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. While everyone knows you should be careful about how to showcase your own portfolio, what exactly should go 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. If the work that you will be doing is not centered around any theme then the best that you can do is to showcase your overall talent. The photographs that you will include should only be those that you consider to be your best work and should be arranged according to their respective themes or categories.
For example photography portfolios can have a separate section for black and white photography, nature shots, portraits, or any other theme or category so that your portfolio will have a structured presentation while displaying your work. 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. Include a section for the table of contents and don't forget to caption your work for easier referencing by your prospective employers.
Just as the quality of the pieces are important, so is the presentation. Your efforts at organizing your work in your portfolio according to theme will be wasted if it is all wrapped up in a cheap plastic binder. This shows how little pride you take into your work and is an indicator of a lack of professionalism and experience. For great deals on quality portfolio cases try logging onto sites like http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com. Although it won't be cheap, portfolio cases in tasteful materials such as leather are a great investment.
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. If the work that you will be doing is not centered around any theme then the best that you can do is to showcase your overall talent. The photographs that you will include should only be those that you consider to be your best work and should be arranged according to their respective themes or categories.
For example photography portfolios can have a separate section for black and white photography, nature shots, portraits, or any other theme or category so that your portfolio will have a structured presentation while displaying your work. 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. Include a section for the table of contents and don't forget to caption your work for easier referencing by your prospective employers.
Just as the quality of the pieces are important, so is the presentation. Your efforts at organizing your work in your portfolio according to theme will be wasted if it is all wrapped up in a cheap plastic binder. This shows how little pride you take into your work and is an indicator of a lack of professionalism and experience. For great deals on quality portfolio cases try logging onto sites like http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com. Although it won't be cheap, portfolio cases in tasteful materials such as leather are a great investment.
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If you would like to know more about photography portfolios then check out http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com for more information.
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