Lars Willumeit (born 1974) is a German social anthropologist based in Zurich, Switzerland. As an independent curator, author, and photo editor, he has worked with photography in different modes since 1993. His interests lie in photography, documentarisms, regimes of representation, and visual cultures. Over the past 15 years he has worked as a photo editor & researcher for a number of photo agencies and publications in Germany, the UK, the USA and Switzerland, notably for magazines like GEO (2002-2006) and DU – Die Zeitschrift der Kultur (2008-2013). Between 2013 and 2015, he curated exhibitions and festival presentations for East Wing (Dubai) and the FORMAT International Photography Festival (UK). He was also a contributing author to the photo-book ‘Deposit’ by Yann Mingard, and in 2016 he was chief curator of Krakow Photomonth in Poland.
He received his Master of Arts degree in Curating and Museum Education, at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). His thesis examined the future of photographic institutions in relation to changes taking place within photographic practice and theory. In addition he holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
⦁ Fill up this application form.
⦁ Send us a selection of your work to submissions@photoktm.com with your Full Name_Portfolio Review as the subject (this is so that we can recommend a reviewer based on your work).
⦁ Your portfolio (for this application process) should be between 15-20 low-resolution images from an on-going body of work. Please note that each photograph should be 800 pixels on the longer side.
⦁ Please also send us a brief Project Description (maximum 300 words) in case you are submitting a project.
⦁ And a short biography (300 words max) or CV.
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What is a portfolio?
Portfolio is a collection of photographs that showcases a series with a unifying theme or style. In some cases, it can also mean a selected best of all the work a photographer has ever produced. A portfolio can be presented in the form of a website or in the case of portfolio reviews as a compilation of prints / digital images.
Why do you need a portfolio?
Portfolio is the face of a photographer – this is how we present ourselves to the industry – which can either mean perspective employers or photographic professionals.
How to prepare for a portfolio review?
As photographers we invest a lot of time, creativity, money etc on our projects and we get very close to our subjects and the project as a whole. This personal investment in projects creates a unique perspective in the work but can sometimes create an emotional baggage which prevents one from looking at the work objectively. That is why portfolio reviews are a really good opportunity for photographers to get honest feedback from busy industry professionals who can be hard to reach otherwise.
Here are a few guidelines on how to make the most of each review sessions.
1. Make sure your work is ready for a portfolio review. Keep these questions in mind when you do so. Are you a photographer working on single images? Do you have a cohesive body of work with a well developed concept and a personal vision? Are you able to articulate your concept and your vision? You may want to write a statement explaining your work.
2. Once you have chosen a body of work, work on it to make a tight edit of 20-25 photographs that best represent your story or your personal vision. You can either show your work digitally or in prints. If you are showing your work digitally, make sure you bring your own computer and ready with your selects before your review session. If you are using prints, make sure you print your images in 6 in x 8 in or above depending on your preference and have them in a sequence that works for your series.
3. Research each reviewer before your session so that you know how relevant the review will be for your work and to know what kind of questions to ask.
4. Keep notes of the reviewers comments and have your questions ready. A notebook and a pen comes in very handy. We can’t possibly assume we will remember everything.
5. Have a business card ready so that you can pass them around during or after your review session so that the reviewer remembers you. The card preferably should have one of your photos with your contact information. Ask for the reviewer’s contact information and send an email later so that s/he remembers you and your work. Developing relationships is essential in this field.
6. The most important thing to remember is to be punctual. Arrive 15 minutes early.