A photography portfolio is not simply a collection of a photographer’s best work, it’s also a presentation engineered to tell a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. All the photos should flow seamlessly from one to the next, to have fluidity in presenting their story.

Advertising Campaign © Jerry Avenaim 2010

Just like some movies are bad purely because of poor editing, because of the way their stories were pieced together, it can be the same with a portfolio. Despite the fact that it may contain brilliant images, the manner in which those images are presented is equally critical. In a photographer’s portfolio, flow is paramount. I open my physical portfolio with covers and beauty, which then progresses into editorial and advertising pieces, and then I close with some of my strongest personal work. I include my personal work in my portfolio because it is such an integral part of who I am. It will also give a prospective client a window into what resonates within me as an artist.

Even though individual images may wow a viewer, if a potential client views a photographer’s portfolio that’s unable to tell a story, he/she may not be convinced the photographer can tell a story in a magazine, or in the case of advertising, convey what’s needed about the client’s brand.

Image selection

For image selection, an effective practice is to either lay prints out on the floor or display them on a computer screen. Then (I prefer to do this alone or with my agent) invite a number of friends or other photographers over to assist in the selection and order process. This allows distance and perspective.

What sort of order should I put the shots in?

Advertising Campaign © 2010

The images you end up choosing to put into your portfolio will naturally fall into various categories, genres, and styles.  These are logical groupings from which to create a portfolio with a smooth flow. For example within a fashion portfolio, a possible collection of groups might look like this:

Beauty, Editorial Fashion, Lifestyle Fashion, Catalog, High Fashion and Advertising. Genres should remain together in the portfolio, but not necessarily in the above order (although many photographers do start with beauty).

Within this structure, additional classifications to consider when telling a story include the following: location, studio, color, black & white, brand, background, and digital manipulation.

How do I know which order to put the photos in one category into?

If you look at my portfolio (physical or on the web) you will see the deliberate choices I have made to make it flow.

• Each section has a strong opening.
• I’ve paired the photos with the same number of models in the shots.
• I’ve paired photos with the branding in the same corner of the image.
• I’ve grouped images with a similar feel.
• The flow always goes from beauty to fashion or editorial to advertising.
• I’ve finished with a bang.

In the advertising section, I haven’t overplayed any one brand — I’ve made the collection short, sweet and to the point.

And what is the story in advertising photography? Girls feel rich and sexy when they wear sunglasses. Guys fall from the sky to meet them and think up ways to rip their clothes off, especially when they’ve fixed their hair. So go ahead girls and spray your perfume, look cute indoors and outdoors, go dancing, work out and get sweaty, eat right with friendly people, and men will take you home, all engines running.

Happy Shooting!

Jerry Avenaim

Mexx magazine advertisement of Mandy for GNTM © Jerry Avenaim

What a great summer it has been. I wish I could have been more proactive in my writing but that has been quite the challenge with all the assignments and television shows I’ve been doing this year. I will do my best to follow this up with all the goings on since my last entry. But just to hold you over until I can really sit down and write the pages I really want to get to, this will have to do for now.

The season started with an amazing opportunity and experience. I was asked to be on Germany’s Next Top Model with Heidi Klum.

It all started in the spring when I was contacted by Dorland and Gray in Berlin (this was the ad agency for the assignment) to shoot a campaign and direct an international Mexx campaign (this is Cover Girl for eastern europe). I was elated to find out it would be for a winner of a competition on Germany’s Next Top Model. One that I would help choose as I sat on the jury panel.

Here is a video clip of the jury panel

So, I was part of the television show as well. It lasted ten days and took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. When we weren’t sitting poolside having drinks, or out to dinner with a couple dozen people we were all hard at work! Whether we were shooting on the set of LOST or Waikiki beach it was tough work, but some poor photographer / director had to do it

Here is a making of video; courtesy of Mexx and Germany’s Next Top Model

Click here for a behind the scenes photo gallery.

More to come!

Jerry Avenaim

Helena © Jerry Avenaim

Jerry has devoted over ten years to a personal project titled “Naked Truth,” which showcases the human form in the organic environment of our natural landscape. This beautiful collection of images is shot wholly on film, with nothing retouched, and is slated for completion this year.

If you want to be like Jerry, perhaps I can help by lending a model’s perspective on how to get a girl naked in front of your camera (that is why you own the camera in the first place, isn’t it?) and once you’ve got her naked, how to conduct a comfortable shoot.

SECURING THE SHOOT

1. Make No Assumptions: Never assume that just because a model has posed nude for someone else, she will pose nude for you.

2. Success Lies in the Details: Take a moment to introduce yourself, explain your concept, provide all pertinent details relating to the shoot and tell the model why you think she’d be a great fit for your project.

3. Your Work Speaks for Itself: The odds that a model will agree to do a fine art shoot with you increase exponentially if you can show her a substantial body of similar work.

Mimi © Jerry Avenaim

If you have never shot fine art, clearly conceptualize exactly what you’re going for. Then pull together a collection of similar images by other photographers whose work you admire. Present those to the model and either convince her that you have the skill to replicate them, or tell her honestly that you have no idea how your stuff will come out but you’re looking for a muse who is willing to experiment with you. Either way, clear communication is the key.

DURING THE SHOOT

1. Modesty Matters: Models have varying degrees of modesty, just like anyone else. Take the extra minute to make sure the model is comfortable stripping down in whatever environment you may be using.

2. Bite Your Tongue: Even the most jaw-droppingly beautiful women sometimes harbor insecurities and body image issues. Snorts of, “Thank god for Photoshop” are never welcome, least of all by a woman who has generously agreed to bare all in front of your lens.

3. Professionalism is Paramount: When you’re fully clothed and the model you’re shooting is nude, excessive flattery intended to bolster her confidence may become uncomfortable for both parties.

If anyone has questions related to fine art photography that they’d like answered from a model’s perspective, please feel free to leave them in your comments and I will happily address them. And launch questions you’d like answered from a photographer’s perspective to Jerry. Or if any of you have any secrets, successes or nightmares in this arena that you’d like to share, have at it.

Enjoy shooting naked!

Deborah Fujiwara photo by Renee Jacobs

This entry written by: Deborah Fujiwara

Many thanks, Jerry Avenaim

As a fashion photographer, one of the hardest things any photographer will ever have to do is to find his or her own style. In my earlier works I was very influenced by the people I worked for. Patrick Demarchelier for one – I found Peter Lindberg and Richard Avedon had influenced me the most.

In my formative years of fashion photography I had to teach myself the mechanics of lighting. To do so, I would pour through magazines and study the catch lights in the subject eyes. And then try to replicate the look in my early test shoots. This was the way I would teach myself, while honing the blade of my craft until I found my own voice and vision.

When scanning these images in the other night for an upcoming lecture I realized again, the greatest photographs you will make are the ones you make for yourself. Living in Milan, and armed with nothing but an all manual 35 mm camera fixed with a 50 mm lens and Tri-X film, I set out to do just that.

I learned early on that I preferred to create my images as I saw them through the viewfinder. I never cropped my photographs and the clients knew that because I made all my prints with the natural black boarder left by that frame of film. It showed me and my potential clients that I had the vision to capture exactly what I saw in the moment, and how I saw it. Finally, it showed I could tell a story early on without even so much as a make up artist or wardrobe stylist. It was just myself and the model, and often a last minute ‘let’s go shoot something.’

As is often the case when you are shooting for someone else, i.e.; a magazine, an ad agency etc. compromise is introduced and you lose much of your creative control. This ranges from the way you might light or shoot, even down to the final image selections.

If you find yourself getting to that point, it’s important to remember we still have to make a living with our chosen craft. So I would tell you as I tell all working photographers, have a personal project going that is yours and only yours. It may become a book one day or at least the beginnings of one. But most important, make it something that will feed your creative spirit and satisfy the hunger and passion you began with. (All images circa 1986 Milan, Italy © Jerry Avenaim Photography)

Jerry Avenaim

I hope you enjoy this 30 minute interview, it went by quickly for us both. There was so much more to talk about And by the way, since this interview was televised live the control booth made an error when showing my name as ‘James Avenaim’ for the first third of the show. Bastards

For those that attended my Samy’s camera seminar, it was a pleasure to meet you!

I will be writing more often I hope, I just haven’t had the time. I will be appearing on Life in the Fab Lane with Kimora Lee airing February 2009 on The Style Channel and E!

Happy learning!

Jerry Avenaim

Lifestyle Photograph Jerry Avenaim

Here is a simple lighting solution when you’re faced with shooting a fashion photograph or a beauty shot using only natural light – at high noon!

This image could have been difficult, but I made it as simple as it gets. It used to be when shooting catalog, editorial, or just about anything using sunlight, I would have to wait for the early morning light or the late afternoon light. At times I could backlight, and I love the look. But to continue shooting throughout the day (even when the sun is directly overhead) can prove to be quite the challenge without using silks and strobes.

Once again, the luxury of time on was not on my side. Moreover, to keep a look and feel to all the ‘lifestyle photography’ I had to keep using natural light. To introduce artificial lighting here would have interrupted the natural feel of all the other images.

So the simple solution: I laid the model on the grass (I’ve done this with flower petals and a myriad of other organic materials) and standing on a step ladder I shot down on her. What this did first and foremost was give the subject an instant face lift. When shooting anyone at that angle gravity can be your best friend

And the lighting was indeed the sun, however by using a five dollar white beach umbrella I diffused the sun and created a beautiful even light, much like open shade. It can still be tough on the models eyes, so a simple ‘on three’ and shoot can work wonders!

Jerry Avenaim