My Take Away from a Portfolio Critique
I clung to my laptop like a security blanket, my grip so tight that I feared it might shatter. It was a late Friday night in November 2005 at the Holiday Inn in Ventura, California, and the Sports Shooter Commuter Short Course was in full swing. I found myself in a corner with a few friends, watching portfolio critiques. I was eagerly awaiting my turn to be critiqued by Rod Mar, who at the time was a prominent photographer from the Seattle Times. My earlier critique had left me nervous, with feedback urging me to "shoot more" and "edit tighter." I couldn't help but wonder what this sports photography expert would say about my portfolio, consisting of fifteen sports images and a twelve-image photo story.
Finally, my turn arrived, and I sat down, introducing myself to Mar. We quickly discussed that I was in my final year at the Brooks Institute of Photography, passionate about sports photography and recently intrigued by travel photography. Mar swiftly went through my images and then meticulously discussed each one. His comments ranged from "good composition, but not quite the right moment" to "good moment, but it needs a tighter crop" to even "why am I looking at this?" My photo story showed promise but needed improvement. By the end of the critique, my portfolio had been reduced to a mere seven images and an eight-image photo story.
As I began to pack up, Mar offered one final piece of advice, "You have a good eye for color and composition. You might want to consider becoming a travel photographer; countless people are aspiring to be sports photographers."
In the weeks following the Short Course, I spent hours searching for and applying to internships with travel magazines. If someone of Rod Mar's caliber believed I should pursue travel photography, I was determined to excel at it. However, something didn't feel quite right, though I couldn't pinpoint why. It wasn't until I returned home one night, turned on Sports Center, and opened my computer to follow the Minnesota Twins game pitch by pitch that it hit me: my true passion was in sports photography, not travel photography.
In a mere fifteen-minute critique session, the advice you receive is based on a brief introduction and the limited images you provide. At the time of the critique, I was uncertain about my future and fearful of graduating within the year. Rod Mar's words were instrumental in helping me discover my true calling during this uncertain period. Those final words from Mar ignited the drive I needed to pursue a career in sports photography.
As luck would have it, the following month, my hometown baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, were seeking a photography intern. Armed with my tightly-edited, Rod Mar-approved portfolio, I applied for the position. Even after two years with the Twins organization, more than 15 years of freelancing, and a 2+ year stint as a photo editor, I still find myself stepping into Mar's shoes, asking myself questions like "why am I looking at this image?" and "is it the right moment and the correct crop?" I also take the time to seek honest, professional opinions from colleagues when updating my website or portfolio.
Occasionally, I wonder what my career would look like today if I had followed the path of a travel photographer. However, something deep inside tells me that I am much happier capturing the action at a WNBA game on the baseline than I would have been photographing food, landmarks, or hotels. I am passionate about what I do and have yet to feel like I'm working a day in my life.
Here are the PDF pages from the portfolio that landed me the Twins internship!
