How to Make a Great Photography Portfolio

Even if you're fresh out of photography school, one of the things you must have if you plan to be a professional photographer is a photography portfolio. Though some photography schools offer classes in putting together your portfolio, it's not necessarily the norm. When I graduated from photography school, I had a wealth of great pictures to draw upon, but had no idea how to best showcase my work. I was lucky enough to have one of my photography school teachers share some tips with me that I've since consistently followed. Here are some of the tips that have helped me consistently put together great portfolios.

Less is More

One mistake that many photographers do in putting together a portfolio is using too many photographs. Remember the rule "Less is More." That rule definitely applies here. In putting together a photography portfolio, you'll definitely want to keep it simple.

Aim to have about 14-20 photographs in your portfolio, and keep in mind that if someone wants to see more, they'll have no problems asking. You want to leave them wanting, not leave them wondering how many *&(#! photos they have left to sift through.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

In accordance with the less is more principle, you'll also want to make sure your chosen photographs are among your best. This may seem like it goes without saying, you're of course not going to put bad photographs in your portfolio, but sometimes, the truth is we don't always know which are the best in our own work. Though we can probably weed out the not so good from the great, it's hard to choose which are the best of the best. Get an opinion from another photographer you trust, and enlist them to help you narrow it down.

If you're in photography school, your teachers may also have some tips that can help you.

Show ?Em What You've Got

We all have various abilities and talents as photographers and drawing on those unique aspects is important. But one thing you'll want to avoid is having all your photographs all look alike. It's important to show diversity and range in your portfolio?this doesn't mean that you'll want your photos to look all over the place, but they should express different abilities of your capacity as a photographer

Start Off on the Right Foot

One great principle to follow in putting together your portfolio is starting off with your strongest images. In this case, you'll want your first image in your portfolio to be your second best photograph of the group. Why second best? You'll see.

End with a Bang

The last image in your portfolio should reinforce all the images that have come before and leave a lasting impression. You want to end with a bang, and ultimately leave your viewer with the best possible feeling about your work. This is where your best image should be placed.

The Middle Road

All remaining photographs should be placed between these two?yes, that's obvious, but how should they be arranged, you ask? From your first photograph, you'll want to slowly move towards less impacting images, until you reach the middle of the portfolio. From there, you'll want to build back up again, gradually increasing in impact until you reach your last and best piece of work.

Revisit and Rework

As a photographer, our works are constantly changing and improving, so don't let your portfolio get stale. Use these principles consistently, but always update your portfolio with new works that showcase how you've grown.

Even if you're still in photography school, it's not too early to start thinking about these things. Photography schools allow you the time you need to experiment and uncover your style as well, so don't be surprised if you're revamping your portfolio more than once. Even professional photographers sometimes have difficulty in putting together a portfolio that really showcases their work. Whatever stage you're at, use these tips to help you on your way to landing more jobs and shows. Your portfolio, after all, is your calling card.

Source: http://leisure.ezinemark.com/how-to-make-a-great-photography-portfolio-18e3c5628b3.html

john edwards heart condition mena suvari joyful noise coachella one life to live jeff fisher van der sloot