How Many is Too Many

[Jim]

I think 3 photos:

1. A formal, professional looking headshot
2. A more casual, smiling, "personality" full body shot
3. A candid, funny/silly shot

Maybe:
#1 = 069
#2 = 059 or jacket
#3 = jello

That is all.

[Steven Ragatz]

Originally posted by Rachel Peters
I feel like an idiot for the whole thing. Even the initial question. What a mess. Dear me. Oh my. and so on.

Not at all. We're all constantly struggling with finding a line between vanity and journalism within our self-promotion. I know that your post has me thinking about my efforts and how I might want to portray myself in images on a new website, and I suspect that it will inspire others to consider their own as well. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, it makes sense to choose those pictures very carefully.

Basically, I think that it brings up a fundamental question of using one's website as both a promotional piece as well as a channel for creative expression. How much of that crossover you want to embrace will depend on the individual. In your case it is a collection portrait images, but it might be a blog, or family images, or media about hobbies, etc. How much of the 'real person' should be revealed rather than creating a staged persona directed at business clients? There's no clear answer and you'll get opinions from all directions.

You also should remember that when you receive advice from people here, it is not just for your benefit, but for our own as well! In my case, when I tell you to do something, I'm actually telling myself to do that thing. Since I don't like being wrong, it's easier to take when I direct critique on someone else...

Steven Ragatz

[Isabella]

The smaller question -

You leaning on wall is an awesome "moody" pic, and you in red shirt is an awesome "happy but still smart" pic. The other two pictures do not show your unique, striking look as well as the first two, and the jello one is comedy gold but feels (as a medium) like a personal photo rather than a promo photo and thus feels out of place in its current location.

The medium-sized question -

You may want to do another photo shoot at some point, because you have an amazing, striking look that is not coming across in some of these pictures and I think a truly great photo shoot would be a good thing.

However - I am much more captivated by the photos in the top bar on the home page, where we see you doing your work, than portrait shots.

Which leads to the large question, which I think what those castrating, insensitive bastards Chance and Steven are trying to get at as they callously stomp your dreams and mutilate your pride with all the power of the patriarchy - come on guys! Didn't you get lucky last night? I did! I mean, me and Doc Johnson and xtube did...

Why are these pics here? When I click "photos" from the front of the site, I expect to get photos of your work, or photos of you in action. Put a pic on each of the bio, about, and contact pages maybe, instead of giving them their own page? You say right on the page - "these photos don't show the real me" - and maybe you're right, but the real you is all over that site, and maybe using some of the photos as "elements" or "facets" of the real you by putting them with the sections of your site they might go with would be an option?

Also - I know what you do, and how many things you do, but not everyone who visits does. Maybe for their benefit, add a quick single line of text to each section of the site? Like, under the "artwork" section, "A trained fine artist, I work in paint, paper and stencil to create custom decor and limited-edition prints." Or for the "screen" section, "With fifty years experience in Disney-style cel animation, I've recently completed a feature-length work on black holes. Explore my body of film at the links below." This might give some context? Because I hail you as a renaissance woman, and I think other people might sometimes need a little road map to get where they're going and which side of the canyon they should be taking the picture of, so to speak.

Said with a warm, sisterly glow as we bond together over the money I owe you...Haven't forgotten

xo
Allison

[Chance]

.....those castrating, insensitive bastards Chance and Steven are trying to get at as they callously stomp your dreams and mutilate your pride with all the power of the patriarchy....

Curses, she's on to me!