Make a Pocket Portfolio for a Way to Stand Out When Out and About
As a photographer, I’m constantly striving for new ways to stand out. While considering that some of the greatest opportunities to create a lasting impression on a potential client in my realm (motorcycle and automotive photography) are at trade shows, or highly publicized events, sometimes all you have is one shot.
But how do I set myself apart from the hundreds of other hobbyists walking the showroom floor with a DSLR, a Facebook fan page and a business card itching for work?
And as far as business cards go, yes, they’re an effective way to provide your contact information (and should never be dismissed)…but rarely will that small rectangle provide you with enough space to show off the entirety of your work and skill set, which again leaves the door open for whether or not that potential client will decide to view your work again, on their own time.
After wrestling with these thoughts for weeks in anticipation of an upcoming event, I finally landed on the idea of creating a “pocket portfolio”. Something that was small enough to fit in one’s pocket, yet large enough to show off the integrity of my work in a complete body, all at a cost that wouldn’t break the bank.
The thought process was that with these pocket portfolios, not only would I already be setting myself apart from the rest of the crowd by approaching the potential contact with something they haven’t already received that day, but, by allowing (and encouraging) the contact to keep the book, they’re guaranteed to view my work AT LEAST one more time, as its pulled out of their pocket and thrown to the trash with the rest of the cards they’ve received that day.
And maybe, just maybe, at that point they’ll reevaluate and contemplate as to whether or not I’m an individual they’d like to follow up with, or potentially even consider hiring for work.
It’s not rocket science. It’s basic business and effective marketing. Something that plays just as important of a role in being a photographer, as being able to take decent pictures. And I’ll be the first to admit that in no way is this, “MY idea”. As im sure its been done many times before me. But then again, when was the last time someone approached you with a portfolio the size of a business card?
So, after an immense amount of digging through Google, and dealing with a few massive formatting headaches, I was finally able to find a source that could complete my vision: a 3.5×2.25-inch, 10-page (18 spaces for images) pocket portfolio at $2.99 a piece. The best handout imaginable to follow, “Hello, My name is Matthew Jones. It’s a pleasure to meet you”.
Challenge yourselves!
About the author: Matthew Jones is a photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. You can find out more about him through his website.
