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.