooting in Afghanistan and wou would think I am tripping over material, but it is not so. Its seriously hard graft, but if you passionate about it, keep on going. You obviously have a good eye and have some images to prove it. Now its just a case of project cohesion and raising gthe quality threshold to match the stronger images you have shown.

 

[emraphoto]

i think the two work hand in hand. without one or the other you need to re-evaluate. you need to be very, very talented and you need to be very, very hungry.

if you are asking "can i do it" or "how do i do it" you are already in trouble.

 

[emraphoto]

Jeremy, if i can be of any help please don't hesitate to contact me!

John

 

[monochrome_joy]

Again, thank you all for your thoughts, this has been very helpful.

I've been thinking a lot about the first two photos and what they represent for me. I've also been thinking about what photography means to me.

Regarding the first two photos, it has become increasingly clear that the "conservative" viewpoint fascinates me. Even a few years ago I would have considered myself aligned with conservative views, but now that I take a step back and dig deep into who I am and what I see, that label no longer applies. As it happens, most of my family is conservative/republican and even have strong ties with local politics. This, I think, is an area I wish to dig deeper. The first photo in the set spoke more about who I was 9 months ago than I realized.

The second project I wish to work on involves a local Native American tribe, the Makah. I've already made some arrangements to begin work with them and hope to extend that throughout, at least, 2010.

When I first started shooting earnestly a few years ago, I thought I wanted to be a newspaper photoj (before the bottom REALLY fell out) and so I tried to build a diverse portfolio. Then, I thought I wanted to be a travel photographer, and traveled to some exotic places seeking photos. It wasn't until my last trip to Vietnam, and hanging out with a pro photog friend, that I learned how to shoot locally like I photographed abroad.

This is all a really long winded way of saying that it took me a lot of time and money to figure out that some of the strongest and best stories are in my own neighborhood. Furthermore, those same stories can have the depth of time added to them. I realize my portfolio does not represent that, and I intend to work on it.

More than ever, I've come to believe that photography is a way for me to understand the world I live in. It hasn't been until the last few months that I've begun to grasp what this means.