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I have just posted up a series of 4 images with a further 5 or so to go up over the week and came across an interesting point made by a poster. The poster pointed out that the impact in one of the images would have been greater had I used he natural hair colour. I can clearly see his point and it got me thinking, what should I aim for - the best image everytime or variation of portfolio? My thoughts were that a photographer should give a model a range of images with different looks and sometimes that means playing around with hair colour, eye colour etc but at what cost.
Your thoughts please.
I find that it is entirely possible for a single image to 'work' in several ways/styles etc. Similarly, there are images that fail miserably in this area and will only 'work' as a single image and as originally seen and presented following post-production.
Variety is good as long as you don't do it just for the sake of it. 
It has to add something.
Ian
It's always a difficult question. My feeling is that I should ( and I say should, instead of do) know what I'm trying to achieve when I shoot, so any variation shows that I'm not confident. After all when I go to the doctor I don't expect different treatments.
Sometimes photographers go over the top, I was sharing a Volvo advertising shoot with Guy Bourdin where I shot a pack shot of the car for the bottom right hand corner of the ad and Guy shot the main shot of a father holding a baby. Guy supplied only 1 photo to the ad agency as did but cars in studio don't change expression ! Anyway when the agency asked him for others to choose from, he refused saying he chooses his shots and supplies no choice to his clients (a brave man but the shot was fantastic).
Now this shows one of two things , superb confidence, or only 1 shot was in focus ! He was a very expensive photographer (maybe ten grand for the shoot, in the seventies!) and knew what he wanted, the proof, the ad won a Clio in New York although I've always been convinced it was because of my shot of the car 
!!
So the moral give the minimum choice within reason, showing absoloute confidence in yourself and your product .
Phill
A little experimentation could produce amazing results.
Following the "norm" rules is great if you want your pictures to look like everyone elses.
If you want your pictures to stand out, you may have to work outside of the rules.
Thankfully we don't all operate from the same level of creativity.
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