Maui Wedding Photographer

Building your photography portfolio.

As a photographer there is no greater joy than being recognized for what you love doing. A large part of that recognition will come through the self promotional tactics you employ. One way to ensure you get recognition for what you do is to create a photography portfolio which is second to none.

Step 1) Choosing your theme
You may already have the pictures to create a themed portfolio or you may be planning on capturing them over the next little while. Either way, your portfolio, like a well written book, should have some unifying theme. This theme can be conceptual or it can be technical. For example, your theme could be about courage, love, urban life, rural life, garbage. Alternatively you can create a theme based on photographic technicalities. For example you could create a portfolio showcasing all of your best wide angle work, or one which displays your best black and white work. The themes for creating a portfolio are only limited by your own imagination. So take your time and create a themed portfolio which means something to you.

Step 2) Choosing the photos
Choosing the right photographs to put in your portfolio will be a time consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you don’t’ have too many top picks spend some more time photographing until you get the desired results. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of, not something thrown together out of impatience and haste.

Your portfolio should be manageable for the viewer to get through. Too often photographers fill pages and pages with photographs that the viewer will skim through to get to the end. Most audiences have short attention spans. Don’t take it personally, it’s simply how we’ve been conditioned to see the world. If you’re photography portfolio is shorter, your audience will be more likely to slow down and spend more time looking at each photograph.

For those of you who have been to art galleries showcasing a particular artist work, you’ll remember, that their showcase was relatively easy to get through. This is because they don’t’ want to clutter the walls and they want to keep your attention the whole time. You must do the same as a photographer. Just because they make photo albums that can hold 500 pictures doesn’t mean you should try to fill it up. Narrow your portfolio down to 20-50 photographs. There is no hard set number you need to follow but this seems to be the range that most audiences would prefer.

Step 3) Showing your work
Now that you’ve put together your portfolio, it’s time to show it off. Keep it in a public space in your house, show your friends and family, but a digital copy online and show it around to galleries and exhibits if you’re looking to sell some of the photographs in your set.

Completing your portfolio is a great feeling. It’s a great internal battle choosing the perfect pictures for your portfolio because it represents you and what you stand for as a photographer. Take your time putting it together, but make sure your complete your project. Too many photographers shoot all day long and fail to present their work properly. Don’t let your photographs sit around in boxes in the closest. Take the best ones out and show them off!

Portrait Photography is one of the most challenging arts if you are considering becoming a professional in this. If you don’t have a photo studio, then you can always start by concentrating on environmental portraits through which you can show the subject as well as his surroundings. The best work is the one that can produce an enlarged image of the size 11×14 inches. If the image is any smaller than this then the subject’s face will look too small. You will require the help of a low ISO setting, prime lenses, a tripod, and a mid-range digital SLR.
There are two basic elements for portrait photography in a photo studio. The first one is a controlled background. You will have to focus all your attention on the subject and at the same time minimize or remove the distracting elements in the frame. A common mistake made by many portrait photographers is the use of seamless paper or various monochromatic backgrounds. What you need to understand is that you don’t require a special room to create a controlled background. There are various types of clever portable backdrops and backdrop supports, which you can build or even buy. Inspite of all this, if you are still unable to control the background, then the next best thing is to use a long fast lens like a 300/2.8. A fast telephoto lens will have very little depth of field and hence the eyes and the nose of your subject will be sharp. The distraction in the frame will become a blurry blob of colors.
The second most important element of a portrait studio is controlled lighting. If you have lights kept on stands or if you can hang them from the ceiling then it will be easier to pick the angle at which light will strike the subject. The use of umbrellas and various diffusion equipments will help you to pick the harshness of the shadows on your subject. Backgrounds have always played an important role bringing out the details in a portrait photograph. So if you can’t find a big open space with diffuse light and a neutral background then you will have to steal one.

Planning Advice for Photography Poses
1) Prepare For The Event
Prepare for the event by thinking about every photograph you want to take and what kind of photography pose(s) you would like to capture. Consider who, where, how, and the type of environment. Thinking about it beforehand will always produce better results.

2) Take Multiple Photographs
Take multiple shots of each pose (remember, digital memory is reusable, a.k.a. “free”). Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. And don’t count on spotting small problems on the tiny camera LCD screen (even on full magnification); which leads to…

3) Check the LCD Screen
Check the digital camera’s LCD screen only for general framing of the picture, extreme movements, confirmation that all faces can be seen, and the histogram.

Do not use the LCD screen for any fine review of the picture! (That is what your computer is for.)

Note that you can have a fantastic photography pose; arrange everyone perfectly; and, have the photograph “frozen” (no blinking, and no shaking of the camera)…but, when you check it out in the LCD, you see 2 drunks fighting in the background!

4) Funny Phrases
Have some funny phrases (or something humorously appropriate to your group) handy to use just before you take the photo.

Don’t use them when setting up for the shot. And, don’t use the same phrase all the time. Throw in funny anecdotes, phrases, names, words that you know your family will find more amusing than “cheese.” A natural smile looks four times better than a fake one.

Our second category is…

Location Advice for Photography Poses
Taking INDOOR family photography, is very different than OUTDOOR family photograph (duh!). For INDOOR pictures…

1) Wide Angle
You will tend to use the wide angle more often than your telephoto setting. Pay particular attention to your “end people” (those farthest to the right and the left in your viewfinder). There is one specific tip to insure that if cropping is eventually required for your picture, the end people won’t have to lose a limb.

2) The Flash
Flash considerations are critical. Do not be outside your “flash range.” For example, if at ISO 100, your flash can properly illuminate 12 feet, don’t attempt a pose that requires anyone to stand at 14 feet (unless, of course, it’s evil cousin Ira who you want to appear in darkness).

3) Plan “B”
If you need to be further away than your on-camera flash allows, here are 4 things you can try…

1. Consider purchasing an external flash unit for your camera.

2. Increase the ISO setting so that a flash may not be necessary. However, don’t increase the ISO so much that you produce “noise.”

3. Use a tripod, and increase the exposure time enough to properly expose the image WITHOUT USING A FLASH.

4. Physically move to a significantly brighter location.

4) Watch Your Background
If there are distracting (or competing) features, change the background. The best photography pose in the world won’t look right with a distracting background. And finally…

5) Mirror, Mirror, on The Wall
If there are mirrors or reflective surfaces in the background and you can’t find a different location, only take the picture in such a way that the flash is not perpendicular to the surface, but at an angle (unless you want a nice photo of your flash).

Outdoor photography addresses different issues…
6) The Sun
Avoid photographing in direct sunlight, or in mixed light and shade, especially faces. Optimal lighting for almost any photography pose, results from a slightly overcast sky.

7) Shade
When photographing in shade, use fill-flash when necessary. And, really finally…

Beauty
If practical, take the picture at one of the beautiful natural settings near you. Imagine the result of a creative photography pose captured in a stunning environment. Can you say: “over the mantle!”?