How to Read a Portfolio

	Article Editor: Deborah Stevens Published: National Syndication SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. September 5, 2005
	Reading a photographer's portfolio is a quick way to learn the most important things about her; her people skills and her technical skills. How she descr ibes her style and approach should be less impor tant to you than what you actually SEE in her por tfol io. A camera captures everything going on in front of the lens, but if you look carefully, you can see what's going on behind the lens as well. USING THE PORTFOLIO TO UNCOVER PEOPLE SKILLS It may not seem obvious, but the best way to see how a photographer deals with people is to look at her photographs. How someone behaves at a coffee shop while calmly discussing her work is one thing. How she copes with 200 strangers in the middle of a hectic and tiring shoot is something entirely different. Spending 10 hours with a photographer is not an option, but that's not a problem if you know how to evaluate her portfolio. Are people smiling naturally? A good wedding photographer has a sense of people and can wait for those moments that really show the full range of emotions going on at a wedding. If every person looks like they were just smiling a minute ago, or their faces are frozen in the middle of an awkward grimace, the photographer probably doesn't know how to read people. Now, if you don't want any dramatic emotions in your images and prefer subtle calm, then this may not be such an issue for you. Look at the photos and you will see just how in tune with people your photographer is.		How are people interacting with the camera? In this case, there is no right answer. Different styles of photography call for different personalities of photographer and a different levels of interaction. If people in the images are often looking at the camera, smiling and laughing, you've got a bubbly photographer who likes to get involved.   She'll be remembered by the guests at your party, and she'll probably spark some great moments. On the other hand, if the people in the photos are not interacting with the camera, and seem involved in their own world, almost like the camera is in a secret hiding place capturing the moment & This photographer won't be the life of the party. He'll use long lenses and try to be completely invisible as he does his work. That might be exactly what you're looking for if you want real photojournalism. Knowing what to look for in a portfolio won't tell you what to like, because that's different for every person, but it can tell you a lot about the photographer who took the photos.                                                                     (continued on page 2)
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