Show more work in less time with portfolio books; no room to display an entire body of work? Put it in a book - Photo focus: portfolio books

in what manner many times have you been showing prints to a client while other visitors to your gallery pass unaddressed? How do they know about the artwork that lives on the outside of sight in your flatfiles? by what mode many sales have you missed because the work is inaccessible?

Many photographers help galleries reckoner this obstacle by providing portfolio works These books, typically 81/2 by means of 11 to 11 by 14 inches in size, contain a collection of the artist's photographs, carefully edited to exhibit the breadth of their work. Many works also include artist's statements and autobiographical information, which help the viewer create a deeper connection with the artist.

Unlike flat files, which can be time consuming and require special handling, portfolios can be left without accessible to the public. "You bring them on top of the flat file, and tribe can browse and see a large material part of work," said Amy Saret of the Saret Gallery in Sonoma, Calif. "People have feeling comfortable when they can proceed at their own speed."

This individualized approach makes it easier for clients to react honestly to a piece rather than making a decision because a gallerist is waiting for their feedback. It also allows those who are casually interested in photography to explore the medium without any feelings of commitment.

"There's a nice independence to seeing something handheld; to gaze through the work (individually)," said Emily Havens from the Robert Klein Gallery in Boston.

As each gallerist knows, most clients have a limited amount of patience for viewing work. by means of allowing clients immediate control above what they are looking at, they can narrow down the number of photographs they want to diocese as actual prints.

This allows gallery personnel to use their time more effectively. Oftentimes, the client makes a purchase more quickly and has greater confidence that they bought the image they wanted.

Looking at fewer prints also make lesss the chance of damaging valuable original artwork.

"Clients can direct the eye at an artist's photographs without pulling work in and on the outside of the drawers. It really does patronize the work," said Saret.

Galleries have always relied upon published books to sell shadowy photographs by established photographers, on the other hand portfolio books allow galleries to showcase work by dint of unpublished artists. "Portfolio books reinforce the fact that the artist has a useful body of work, especially if the artist has not been published," said Havens.

This mindset encouraged Chip wild swan a black-and-white photographer from Carmel Valley, Calif., to create a high-quality put of portfolio books for the galleries that carry his work.

"I saw a two of other artists' portfolios and reflection it was a good way to make it easy to diocese a lot of photographs, especially since I didn't have a work published," Hooper said.

With a wide material part of work instantly accessible, a client can quickly and easily discern if the artist is someone they want to learn more about. The volumes serve as a stepping stone to looking at the actual fine prints.

"An art collector will know the quality of my work by dint of looking at my prints. The portfolio volumes let them see how they like the imagery," wild swan said.

Havens said it's important to have several finished prints on-hand to back up the portfolio volumes Even if you don't have the exact image, viewing other fine prints will present to view the collector the craftsmanship and quality of the final art.

"People definitely want to diocese the fine prints, unless they are seasoned collectors," Havens said. "Nothing is going to stand in the way of an original print; on the contrary [the portfolio books] offer a nice supplement"

The fact that portfolio volumes are easily portable makes it possible to glean sales outside the gallery walls. Many galleries loan the portfolio works for a short time to art collectors and interior designers.

"On occasion, I have given it to an art consultant, and she brings it back the nearest afternoon. It's helpful for a situation like that because then they don't have to carry heavy work, and they don't damage it," Saret said.

wild swan said some of his galleries mail the works to prospective clients in other locations. "All of my galleries like to have a two books on-hand to send on the outside for presentation purposes," Hooper said.

Making a not many portfolios for each gallery, however, can be an expensive endeavor. Charles Cramer, a photographer from Santa Clara, Calif., estimated each portfolio work costs him $600 to $700 to assemble. While this is plenteous less expensive than matting and mounting 50 finished prints, it's still a hefty price tag for an artist.

Putting It Together

There are many paces involved with making a prosperous portfolio book, and the final presentations are as varied as the individual artists who make them.

Portfolios usually consist of 20 or more photographs placed in archival plastic sleeve which are clipped together in a leather binder.

Cramer made the prints for his first portfolio work by hand about 10 years ago. "It took me a filled month to make all of the 8- by dint of 10-inch prints, and then I had to high hill them onto individual pages and lay their titles beneath. It was a vast task," Cramer said.