Slides as a Documentation Tool

Presenting properly shot and labeled slides is imperative to projecting your professional image and representing your work in the best light possible. More often that not, your slides will be the most important factor when a decision is being made about your work by a curator, an exhibition committee or a grant review panel.

Slides - The Actual image

1. The slide should show just the work. out of the frame is best. Try not to have anything extraneous in the slide - i.e. your sink, a table. Even nearby floors and walls can create color changes. Whenever possible use a neutral background.
2. Select a photographer who is familiar with shooting artwork. Three dimensional and/or fiber work can be particularly tricky to capture. If you'd like to try and shoot the work yourself, make sure you're familiar with a 35mm camera, and that you are an informed photographer. Good sources for information on how to shoot artwork include the following:
   - John C. Barsness, Photographing Crafts (New York: American Craft Council, 1974)
   - Claus-Peter Schmid, Photography for Artists and Craftsmen (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1975)
   - William H. Titus, Photographing Works-of Art (New York: Watson-Guptill Publishers, 1981)
   - "Photographing one's Work", in The Business of Art, ed. Lee E. Caplin (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983)
   
   
3. Make sure the color fidelity is good and the image as clear as possible.
   
   
4. If you need to "crop" something out of the slide, buy mylar tape or leitz silver masking tape at a photography store. If you're unsure how to mask a slide, ask your photographer or the salesperson at the photo store.
   
   
5. Always store your slides in a protective plastic slide sheet. Each sheet has individual pockets for twenty or so slides. Make sure you purchase archival quality plastic sheets - the clear ones. If the slide sheet is not archival quality, the plastic acetate will eventually eat the slides.
   
   
6. Hiring a photographer can be expensive. Ask for recommendations from other artists and try to barter services, or photography in exchange for artwork. You might also ask visual arts organizations for recommendations on photographers.
   

Labeling Slides

Each slide should contain the following information:

1. The title of the work, in quotation marks.
2. Dimensions of the work (height, width and depth).
3. The year the work was completed.
4. Your name, address, and phone number. You may wish to have a rubber stamp made with this information on it. They are relatively inexpensive, and they actually make them small enough for the white cardboard mount of the slide.
5. An arrow indicating the TOP of the slide. You might also include the word, FRONT, to facilitate positioning the slide in a projector.
6. Your copyright.
7. You may wish to give a photo credit to the photographer.
8. Medium

Does this sound like a lot of information for a very small cardboard mount? It is. Write in ink on the slide. Use the back, perhaps, for your name and the copyright. Ask someone who can write small to do it if you cannot. Under no circumstances should you ever put an adhesive label on a slide with the above information. The tape often breaks loose and gets stuck in the slide projector.

When sending out slides for review, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for their return. They are too expensive and important for you to lose!

Photographs, by the way, should be labeled with the same information. With a photograph you may wish to use an adhesive label, as writing on the photograph may damage the image. Also indicate that you would like the photo returned and include your address and a self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage.

What documentation should be used to present your work?

You must consider what options you have to document your work and which one beat represents your talents. Be sure to consider what your clients will want to see.

You will need to experiment to determine how to best document your work for presentation. There are many options: slides, photos, stats, photocopies, color photocopies, original work, published work, other printed pieces, etc.

Slides are often acceptable for fine art work. Some clients prefer photos. You would be wise to have both.

Three dimensional work often is more accurately presented with photographs.

* Stats are useful for illustration and design work.

Photocopies can be a relatively inexpensive way of making your point. Use this only if you are satisfied with the results.

Color photocopies can be effective if you can manipulate the colors to achieve the desired results.

Original work, depending on the nature and scale of the work can often be the best option. This again depends on what your clients will want to see.

Published work can add to your credibility. Though it can add unwanted bulk, you may find it helpful. Instead of including the whole publication, you may want to consider selections in a more condensed form.

Other printed pieces such as brochures, news articles featuring you, and other promotional examples may also be included.

The most common problem in the area of documentation is: poor quality. Be sure that your documentation is of the best quality that you can afford.

What format should you use for your portfolio?

Whatever format you end up choosing, be sure to make it appear as professional as possible. Do not buy the kind of case that your family would purchase to display family photos. If you present yourself in an amateurish manner, you will be treated as such.

The best format will be flexible. You will undoubtedly be showing your work to different clients with different needs. Your format should allow to switch the order in response to varying client needs.

As stated previously, a smaller format is preferable because it is more portable, looks more professional, and must be very well organized.

* The format you choose depends on what documentation you use to represent your work. Don't try to fit a round peg in a square hole.

* If your work can fit in acetate sheets, you should use a loose leaf multi-ring case. These can be purchased at art supply stores and better stationery stores. The size you get depends on the scale of your documentation.

If your work will not fit into acetate sheets, or looks bad, you should get a case or box that allows for easy handling of the work.

Custom made cases can be very effective and can add to your professional image. If you make one yourself, insure that is of the highest technical quality. If it only looks as good as a hobby project, it will make you look like a hobby artist.

Ease of handling in a presentation and comfort to you as you carry it around are obviously important factors.