Is The Print Portfolio Making a Comeback In the Age of The Internet?

In an age where social media fatigue is a real and prominent problem, photographer Erik Almas tries to stand out from the crowd by means of the age-old print portfolio. Detailing the ‘whys’ and ‘whats,’ he briefly goes over what it is that made him decide to go back to the physical portfolio and how his work is organized in the interesting video above.

The main problem, as Almas sees it, is that the growth of social media is stripping the online portfolio of its personality and sincerity.

In a world where hundreds of millions of photographs are shared each day, Almas wanted to take a step back in time and bring a more personal touch to his work when he showed it off to clients. And what better way to do that than to hand them a massive album full of high quality prints.

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It’s fairly well-recognized that hands-on time with a product — or in this case the work of a potential hire — builds a deeper connection than something seen on a screen. By using these albums, Almas does exactly that, standing out amongst a plethora of photographers whose only physical product is a business card with a link to their website.

As for the ‘how’ of his albums, he also explains the organizational scheme behind his portfolios. Another vital component of marketing is knowing your customer and what it is they’re looking for. For Almas’s, this means breaking his work down into three major categories and building a respective portfolio for each.

This allows him to bring the appropriate portfolio with him to the first meeting once he’s determined what a particular client is looking for.

All of this and more is explained in the 8-minute video at the top: a great watch that offers some wonderful tips and suggestions for those of you looking to take a more tactile approach when pitching your work.

(via ISO 1200)

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