How to Create a Professional Photography Portfolio
- 1). Browse your entire collection of images. Pick out images which strike you as very good, or move the digital files into a new folder entitled "Portfolio." Continue until you have amassed 30 to 40 photographs.
- 2). Look through the photographs you've collected with several friends or fellow photographers and request their input. When looking at each photograph, try to be objective in critiquing your work. Only set aside those which encapsulate your artistic vision and unique style. Narrow down your body of images to 15 or 20 excellent photographs by the end of the critique session.
- 3). Make high-quality prints of your selected photographs. If you work mainly in 35mm film or digital format, standard 8- by 10-inch prints will suffice. For medium or large format film, opt for larger print sizes to emphasize the sharpness and tones in your images. Use a professional lab for best results.
- 4). Place the prints in an artist's portfolio. If desired, you can place the photos in a thin mat frame prior to insertion in the portfolio. Avoid gluing the prints onto the portfolio pages to allow for the addition of new work.
- 5). Write an artist's statement and place it at the front of the portfolio. This statement should lend your work clarity and a sense of purpose. Avoid being overly wordy, as the images in your portfolio should speak volumes about your vision. Ideally, an artist's statement is no longer than a paragraph or two.
