What You Should Include In A Photography Portfolio
For many photographers, the determining factor that can make or break a job interview is their portfolio. If you have many years of experience under your belt, a photography portfolio can be a showcase of an entire career’s worth of work. If you are just starting out fresh, it can help give insight into your skill and competency in your craft. It pays to take the time to put together your own portfolio, but what exactly should you put in it?
This can depend on a variety of things but is largely determined by your target audience and the kind of position or job you are being interviewed for. Showcasing your overall talent is the best way to go if the work that you will be doing is not centered around any central theme. Only your best work should be considered for inclusion and then arranged according to specific categories or themes. So in order to have a structured presentation while displaying your work, make sure you have separate sections for black and white photography, nature shots, portraits, or any other theme or category that can be clearly identified for what it is. Also, if you have an abundance of works, you might need to consider making multiple portfolios each with a theme of their own. If your audience is after a more specific theme then you should only include works that showcase your skill with that particular theme. So if a couple approaches you for a wedding photography job or if you specialize in weddings, your portfolio should only be a compilation of wedding-related photography. Don’t hesitate to display work that has been published or has received acclaim from critics. You can make a clipping to include in your portfolio if it has been published in a newspaper or magazine. Do not forget to caption your work and include a table of contents to make it easier for your prospective employers to reference specific pieces if they need to.
Presentation is just as important as the quality of the pieces themselves. Organizing how your work is arranged in the portfolio is just a waste of time if you put it into an ordinary plastic ring binder. This shows how little pride you take into your work and is an indicator of a lack of professionalism and experience. Try logging onto sites like http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com/ for possible deals on quality portfolio cases. While they might be expensive, portfolio cases made in leather and other similarly tasteful materials are a great investment.
June 18, 2011
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Posted by Jam Man
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