What are some good ways to start a photography portfolio?

Make Your Photography Portfolio Work for You

Your photography portfolio may be the single most important thing that you can show to potential clients and employers. Your list of qualifications and skills may be impressive, but at the end of the day, clients look at your work – they look for photographers who can produce work that shows technical skill and unique, visual talent. A good photography portfolio will do more to boost your career than any other marketing tool in your arsenal. With that in mind, here are some tips for making your photography portfolio as polished and appealing as possible:

1. Include only your best work

It's crucial that you include only your very best work in your portfolio—even if your best work isn't necessarily your favorite work. Your photography portfolio should not only show that you've done good work, but also that you have the ability to identify good photography. Including pieces that are meaningful to you, but are not your best, will only reflect poorly on you.

Choose 15 to 20 pieces that demonstrate your range of technical skill as well as your unique vision, and leave the rest out. You may want to consider using a portfolio that will allow you to easily change out your work as you grow in your professional photography career.

2. Get a second opinion

We can all use an outside perspective from time to time. Find someone you trust—someone who's an expert—and get their honest opinion of your portfolio. They may be able to offer insights about what potential clients are looking for and advice on how to strengthen any weak points in your photography portfolio.

3. Customize your portfolio

Display your most relevant work. If you're looking for a wedding photography job, don't include examples of your commercial photography work. While there may be occasions where you need to show versatility, generally speaking, your photography portfolio will be more compelling if you use it to display your expertise in the photography niche in which you are seeking a job.

4. Have a unique perspective

What sets you apart from other photographers? What gives your work its individual style and voice? What risks have you taken? Having a unique perspective isn't just essential for your photography portfolio, it's a must for your career. Find the thing that will define your style.

5. Have different formats available

Some clients may prefer to look at a book. Others may want to see your portfolio on CD. Having more than one format available will allow you to communicate with clients in their preferred style. You should also consider building a website where you can display your work. This will allow you to reach an even wider audience of prospective clients.

Whatever format you choose, your photography portfolio should be well-organized and uncluttered. Your work should be the main focus.

Your Photography Portfolio: Your Number One Marketing Tool

As your best chance to impress future clients and employers, your photography portfolio is definitely worth the time and effort it will take to get it right. A professional quality portfolio will go a long way towards helping you start the successful photography career you've always wanted.

1. Keep it short and sweet- With a portfolio, quantity counts for nothing. If the viewer wants to see more, they’ll look for it. And if they can’t find it, they’ll ask. Both of these consequences are good. I usually aim to include 12-20 images in a photography portfolio.

2. Show quality- Following up to the first tip, only the best images should go into the portfolio. Consistency and distinction in your images should be a key takeaway. Showing anything but the best is often a waste of time; when you have someone’s attention, make every image count.

3. Show range- And aside from quality, each image should speak to some aspect of your vision and ability. In choosing images, ask, “What does this image say about me as a photographer?” If multiple images are competing for the same message, consider paring down for the sake of efficiency.

Expressing range, however, should not be confused with a lack of focus. Every image should work toward a singular goal of expressing your eye and capabilities as a photographer.

4. Start strong- Start out with a bang. You want to put your second to best shot up front to catch the viewer’s attention. Why the second best? Keep reading.

5. End strong- With your last image, you want to reinforce everything that has come before and end with the impression of excellence. This position is where your standout image goes, since it’s the last image in the set that the viewer will see.

With the last piece, your goal is to leave a mark. The viewer made it to the end, so go for the knock out punch.

6. Put the rest in the middle- There is no filler in a portfolio, but everything that isn’t your absolute best should go in the middle. After the lead off image, gradually decrease in image impact until you get to the middle of the series, and then ramp back up for the strong finish.

In other words, the highest impact images should be book ends to the images that establish the tone of your work.

7. Don’t put it to popular vote- Bless your friends and family, but portfolios should not be decided by committee; what is popular is not always what makes your eye or execution unique.

If need be, I’d suggest paring down a selection of your best images as well as you can and then enlist the keen eye of someone whose taste you trust to make the final selection.

8. Keep it fresh- Just like seafood, it’s better fresh. Once you’ve established your book, keep it as up to date as possible. Aside from assembling it in the first place, this task is one of the biggest challenges of a great portfolio.

As you develop as a photographer and add different elements to your style (or polish it), don’t neglect to reflect that growth in the portfolio.

The answers given above are all correct. Many times when I have presented MY portfolio to potential customers they ALWAYS comment positively on the size of my photos. All of them are 16x20 or LARGER in size. I also purchased a special plastic folder with carry handles for toting them around without damaging them. ALL of them are professionally mounted on matte boards and NONE of them are framed.

well, you should arrange it from best to worst lol... when someone is viewing you portfolio, chances are, they are gonig to look at the first few pages/first few... It is best to put the best first, that way they get a glance at your best work :D

Just choose your favorite pictures ^_^ Which ones do you like most?

hope i helped!!!

~*Tear*~