Since we are all putting only the best shots into portfolio, have anyone ever had a client whose expectations were not met? I am amateur myself and if I put only a handful of selected photos, it would not tell my real level as a photographer, because some of those shots are just lucky snaps on right moment and I 100% could not deliver same kind of quality, every time. How do you deal with this, or do you deal with it at all?
When you first start out you work hard to make a single portfolio. But pretty quickly you start to realize you need multiple portfolios often to show different types of work. If you are dealing with clients that want super fast turn around you should not show them a portfolio of things that took you a week to plan, a full day to shoot, and a day of post. You should be able to have a portfolio for them that shows the kind of work they’d expect… your best shots of that but stuff that you could turn around quick if that’s the client’s needs, and have a separate portfolio for the larger stuff for clients who are looking for that.
If I was hiring a wedding photographer I’d also ask to see their portfolio but also ask if they have an example from one wedding, so you see more of the whole picture.
But also regardless of how much you try you will get clients who have different expectations and you will have to deal with those at some point in your career.