What Is in a Photographer's Portfolio?
A photographer's portfolio is often the key factor in whether or not they land an assignment. The portfolio is a short presentation of a photographer's best or current work. Usually a photo portfolio consists of 12 to 20 images. When editors and clients look through a photo portfolio they can view a photographer's style, technical ability and subject matter. The organization of a portfolio varies from photographer to photographer.
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Images
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Images in a good portfolio are more than just a collection of images. The pictures should have a unifying dialogue and theme. Their relationship could be as concrete as photos of trees, or as broad as American portraiture. Whatever theme the portfolio presents, it is important that it look well thought out, demonstrate the range of the photographer's skills and not just be randomly put together.
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A photo portfolio is not just images, but a quality presentation of images. Successful portfolios are presented in a professional portfolio case and include an artist statement about the images and thumbnails of each photograph. If captions are not listed with the thumbnails, it is beneficial to have a list of image titles. Many portfolios also feature a cover image that represents the portfolio's content.
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The Digital Age
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Many photographers choose not to have physical portfolios of their work, but online portfolios. While some editors and clients may also find printed portfolios unnecessary, it is still import for photographers to have a quality presentation of their work online with all the features of a traditional portfolio.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
