Individual Portfolio Reviews
With Douglas Beasley
Invest in your artistic growth and move your photography or art career forward with a professional portfolio review.
An individual portfolio review can be an assessment or critique of work at any stage of development, a finished body of work, or anything in between. You can move towards refining your work-in-progress or getting a broader view of your place in photography. You can also get help in editing and sequencing your work as well as preparing to present your portfolio to magazines, galleries, book publishers, etc.
A portfolio review can also help with an overview and analysis of your current strengths and weaknesses, along with an assessment of your artistic development: where you are, where you’ve been, where you are headed based on your artistic and photographic goals. A review can also be essential in uncovering and/or refining your artistic direction. You may use it toward a complete overhaul of your personal artistic process. Doug can also review and critique past bodies of work as well as current work, looking for threads and themes to carry into new bodies of work. Doug can also help you set goals and develop an action plan for implementing those objectives.
We would suggest setting aside 2 hours, although it may not take that long, so you are not rushed. While there is no minimum or maximum number of images, it would be helpful to have at least 20 images to show. More is often better; however, if you plan to bring or show a large quantity of images, it is often best to have them organized in smaller groups depending upon content or theme. Not all images may not be looked at.
Portfolio Reviews can be done in-person at Doug’s St Paul, Minnesota, studio, at a location of your choice (with travel expenses covered by you), or via phone/Facetime video.
Instructions for sending images for a virtual portfolio review will be sent with confirmation of the review date.
Cost: $300
Deposit: $50 at time of scheduling, remainder due before the review date.
About Douglas: Besides being owner and publisher of SHOTS Magazine, Doug has reviewed portfolios at Review Santa Fe, PhotoLucida, PhotoNOLA (New Orleans), Minnesota Center for Photography among others. He has also attended Review Santa Fe with a portfolio to be reviewed, so he understands the fear and trepidation that a review can cause.
The review is certain to provide forward momentum for your photographic path.
“Invest in your creativity, not just your equipment”
-Douglas Beasley
Student Testimonials:
“Doug has become my mentor. He has a generous spirit that is always encouraging, insightful, and thought provoking. Doug’s never-wavering focus on his art, along with his openness to share his rich knowledge, has transformed my life as an artist.”
– Marti Corn, graphic designer and photographer
“I think Doug Beasley was born a teacher. He has a gift he wants to share with everyone around him. He looked at and talked to me about my work. I assisted him on some commercial shoots. We went on photo adventures but I think the best advice that he gave me was to see with my heart not with my camera. For Doug it is always how the photograph feels, not what it looks like. He also really taught me to be spiritual in my process. He taught me that the relationship between the photographer and his subject is one of the most important things to creating meaningful and authentic work. This is some thing that I didn’t know how to understand or talk about as a young photographer. As an elder, as someone who had been successful at what I wanted to do, Doug gave me permission to be the kind of photographer I wanted to be. We share a similar aesthetic and background and that really cemented our connection to each other. I know that he has mentored countless people through his kind and giving nature. He follows his photographic vision and that is an inspiration to everyone that meets him and sees his work.”
– Raoul Benavides, Flashlight Photorentals, Owner, Minneapolis, MN
“Thank you for your inspiration, motivation and friendship. Your guidance has resulted in measurable growth in my photography. Your support and confidence regarding my work has been a positive aspect of my life during the past year.”
– Paul Winger, Saint Paul, MN
“Doug has been an invaluable friend and mentor to me. He has guided me toward my own way (not his way or someone else’s way) of an artistic life. He has taught me to be a better photographer through encouragement rather than criticism or fear, and I will be forever grateful that he has shared with me.”
– Sarah Rust Sampedro, Minneapolis, MN
“Doug has deepened my passion for this art form by expanding my understanding of an image and its statement, teaching me to trust my vision, and guiding me in both discovering and accomplishing my goals and desires in this field. The physical distance between you two will not be a barrier for your relationship. Though I have taken a handful of workshops with Doug, most of my learning has been achieved via email, phone calls and video-conference. I have had the opportunity to work under some iconic photographers and have learned that their talent does not necessarily make them good teachers. Douglas Beasley, however, is a great teacher, a man who is passionate and dedicated to his craft and has an extraordinary gift for sharing his knowledge. I am honored to call him my mentor. And yes, the money you spend will be a wise investment.
– Marti Corn, Corn Creative Graphic Design, owner and photographer, Houston, TX
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