During the acquaintance of potential clients with the photographer, the portfolio plays the role of introductory material, according to which conclusions are drawn about his experience and professionalism. The quality, expressiveness, creative content of the photographs presented in the portfolio determine the desire of clients to turn to the services of this photographer. By studying the pictures, clients evaluate the photographer's skills, professional skills, and experience. This article will cover how to create a photography portfolio.
What photos to choose for portfolio
The portfolio is a collection the best photos demonstrating professional level photographer, personal style and "handwriting". But you can not overdo it, choosing photos for such a collection. It is necessary to choose not so much ideal photographs, perhaps miraculously obtained, as those frames that the photographer can take again without any problems. Thus, there is a guarantee that new pictures will please customers, and not disappoint. After all, upset clients can significantly spoil the reputation of the photographer, and satisfied customers is a magical powerful force that creates success.
The portfolio of a novice photographer should be full of photographs taken in his favorite genres that he plans to do, or it should contain pictures of different genres if the photographer has not yet decided in which direction he will work. The demonstration selection of photographs should consist of approximately 20-30 shots, it is this number that makes it possible to evaluate the professionalism and style of the photographer. Pictures in the portfolio should be placed by genre, so that, if necessary, you can consistently demonstrate to the client how much the photographer knows this or that genre and, at the same time, you do not have to feverishly look for the necessary pictures among others.
To evaluate the work of photographers, the portfolio is the only source that allows you to compare the work of different photographers and make a choice who to contact to create a particular photo shoot. Each photographer, according to his professional activity, begins to give preference to some particular type of shooting and it is necessary to emphasize this in your portfolio by posting more shots of this genre in it. It is better to be a specialist in several genres than to photograph clumsily, trying to embody all genres of photography in your work.
Portfolio Format
In what form the photographer's portfolio will be stored and displayed, in digital or printed form, he decides based on his own considerations, it can be photo books, just a folder with printed pictures, a digital folder with files, a slide show, a presentation or a personal website. The latter method is considered the most progressive, because in addition to demonstrating your professional capabilities, you can also post another one on the site. useful information, including discounts and other tempting offers. In addition, on your own site you can upload an unlimited number of photos of different genres with a convenient menu and navigation through them. Well, and of course, if the portfolio is posted on your own website, in order to evaluate the skill of the photographer, it will be enough for a potential client to simply follow the link, which he can do without leaving his home.
Having multiple demo versions of your portfolio is even more practical. For example, it is more convenient for clients whom the photographer sees personally to demonstrate a photo book. To friends and acquaintances on the Internet, as well as by sending offer It is more convenient for potential clients to demonstrate their portfolio on their own website.
Portfolio of a professional photographer
A professional photographer supplements his portfolio with information about awards and prizes, but also a professional portfolio is distinguished by masterfully executed photographs that can fascinate, delight and surprise. It is not for nothing that photography becomes a real art, in skillful hands. But beginners should not be upset, over time, with the acquisition of experience and skills, as professionalism grows, the collection of the best shots will change, changing every year.
On the web, you can find portfolios of different photographers and make own analysis how they differ from each other. Looking through the photographs of professional and novice photographers, you can draw your own conclusions about how their work differs and take this into account when compiling your own portfolio.
Accompanying text for pictures
It is very convenient when each photo in the portfolio is accompanied by information about the importance of this or that photo, as well as the photographer’s ideas on how else he could beat the pictured frame. Thus, the informational message of the portfolio is increased - a visual demonstration of the photographer's capabilities is complemented by an easy acquaintance with his creative potential.
wedding photography portfolio
If a photographer is engaged in wedding photography, he needs to have a separate portfolio showing wedding photos. Such a portfolio should not be too small, but also not too large so that clients do not have to look through hundreds of photos.
To showcase to potential clients, your wedding photography portfolio should contain the following shots taken by the photographer:
- portraits of brides
- general plans of the area
- photos of details of weddings, their design
- portraits of grooms
- photos that convey the emotions of guests and newlyweds
- photographs from unusual angles
- group photos
- staged and not staged photos newlyweds
- photos of banquet halls
- reporting moments
When creating a portfolio of wedding photographs, it is necessary to aim at a selection of photographs that maximally demonstrate the creative and professional skills that are most important when photographing weddings - capturing important points, highlight key details, take portrait and group photography, be creative in your work. The wedding photographer also completes his portfolio with images taken during the Love Story filming.
So, what should be a photo portfolio?
- Expressive. To do this, it includes the best pictures.
- Concise. It should not contain too few or too many pictures.
- Original. All photographs must be unique in their own way, denoting the "personal handwriting" of the author.
Background of the professional portfolio
To make a professional portfolio, you need to have quality work in your personal collection so that you have plenty to choose from that can arouse the interest of potential clients. To do this, beginners take pictures of everything and everyone who agrees to take pictures. But this is not enough. To obtain professional skills, it is necessary to study the experience of photographers accumulated by mankind today, so as not to use the "poke" method, but with knowledge of the matter to create beautiful photos. http://ufa.videoforme.ru/photoschool provides photography courses for everyone, where everyone can learn photography. Professional photographers will teach beginners from scratch. Every green aspiring photographer who attends our courses will become a mature professional after the training. When a person has the desire to take pictures, but is not privy to the alchemy of the process of photography, he has no opportunity to truly express his ideas, his creative potential. And after training with us, you will have all the necessary skills. We will eliminate the lack of knowledge that stands between your ideas and their implementation.
At Wix, we often get questions from freelance photographers who want to learn how to create a professional online portfolio. And while we have plenty of material on how and how best to use Wix's editor tools, especially with regard to photographers, experience shows that one picture is worth a thousand words.
This is what prompted us to go through hundreds of newly created Wix sites to select the top 10 and show them to you. Nothing contributes to the flow creative ideas to create your own portfolio, like viewing beautiful, high-quality photo portfolios. This will help you understand what your colleagues are doing to attract the attention of potential customers, plus you will know what is trendy in web design and interface design these days.
But before we get started, here are a few questions to ask yourself as you browse other portfolios:
What makes this site stand out, and how can you play on it?
What are the flaws in the design of this site, and how could you fix it?
How is the photo portfolio organized, is it categorized and is there a slideshow?
What is on the site besides the portfolio, and how does this content help potential customers make their choice?
Born in Cuba and now based in Miami, this photographer specializes in photography for property sales, menu design, weddings and various products. His site is dynamic and simple, using large sliders that act as a background to showcase the photographer's best work. The "Services" page presents a typical set of job descriptions and prices.
Austrian paparazzi photographer David Boman has been actively involved in professional photography for the past 4 years. At first glance, his portfolio looks very unpretentious: nothing superfluous and a plain white background. The photo gallery is divided into 14 sections, which are very convenient to navigate, and is designed in the form of a modular grid. His portraits feature very curious characters (and there are many businessmen among them!), his photographs of architecture are distinguished by unconventional compositions and the use of special lenses, and photographs from weddings convey a festive mood.
Photographer with 20 years of experience in sports photography, travel, portraits and advertising, talented German Jern Polex created a website in the design of which he decided to use a minimalist style. The use of photo thumbnails allows you to show all his works, regardless of their size and proportions, on one page.
A Canadian couple takes "bright, exciting, spectacular, exciting, and most importantly emotional" pictures. The About Us section of their website features their childhood photos with brief biographical information about each of them – a great way to put a human face on the brand.
Carlo Heathcote from Singapore presents his portfolio as an activist project aimed at drawing attention to the global problems of humanity. His photographs tell of the massive famine in Niger, the victims of the earthquake in Kashmir and the military conflicts in Afghanistan. “This exhibition was created to give voice to the people photographed at the most difficult moments of their lives,” Heathcote writes on the “About Me” page.
Japanese Kita Koyi specializes in studio photography of various products and models, but he works just as well and with wedding photos, and with illustrations for guidebooks. The calm gray tones of the background on the site help to focus on the photos themselves, which is actually the purpose of the portfolio.
Laura Garilio isn't afraid to use bold colors on her site, from a plethora of greens to a palette of grays punctuated with pops of bright pink. This approach requires careful thought and careful work, but the result is worth it.
A wise decision was to create a "My Style" section, where she shares how to draw inspiration from every day, in addition to the classic "About me" page, where Laura talks about how she was once an artist, and then moved to Canary Islands and changed my life. The "Your Photoshoot" section is devoted to pricing for various shooting options. It's great that her portfolio is provided with so much information: this is how she not only introduces herself to potential clients, but also works to promote the site in search engines.
Galleries organized by topic look very neat. In them you will find photographs of people on vacation, enjoying life, and the surrounding nature of the Canary Islands only enhances this impression. The photo project “Future Dads” is especially attractive with its emotional pictures of newly-made fathers.
Among you there are both experienced photographers and beginners who have recently discovered the world of photo science.
We can definitely say that the topic that we will discuss today will be of interest to everyone involved in photography. Today we will talk about the so-called "portfolio".
If we forget all scientific terms, and speak in an understandable, popular language, then we can say that "portfolio" is the author's business card. Or, from a scientific point of view, it is a set that contains the best works and projects of the author in any branch of art or culture, in order to tell about the author and his talents, experience and quality of work. Portfolio can be stored in different form. For example, if a person is engaged in drawing, then his portfolio is the drawings themselves, his copies or photographs.
We said that the portfolio aims to tell about the author and about his talents, experience and quality of work. In other words portfolio is advertising. Let's say you want to order a room design for yourself. You have found the right person and he tells you that he is a very designer. How can he confirm that he really knows a lot about his business? He opens a folder of photographs showing some of his best work. Now, you are sure that you will not pay this person in vain.
Why does a photographer need a portfolio? Let's figure it out. A photographer who makes a portfolio can have several goals. The least likely version is that he makes a portfolio for himself to look at and praise himself. Few photographers pursue this goal. The main purpose for which portfolios are compiled is, again, advertising. No wonder they say: "Advertising is the engine of trade." A portfolio is important for those photographers who sell their services. In particular, people conducting photo shoots. The person who comes to you will most likely require that you show him your work. If you get a job on some TV channel, in a newspaper publishing house or in a modeling agency, then the employer will definitely ask you for a portfolio. I hope now you understand what a portfolio is and its significance for the owner of each profession.
When should a photographer start compiling their portfolio? In fact, right after he feels that he is good at taking pictures, and he likes to do it.
What should a portfolio contain? The main attention should be paid to photographs depicted in journalistic styles, photographs of nature and people, everyday subjects. When I say that you need to pay attention to photographs in the style of journalism, I mean that these photographs contain the genres of politics, society and society. For example, photographs from press conferences, various meetings of politicians, etc. Such photographs are mainly taken by photographers who work as journalists, shoot reports or whose photos end up in the largest newspapers of cities or countries. Photographs of nature and people. They are also very important to have in your kit. the best photos. If you become a good photographer in the future, and you will receive requests for or, again, work in a newspaper, then you will have to photograph famous personalities, models, or ordinary citizens. Nature. Let's not forget that animals also belong to nature. It doesn't matter if it's wild or domestic. Photograph landscapes, and all the oddities, all the fun that you think seems to be the beautiful creations of mother nature.
How to store a photo portfolio? There are several options for you here.
- The first and most popular is a regular folder with photographs developed in it, containing the work of the author.
- The second is the preparation of a presentation or a slide show on a computer and storing it, for example, on a phone or on a flash drive.
- And the third, used mainly by well-known photographers. Creation of your site. You can put an unlimited number of photos on it, as well as many other useful features, such as your contact details, ads (for which you can get paid), your bio, and many other useful "things". How to create a website you can look on the Internet, how and how you can earn money by having your own website.
In general, a photographer's portfolio should always contain photos on any topic possible. Everything happens in life, so it's better to make sure in advance. It's best to start with what you do best. After that, start with the easiest topics and plots, such as, for example,
How to start creating a photo portfolio?
A portfolio isn't necessarily "the best," he says, and it's much more logical to try to categorize your shots by series rather than by subjective opinion about the number of stars in their rating. The criteria for combining into one set can be considered genre, shooting style or specific technical specifications: type of camera or image - for example, cyanotype, pinhole, drone photography, and many others.
Photography and design experts advise sharing the burden of photo selection with a designer or colleague whose opinion you trust. An outsider's view and a dialogue about the obvious pros and cons of the work with a person who is not indifferent to the topic will help you feel like you are in the place of the audience. Is this blurry sketch of the evening capital as good as it seems to us? Will everyone notice the mysterious understatement of the portrait of Sveta's niece in the country?
The remarkable critic Jorg Colberg, quoting in his book on the science of photobooks the story of the Dutch designer Sybren Kuiper, agrees with the latter's opinion: "Never listen to a photographer!"
You should not, of course, take the advice literally, but there is something to think about. “The fact is that photographers are often too involved in their own projects and shots - so much so that they no longer perceive them adequately,” says Kuiper. - Photographs may seem too boring to them [or too ingenious - my note], because they have already flashed before their eyes so many times. There is a risk of not including the really best shots in the final sample, or obsessing over minor details. Definitely, we need someone with a fresh eye who can comment on what work is achieving its goal and what is not.”
But calling an electoral committee is also not worth it. The opinion of one or two honest friends who understand the science of the visual is enough, Kohlberg believes. Busting with chefs in the kitchen never led to anything worthwhile.
Who is a photographer's portfolio for?
The next question to answer before you start diving into the thousands, maybe millions, of photos accumulated over years of filming "on the table" or downloaded to the computer's memory is the logical and correct "Why?" Who exactly will be the first person you plan to show your portfolio to? Potential employers? Curators, gallerists or photobook publishers who don't yet know anything about your talents? Or maybe, for now, your main task is just to reflect on the variety of pictures in the “for yourself” mode? It also happens - Moscow was not built right away.
Portfolio Review Night in Houston. March, 2012 Andrey Bezukladnikov
Nevertheless, it would be good to have in mind a possible “consumer” of a photo portfolio right now. After all, if you intend to look for a job in the field of photography, say in photojournalism, then it is better to show the future editor series that are diverse in form and content, hint at the variability of skills, the ability to work quickly both “on the pipe” and in the field. A little something else should be paid attention to those whose photographic interests are related to creative or conceptual photography - in this case, it is recommended to post pictures in the sequence of theoretical hanging in the gallery and, of course, in series.
Another point related to the "recipients" of the image, which should not be forgotten, according to Simon Bray, is the reaction of the audience. “Try to imagine what kind of emotions you expect from the audience - do you want to surprise, shock or entertain them? - advises a British expert. - Believe me, not everyone is interested in views with your favorite landscapes or regular clones from photo stocks that flash before people's eyes every day. It is much more logical to choose photos that are somehow different from the rest and will be able to attract the attention of the audience. However, you should not bet on obviously defective images, they are unlikely to attract viewers and experts. Therefore, it is worth saying goodbye to works containing obvious flaws.
Here, perhaps, it is worth making a reservation that, of course, intentional distortions that may be part of the author's visual language or conceptual idea do not fall under this "Bray's rule". Are you a fan of glitch art?
How to show portfolio?
The next step is deciding how to present the portfolio. During a meeting with experts, it is considered more professional and respectful to show a portfolio in printed form, which, of course, is more appropriate in a situation of “live” communication with them. But a personal bet still needs to be achieved, so it makes sense to first think about the online format.
Firstly, social networks. For the first steps in the world of large and small photography, Facebook, Instagram and Vkontakte will be enough - create folders, upload photos, invite friends and not so friends to groups. Why dissemble, the Internet is big, and any, even the most (so far) average photographer with a DSLR, presented for his birthday, will find his fans. But if you are planning to move from the level of Sunday filming of your niece in the country, and the glory of Georgy Pinkhasov makes you “white envy”, then you should think about a personal site. It is unlikely that a link to the Vkontakte group can be shown without blushing even to the most democratic critic or editor.
Since creating and maintaining a site requires significant financial investments and deep technical knowledge, most photographers use specialized online platforms with ready-made templates. Many of them are inexpensive, easy to manage and do not require the skills of a programmer or web designer. You just need to register and upload photos.
You graduated from photography school, full of knowledge, skills and energy to create, develop and become a successful commercial photographer, earning money with your favorite work. In this article, let's talk about practical aspects a good portfolio of a photographer, how about the main sales tool. Hooked on your portfolio potential client- he's almost yours, not hooked - will pass by. A photographer's portfolio is exactly the same as a student's record book: first you work for him, then it works for you. Let's try to list a few features of a successful portfolio that works for you:
1) High-quality and interesting work
In the first minutes when a potential customer opens your page, your work should please him at first sight, hook it! If these are technically poor and not interesting in content shots, your chances of losing a client from the very first seconds increase dramatically.
2) Variety
Many photographers sin by posting a huge number of photos from the same shoot. Often the shots differ not very much - head turn, smile / without a smile, in a red blouse / in a flowered dress, sitting / standing, but in fact these are the same shots. The same model, the same location, the same image - even if everything else is different in the photographs, they will still look the same ... Such monotony is terribly boring and works against you. Choose from each shooting 3-5 (this is the maximum!) The best photos that you put in your portfolio. Distribute them on your site not in a row, but scattered with other photos so that everything looks different.
In the social networks, at the same time, you can upload more photos (in the form of a series) - in albums or just on the wall with a brief description of the shooting.
3) Originality
Come up with interesting ideas, costumed staged photo shoots, look for amazing models, catch unique emotions, shoot in interesting places, look for cool processing ... Originality and uniqueness are always valuable, they will always set you apart from the general banality and monotony! See the work of famous (or not famous, but good and those that you like) photographers, watch movies, read books, taking all this as sources of inspiration and images for photo shoots.
At the same time, it is not necessary for good and interesting shots to inflate the budget to impossibility (more on that in). Even an ordinary children's/family/wedding/portrait photo shoot can be shot corny and boring and generally anyhow, just to "shoot", or you can approach any shooting creatively and with soul: pick up interesting ideas for posing, angles, composition and the idea of a frame in In general, prepare (or make sure that the photo studio has / rent) at least some props, even if they are simple, but which will help you make your interesting catchy and original photo.
4) Review your portfolio regularly 
Review your portfolio every six months, delete those photos that, in your opinion, are no longer worthy to be there (including in social networks too). If you grow and develop professionally, there will always be those. Why do such a review preferably in 3 stages, because. the first time it may not work out: you just feel sorry for deleting so many frames. But there is no place for nostalgia, the best of the best must survive in the portfolio, which is usually achieved by the third viewing!
If after six months / a year you still like absolutely ALL of your photos "from the early" - this is a reason to think.
5) Only beautiful models
A good photographer should be able to take pictures any model Beautiful! The right angle, light, image do their job, and you can present in the best light even a person who is not very beautiful in life (according to generally accepted standards of beauty). Or vice versa, make beautiful girl damn those in the photo.
In general, beauty is different, the taste and color, as they say, all felt-tip pens are different. But in most cases, the human eye likes shots with beautiful people by generally accepted standards.
If there is a person in the photo with ugly features, emotion and posture, but at the same time it is technically excellent, with interesting idea and in the most beautiful way - no one will analyze these components separately! The frame will simply be unattractive because of the model! I see a lot of such shots, where, unfortunately, it is not a very successful model that spoils the work done by the whole team.
And vice versa, an emotional, uncluttered and pretty model will “make” you a gorgeous shot out of nothing, even without complicated images, clothes, locations! And even minor technical bugs will be forgiven by the viewer (and not noticed at all by an inexperienced eye)!
Even if you have done your best on the photo as a photographer and displayed the model in the best possible light, this may still not be enough to make the picture like others. It often works out that when we photograph and then process, we ourselves really like both the frame and the model. Therefore, show as many photos as possible to other people for the purpose of a survey - like / dislike. It may turn out that a model that you already in the process of shooting and processing seemed pretty, others will find it ugly and even repulsive.
If you want to shoot for yourself, for pleasure, be sure to leave this frame and do not follow the society's lead: this is your creativity and, most importantly, that it brings you pleasure. But if you want to be a commercial photographer and get a lot of clients, hide this shot and don't show it in your portfolio at all!
In general, the meaning is simple - the portfolio should attract and seduce with every frame!
6) Target audience 
Try to choose your direction in photography, in which you will specialize, for example, children's photography, family, wedding, portrait, etc. Of course, no one forbids shooting different things, but it is always better to determine for yourself the area (or several areas) that brings you the most pleasure and the photos in which you get the best, and improve and develop in it.
7) Copyright
A pattern is observed: what better work photographer, the more inconspicuous his copyright. And vice versa, for some reason, every photographer who just bought a DSLR yesterday finds it necessary to insert his logo where necessary, and not necessary, and always so active that it seems that he is the main object in the photo. Do not rush to put your copyright on the initial photos, remember these words, you will also be ashamed of him later.
Later, when you already consider that the level of your work is sufficient for copyright, follow the rule: the logo should be visible only to those who are specifically looking for it, and not be evident to everyone. Layer Opacity Levels in Photoshop!
8) Print your portfolio
While you're just starting out and you don't have much good shots, collect them in in electronic format on your photo site (group in the social network). As soon as you have at least 20-30 great shots from different shoots, print your work! A printed photograph looks completely different than its digital counterpart. Print your work on A4 (A3) format or make a photo book of them (there are plenty of resources for such printing now) and be sure to take your portfolio to a meeting with a client. Believe me, the client will be much more impressed by seeing and "feeling" the results of your work live than by viewing them on the Internet.
© 2015, Photoschool PhotoStudio FotoAZ
