Opinion on my professional site

Oct 4, 2011

Drea L.

Wow, it's VERY pretty!!!

Oct 4, 2011

Michelle F.

I think its good... I think the pictures need to be more professional however, like better quality.  =)

Oct 4, 2011

Michelle F.

I understand.. I am just finally starting to get my kit together and go from there. =) Good luck to you.. your work looks great! 

Oct 4, 2011

Heather H.

Hey Andrew, I just emailed you at your website address. The layout looks excellent, I love how technical it is. I just got my professional website running as well. Photographs are the most important part of a portfolio, I removed any makeup/photo that wasn't worthy because two great pieces of work are better than 10 mediocre pieces. 

Oct 4, 2011

Heather H.

The good thing is that you can take professional looking photos yourself. Just as long as your have great lighting, no flash (from a regular point and shoot camera), excellent focus and the proper white balance (WB). Does your makeup program have a class on photography?

Oct 4, 2011

Soma S.

I would get rid of the page you have to click "enter page" for. It's one extra obstacle between a potential Client losing interest in your page. You want to make yourself readily accessible and user friendly. The pictures should be divided into sub categories, so people looking for bridal work don't get intimidates or turned off by your other work. If they are looking for alternative looks, there will be a section for that, so that yor more conservative clients can keep an organized idea of what styles to expect from hiring you.

Also, if those images above for your site design aren't yours, I wouldn't use them, since it can give your clients a different impression of your work. In design, it's best to use your own work instead of stock photos. I know you don't have a lot yet, but that's why portfolios are paramount to your success! Keep at it, but don't worry too much about professional image when you've yet to hone your portfolio image. Have at least 50 images you are proud to display before working on a website. =]

Oct 4, 2011

Soma S.

No, not change the whole thing. Please don't take this as anything less than constructive criticism, especially if you're asking for opinions.

Just keep focusing on your portfolio. Sometimes, posting up your work prematurely can be detrimental to your work. If your work hasn't evolved enough for you to be proud of it, and you're just putting it up for the sake of having something up, you won't acheive the same effect as you having put up something that is a finished product VS. a work in progress. I was just trying to give you some pointers to help you along that way. If that came across as negative in any way, shape or form - that was not my intention. If you can't take constructive criticism when you asked for it, then I won't bother offering a hand any longer. Best to you and your future endeavors.

Oct 4, 2011

Heather H.

Andrew, I understand it can be difficult to hear a critique, but Soma took the time to offer you some great advice. She obviously cared enough about your success to give her feedback. I know as an artist it can be difficult and it can feel a little insulting, but it's one of the realities of being and artist and asking for opinions. <3

Oct 4, 2011

Soma S.

I never said you weren't "proud" of your work... but if you recognized that your images were flawed and not of the right picture quality, that was what I was referring to. Honestly, I find it unfair for you to judge me and accuse me of masking "nastiness" behind the words "constructive criticism". I attend a school that focuses on design, and critiques are BRUTAL. That was probably the most helpful and positive way I could go with offering suggestions on organization and presentation for you. In no way did I insult any particular aspect of it or focus on something to tear it apart. For any growing artist, it is important to take all suggestions into account to make yourself better. If what I said was considered "nasty" - I fear the day you set foot into a real open-ended critique might do worse to your confidence. Every semester, at LEAST ONE student runs out of my class - CRYING. I've had a few start crying mid-sentence during presentations. Does that make them weak? No. It means they put their heart and souls into their presentation and they believed in it enough to be afraid it was not good enough. It is okay to defend your project. It is actually encouraged... however, if you are asking for opinions and you don't like what you hear, you might have been better off not asking in the first place.

No one was tearing you down. Re-read it and try to consider how what bits of advice you might actually like to consider into taking advantage of. Most people in the professional world would call this "Consulting" - and you just got a massive dose of it for free from a design student that's taken classes in professional image/portfolio building/graphic design/color theory/etc. I'd say that was BENEFICIAL to you... just run with it to get on the road to growing professionally FASTER.  =)