Updated Portfolio - Improved Works

I chose to improve "Soft Bull" and " "Re Touch"/Auntie Re Touch".

Soft Bull

I enhanced this photo in a few ways. I adjusted the color and saturation in the flowers to make them stand out a bit, to give them more vibrance. I also enhanced, sharpened the dogs eye to make it more intense. I added text to exaggerate the contrast between the pretty flowers and the could be scary pit bull who looks like he could either kill you, play with you, or just completely take a nap next to the flowers. I added a red overlay layer  and they removed most of it leaving behind small eaccented areas to balance out the red in the new text and in the flowers.

Auntie Re Touch

I love this photo because it is of a dear aunt who passed away. I didnt want to make it too drastic from reality because of this. However, I did feel that it may be boring to others being that it is basic and others are not emotionally attached. I enhanced her eyes by sharpening them. I also enhanced sections of her hair so it would have a little luster or sheen. I adjusted the vibrance in the feathers of her top and gave them a richer feel and more vibrant green color. Lastly, I added a soft pink overlay layer to the background which was pretty drab. Overall enhancing both projects was interesting and I feel it made each one a better presentation.

Soft Bull   www.behance.net/portfolio/editor

Auntie Re Touch   www.behance.net/portfolio/editor

Ways to Improve my Work

After reading chapter 4 and various sections of A Guide to Preparing Your Portfolio, I learned that there are several ways for me to improve my portfolio as a whole and also specifically individual pieces.

To market your distinctive qualities and abilities, it is important to highlight the range of technical, creative and conceptual skills you possess (Bowstead 25). I feel that one of my strong areas is in Photo Manipulation or Photo Retouch. I am also learning more about photography as I create my projects. I realize that I need to highlight what I feel is my specialty as my portfolio deos not have a focus. I plan to focus more on Photo Retouch and Photography projects.

In photography, it is advisable to demonstrate a degree of consistency in terms of style and subject matter, both in order to maintain coherence in your portfolio and to allow editors and clients to develop a clear sense of your work and your capabilities (Bowstead 117). As I mentioned above, I feel that I need to demontrate a clear focus within my portfolio. With my photography and photo retouch projects, I also need to show more consistency in terms of style. I am not sure about subject matter as my subject matter changes based on how I feel about what I see. Perhaps I will focus on style and the subject matter will be manipulation, if this is correct.

I plan to improve "Soft Bull" and "Re-Touch" (which I will rename "Auntie Re-Touch"). Both are photographs. I took "Soft Bull" and "Auntie Re Touch" is an old photo I was given and asked to re touch. I plan to enhance both of my photos in terms of color, balance, clarity and vibrance as well as add in type enhancement for one. I will also add background color to balance out the new type and or vibrant colors within the photo. I will also work toward creating a focus within my portfolio and presenting a clear sense of my capabilities within that focus.

Bowstead Jay M. A Guide To Preparing Your Portfolio: Contemporary Solutions. A & C Black Publishers Limited, London: 2011. Print.