Tips for Preparing for your interview

Guidelines for Registrants

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your review time and check in at the Registration desk.  There will be a waiting area, and you will be guided to your reviewer at the appropriate time.  Address and directions are below.  If for any reason you cannot make your review, please contact us ahead of time (see below).

These reviews are a great opportunity to meet with experienced photo professionals from various fields to review your best work.  Depending on your photographic level, you will be able to show your portfolio, get feedback or advice on its structure, seek marketing advice, or propose an illustrated article, photo essay, and book or exhibit idea.

Regardless of the level of your review (Entry, Student, Advanced or Professional) you should be well prepared to avoid wasting your time and that of the reviewer.  Do your research: consider who are you seeing and what they are most likely to want to see by checking their bios, websites, or products.

You should show a flat printed portfolio or a digital presentation of your work, remembering that a computer screen may not be the ideal way to present your images.  Also, please note: digital images must be viewable on your own battery powered laptop computer.  There will be no other computers available for you, power sources or internet connections.

Bearing in mind that a portfolio is meant to be a sampling of what you consider to be your best work, or body of work representing a current project, the following guidelines may help you in your preparation and presentation.

  1. You should prepare 15 – 30 images, regardless of whether they are digital or printed.
  2. Prints or tear sheets ideally should be compiled into a presentation book or box.
  3. If you’re showing prints, simplify the viewing experience, i.e. it’s best if there aren’t any sleeves that you must remove and place back on the prints as you leaf through them. Remember that time is of the essence and distractions to viewing the images work against you!
  4. Pay great attention to the order or sequence of images, as well as the flow of color grouping.
  5. Themes and mini sequences can be a useful tool to help with your grouping.
  6. A goal may be to create an uninterrupted flow with one color or shape leading to another or one theme leading to another.
  7. Never repeat an image (or similar) within your portfolio unless there is a specific artistic reason.
  8. For digital presentation, the files should be a minimum of 600 pixels on the long side, JPEGS only, and have a modest file size (100kb to 400kb, for example) for faster loading.
  9. Create pages of thumbnails that can be enlarged as the reviewer wishes.
  10. Digital files should be sized for full native screen resolution.  In other words, what looks best on your computer.
  11. Digital images must be viewable on your own battery-operated laptop computer.  There will be no computers, power sources or Internet connections provided.
  12. At least 5 minutes prior to your review time, you should have your computer on and booted up with your digital portfolio loaded and on screen ready for review.
  13. You will be escorted to your reviewer.  We will have many simultaneous reviews taking place, so please be patient.
  14. All reviews are 20 minutes with a 5 minute grace period for the reviewer to make notes and for your to collect up your materials.  Remember there will probably be another person waiting for their review.
  15. Have a business card, promotional piece or information sheet on yourself, to give to the reviewer (especially for Advanced and Pro).  Ideally this should reflect something that you plan on showing to the reviewer.
  16. Ask the reviewer to suggest 1-2 images that you could use on a future promotional piece.
  17. If appropriate ask the reviewer to suggest any other avenues you should pursue.

If you have any questions, please contact us at reviews09@fotoweekdc.org.  On the day of the event only, you can call the following cell phones:

Cathy Sachs: 703-403-2200
Holly Marshall: 512-297-9104

Corcoran Museum and College of Art + Design
500 Seventeenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-4804
202.639.1801

The Corcoran Museum and College of Art + Design are located at the intersection of 17th Street and New York Avenue, NW, one block from the White House. The College entrance is on New York Avenue. A ramp entrance for persons with disabilities is located at 1701 E Street, around the corner from the Museum’s main entrance on 17th Street.

Metro rail
Farragut West on the Orange and Blue lines (use 17th St. exit during the week and 18th St. exit on the weekend). Walk south down 17th Street to the Corcoran. (On the weekend, walk south on 18th Street, turn left onto New York Ave., the Corcoran will be on your right.)
Farragut North on the Red line (use K St. exit) Walk south down 17th Street to the Corcoran. The Corcoran is also accessible by Metro bus.

Parking
There is very limited street and public parking available.
Metered street parking is available in the area from 9:30am to 4pm daily, and free street parking is available after 6:30pm weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Public parking is also available in parking garages located just a short walking distance from the Corcoran on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Train
From Amtrak at Union Station, take the Metro. Take the Red line Metro train to the Farragut North Station. Walk six blocks south along 17th Street to the Corcoran. You may also take a short cab ride from Union Station to the Corcoran.