How to make a photography portfolio
So, you are a photographer, and you want to make a portfolio. I have had
to do this a few times, and I have fucked up a few times, so I learned all of
this the harshest way possible. Ah well - on with the show:
Image selection
Galleries
If you want to show your pictures in a gallery, you will need to make
a selection of images around a theme of some sort. If you just run around
and snap pictures, you will have to scrutinize them, to find out what they
really are about. If there is no connection whatsoever between
them, you might want to consider not making a portfolio, and rather concentrate
on taking more pictures.
Why is a theme important? Well, although single pictures can be interesting,
galleries tend to be interested in offering its visitors with a journey.
Pick an emotion, and explore it visually, or perhaps a situation or
a place. As long as there is some kind of "red thread" tying
your images into a whole, you'll be all right.
Make sure that the images are in a logical order - either cronological,
or through mood development. Be prepared that you will probably have to
talk the person you are presenting your portfolio to through all the pictures,
so if you have some kind of story prepared, all the better.
If you decide to mix colour prints and black and white prints, you'd
better have a very good explanation as to why.
A good selection of images is 10-20. If you have several themes, make different
portfolios, and present them separately.
Image libraries
This type of portfolio is the photographic equivalent of a "Best Of..."
album.
Image libraries are the other extreme - here, it is okay to have a large
batch of single, non-interconnected images, as this is not what the target
audience is looking for. What they are looking for, however, is genericicity
and perfection. The more generic the image is, the bigger the chance somebody
will use it, as it is adaptable for many different situations.
If your image has a flaw, ditch it. If your image is only slightly out
of focus, ditch it. If your image has brand names or visible logos
in it, chances are it is worthless in connection with image libraries. If
you do not have model releases for the people in your images, get rid
of the pictures.
In short: Make sure you only show your very best images. It is better to
pitch 3 perfect pictures than 15 good ones, but that don't stand out from
the mass. You should aim for 7-15 great pictures, however.
Commercial photography
If you are making a commercial portfolio, be prepared to make it focussed.
You might need to change your portfolio around depending on who you are
pitching it to. If you are pitching fashion work, make sure you have 5-6
pictures from each series you have done, to show that you can consistently
take good pictures. If you are doing product photography, make sure that
you do the same: Same product from various angles etc.
If you try to pitch your general skills as a photographer, make sure
that you make several portfolios. One for portraiture, one for nature,
one for product photography, etc. That way, the person reviewing your
portfolio can mentally prepare for something else. Also, it allows you to
show only the portfolios that are relevant for the job you are doing.
If you have gotten pictures in print (especially viable if you are planning
to do freelance news photography), include both prints and newspaper clippings
- side by side on adjecent pages is good.
Portfolio Presentation
This is what people ask about most: How do you present your portfolio?
First of all, make sure that your prints are of the best quality possible.
This means that they should be of a decent size (approximate A4 / letter size
is an ideal tradeoff between presentability and portability)
As for the actual presentation of the portfolio, the answer is difficult
to offer. Although a nice leather folder with high-quality plastic inlays
to keep your images in offers a good initial impact, it may not be ideal,
as the plastic may introduce sheen and / or reflections on the images,
making them difficult to see.
In the past, I have seen portfolios that are presented as pictures mounted
on cardboard, even loose pictures in a rolodex-style folder. You could consider
getting a mini- easel that you can place the images on individually. That
allows you and the reviewer to take a few steps away from the images - an
especially good bonus if that is how the images are meant to be seen.
Creativity is a big bonus - if you manage to come up with a good way to
present your portfolio effectively, it probably means you are doing the right
thing. Don't fall for the temptation to show your images on a computer screen
or data projector, however, unless this is how they are meant to be presented.
If you only have slides, there is no way around showing it on a slide projector,
but if there is any way you won't have to bring and / or arrange a projector,
it is better.
Oh, and it is all in the attitude. Go in there, be sure of yourself, talk,
talk, talk, and don't for a second let up that you had even slightly considered
the possibility of them not liking your images. You'd be amazed what difference
it makes.
Good luck!
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