Organizing your photographic portfolio will give it a sleek, professional look.
Every photographer hoping to make it as a professional compiles a sampling of his best work. This is known as a portfolio, and it is used in every branch of the arts, from painting to fashion design. A portfolio can span years, even decades, and be categorized in a variety of ways --- by geographic location, photographic genre or the type of camera used. Assembling a portfolio is a creative act in itself, so be sure to reflect upon your work and enjoy yourself in the process.
Instructions
1. Sift through your photographic archives in search of your best work. If you shoot film, look closely at each contact sheet of negatives, and decide which frames you wish to print for your portfolio. If you are a digital shooter, click through your folders, and copy and paste the best files into a new folder entitled "Portfolio."
2. Organize your selected shots either chronologically (by month, year or decade) or according to subject matter (e.g., architecture, portraits, landscapes) to effectively convey your progress as a photographer. For film, store your arranged negatives in several folders labeled according to the subject matter they contain or their chronology. For digital, create subfolders within your "Portfolio" folder, and move the entire folder to a high-capacity flash drive.
3. Create prints of your photos. If you are working with film and are an experienced print maker, feel free to create your own using your home or local darkroom. Alternatively, have a professional imaging company create high-quality prints for you. For film, they will need to scan your negatives and create a digital file to print from. For digital, you will need to bring them your flash drive so they can access your digital files.
4. Prepare your photos for presentation by mounting the prints on a mat board that is of archival quality. Affix each photo to the mount using a light coating of glue; ensure that the glue stick is labeled for use in photo-specific projects. Allow the glue to set overnight.
5. Place the mounted prints in your portfolio folder, using the arrangement from Step 2 as a reference. If you wish to include an artist's statement or short autobiography, type it and insert it into the front of the portfolio.
6. Create a website to supplement your physical portfolio if desired. Tweak and perfect your scanned film images or digital files using your favorite image editing software, and then upload them to a Web host's server. If you do not have prior Web language (HTML, JavaScript) experience, you may wish to choose a Web host that offers premade templates.
