Creative Portfolio Creep

I think we’ve all suffered from Creative Portfolio Creep if we’re in or have ever been in any type of creative field whether it be photography, creative painter, pottery, graphic design, modeling, print design, muralists, web design or the like. 

Deciding what to put into your port is very challenging. What you may consider your best work someone else may find downright tacky. As a result, we end up with portfolio creep or a portfolio that’s so large and ambiguous that it seems to lack a direction or any specificity. 

I’m a marketer first; concerned with analytics, data, statistics and numbers. Photography up until the most recent couple of years was a side-game for me. Recently, it has pretty much taken over my life and is the most creatively rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. But it has had it’s problems. Large among them is deciding what and who I want to shoot. Since my background has always been dabbled with creative fields of some type or another it should not have been much of a surprise that I’d get into photography. But you start out wanting to shoot everything. Yet, like any good businessperson, you soon realize that you can’t and won’t shoot everything because you don’t want to be known as the “everything” photographer. They don’t get hired. The person that specializes and becomes the best in their field gets the work. 

Another realization hit me. I could not have gotten into this at a worse time. Everyone with a camera thinks they’re a photographer. Blame technology if you like. It is true that technological improvements have created the “spray and pray” culture. That's short for set your digital cameras on auto, hold down the button and eventually you’ll get a series of incredible shots. That makes you a photographer. NOT! Time will separate the losers from the winners. It will show in the quality and consistency of the work. On a side note, I am appalled at what consumers expect and accept in terms of quality. Everything from pictures of toddlers to weddings, the lack of quality out there is appalling and people are paying for it because the multitude of amateur shooters and their poor quality.

It didn’t take long before I knew that I had to specialize if I wanted to get better and separate myself from the masses. Otherwise, I’ll be that person that “knows a little about everything but I wouldn’t know everything about anything.” I’m sure you’ve heard that slang phrase before. Chances are you’re not good at everything; no one is despite how wonderful you think you are. For me, striving to get better is a life long process. The moment I began to think I’m awesome is the moment I’ll lose my ever sharpening edge. 

Your portfolio should reflect your strengths and you need only put your best work out there. It takes tough self love and a bit of welcomed creative criticism to know what is and is not working for you. Chances are that painting you created and love so much isn’t bringing you any business. Or you’re wondering why your model portfolio isn’t creating the bookings you want. Most people think it’s either quantity or quality but they seldom do they think too much quantity or overly saturated with seemingly endless subjects and genres or projects.

Show what you know. Play to your strengths and grow from that point outward. Dabbling in everything from the start won’t land you more jobs. What it will get you is overworked and underpaid with a lousy and large portfolio that lacks direction. I do the proverbial slash and burn about once a month. I go into my portfolio and trim the fat. It hurts to do but if an image isn’t bringing about the reaction “I” feel it deserves then it has to go. Also if I find I’m not excelling at a particular type of photography or other business venture (after a thorough analysis, debates and tweaks), I must move on. If it fails repeatedly to pay the bills then it’s time to move on altogether. Otherwise, it’s just an expensive hobby. 

This really doesn’t apply to only creative types despite the multiple references. Your investment portfolio follows the same principles. If you keep losing on pork bellies then you don’t keep investing in them right? It seems elementary. Yet, you end up with a bloated book of business that looks nothing like the businessperson or artist you want to be. Trim the fat and learn to play your portfolio to your strengths.