Research for a portfolio

It is important for a photographer to have his portfolio may be through his website or printed.

Portfolio is an easy way for a photographer to provide his work. Is a collection of images that the photographer believes are best to show his work. Also, is important if a photographer goes for an interview and wants to provide all his work together.

 When a photographer finish with his portfolio it is important to consider his audience for the portfolio. In my case the audience are fashion shops, fashion designers, models, etc.

At this point you need to decide what format your portfolio is presented in. In the past, everything was on paper, but technology has introduced the option of presenting your portfolio on a PDF, JPEGs or through an online medium. Being able to email a link to your portfolio through to potential employers is obviously extremely convenient.

I would argue that the process and final product of a beautifully printed out paper portfolio far outweighs the option of viewing photos on screen.

It's now time to consider the style and design of your portfolio. You'll need a folder or portfolio case to hold it all in, but before you head out to buy something, consider what size you want your printed-out shots to be. I would recommend something fairly large - maybe 20x30cm or about A4.

Next, you'll want to consider what theme or style you want your portfolio to have. This will depend upon your audience. For a job taking portraits, you should only include your portrait work. You could have a collection of black and white or sepia work, a set of shots taken with a specific camera format or a collection of shots from a specific time period or geographical region.

The most difficult part of creating a portfolio is selecting the shots. There's always a huge temptation to just select your favourites, but a photographer isn't always the best judge of their own work as they take into consideration the setting, effort and editing taken to create the shot.

The presentation of the shots is vital to the reaction from viewers. A badly presented collection of great photographs just won't do them justice and you'll come away disappointed. Think carefully about how to enhance the images through presentation techniques, borders and the colour of the backing sheet.

It's also important to consider the order of the shots, whether they are arranged chronologically or to create a particular mood.