A recent discussion in an architectural photography Facebook group prompted me to think about many improvements I can make to my portfolio. So far I've broken it into 4 galleries - Residential, Multifamily, Commercial, and Aerial. Architecture is the parent theme I'm trying to convey in each gallery, as architects and designers are who I'm looking to work with. Within each category, I've selected my favorites and have simply used patterns to organize the flow of images. But according to the feedback from real architects mentioned in the Facebook group, this is probably a confusing way to organize my work and show it to who I'm looking to work with.
Separate "Architecture" and "Interiors"
The first suggestion is to separate architecture and interiors into their own galleries. The idea is that they are two different markets. Architects aren't interested in fabric details, pillow selection, or curtain colors. Although a bit confusing because they do overlap, this makes sense because each market needs to see how you can create photos for them.
More Sequences
People want to see more sequences of images from the same project to understand a narrative. Many photographers pick and choose their best images, this is common practice. This pick-and-choose-the-best strategy conflicts with the idea of showing a sequence of images from a project. What if they are all not portfolio worthy? I think sequences will force stronger work from each project. Maybe a portfolio should be sequences of projects instead of just the best images. I love this suggestion and plan to add a "projects" section to show more sequences.
More People
I recently had another discussion with a local architecture firm and the subject of adding people to photos came up. Their position is to include as many people as necessary to each scene to best show the function of their product - people use architecture! At the very least, mixing in people to shots gives more selection on what works best for their portfolio. I have had this same discussion with other companies and very much agree. This is nothing new. It simply needs to be emphasized by the photographer (my job!). I think there tends to be some apprehension when adding yourself to a shot. Common solutions are adding a bit of blur to a moving person (this also adds an artistic, mysterious mood that can enhance the photo), hiring models, or shooting in public places to show public interaction.
Shot for a furniture company. Although not architecture, people using their product makes for more impact.
I will be making these changes gradually so expect to see more project highlights, people, and a clearer separation of architecture and interior design.