"Portfolio" ?

Just trying to understand what this must be made of or what's expected.
Am sure that this must include your best photos, but does it also mean this should include some commercial shoots?
If so, how do you start off with a portfolio before you can actually do any work?
Should it just be random pics or segmented based on different genres?

Sorry if this seems too simple, but i can't seem to wrap my head around it...
Feels like the chicken & egg conundrum to me

WhiteLight said:

Just trying to understand what this must be made of or what's expected.
Am sure that this must include your best photos, but does it also mean this should include some commercial shoots?
If so, how do you start off with a portfolio before you can actually do any work?
Should it just be random pics or segmented based on different genres?

Sorry if this seems too simple, but i can't seem to wrap my head around it...
Feels like the chicken & egg conundrum to me

Click to expand...

If you don't have commercial experience that does not mean that you can't show commercial examples. Stage a few commercial shots that will most closely duplicate a product or person in roughly the same position as a highly sought after shot of a famous person or a staged product shot. They MUST be clearly marked as staged or practice.
What you're trying to do is showcase your skill in setup and execution. Having your best landscape, portrait and other shots show how well you understand the basic rules of photography. You have to show that you know the rules before you show that you know how to break them.

Just as a general aside...

The chicken/egg conundrum is a fallacy. The egg was in use approximately sixty five million years before the chicken.
You ever heard of dinosaur eggs?

​As always, advice is usually worth less than what it costs.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Well I know from having worked in the Fine Art department at a college for a lot of years what gets photographers hired with us. We get many, many unsolicited applications from professional artists seeking employment. Want to know what will make your portfolio stand out? Brevity, relevance and a simple yet professional appearance; this means knowing how to craft intelligent, complete sentences which employ proper spelling, grammar and usage. I can't tell you how many "cute" CV's we get that find their way to File 13 with barely a glance. An inability to spell/use the Kings English will also expedite your portfolio's journey to the Round File.

Your portfolio should absolutely showcase your best and only your best work, period. The work should be varied unless you specialize in which case you should highlight only that niche. Always play to your strength(s). Your portfolio should also touch on any related formal education you've had, awards or honors you've received, juried exhibitions/shows you've participated in and explain (briefly) your artistic vision/philosophy. Everything on your portfolio should be directly relevant to the matter at hand. I really can't stress that too strongly. No one cares if you're an Eagle Scout or bake cookies for orphans or have an Associates in 18th Century English Literature.

The job of the portfolio is to spark interest, it's a teaser. Your portfolio's job is to get you an interview because no one gets hired off their portfolio alone. No one. EVER.



...

The best i could probably do would be to showcase some of the pics i have..
Chances are that i would think none of my images are 'good enough' to be put on a profile...
and very important fact you made about formal education, awards or honors, juried exhibitions/shows which i don't really have...............
also is it better to have a separate portfolio site/page independent of your website?
since a website would definitely have galleries/showcase, it may just defeat the purpose of having a portfolio page of your best work, where you also have galleries of not so awesome images?

Your portfolio should include shots of all the different genres you are interested in pursuing. You could make just one big one and tab it or have several smaller ones with images that are all of the same genera. I do a lot of model portfolio work so I carry a zippered portfolio containing about 50 shots of models in many different areas of modeling; fitness, swimsuit, headshots (both studio and location), fashion and others.

WhiteLight said:

The best i could probably do would be to showcase some of the pics i have..
Chances are that i would think none of my images are 'good enough' to be put on a profile...
and very important fact you made about formal education, awards or honors, juried exhibitions/shows which i don't really have...............
also is it better to have a separate portfolio site/page independent of your website?
since a website would definitely have galleries/showcase, it may just defeat the purpose of having a portfolio page of your best work, where you also have galleries of not so awesome images?

Click to expand...

Well bear in my mind when my department is hiring we're looking for seasoned professionals. If you're trying to get a business off the ground I really don't have much to offer you except to say that your online presence should be your teaser. Three outstanding shots on a website is far, far better than having fifty mediocre shots. The website will be your teaser; it's job is to get someone to call or email you, that's ALL you can expect it to do. No one is going to hire you from your website alone.

Play to your strengths and if you don't have something (like a relevant degree) don't mention it.

If this were me, I'd write up a little something about my passion for photography, what sort of photography I do, post up a few of my best examples and that I'm available by appointment. Sometimes less is more. I would urge to consider a professional website builder, however. Those cheesy online templates and a Go Daddy domain aren't going to impress, if you know what I mean.

WhiteLight said:

The best i could probably do would be to showcase some of the pics i have..
Chances are that i would think none of my images are 'good enough' to be put on a profile...
and very important fact you made about formal education, awards or honors, juried exhibitions/shows which i don't really have...............
also is it better to have a separate portfolio site/page independent of your website?
since a website would definitely have galleries/showcase, it may just defeat the purpose of having a portfolio page of your best work, where you also have galleries of not so awesome images?

​

Click to expand...

Your portfolio is always a work in progress. I see it as a way of refining your vision, developing a style and a body of work.

I found this link a couple of years ago and it's still valid . . . class is never outdated. He has some excellent points and ideas.

Creating a Photography Portfolio | Joey L.

Carolina Photo Guy said:

If you don't have commercial experience that does not mean that you can't show commercial examples. Stage a few commercial shots that will most closely duplicate a product or person in roughly the same position as a highly sought after shot of a famous person or a staged product shot. They MUST be clearly marked as staged or practice.

Click to expand...

Sorry Pete,

Why must it be clearly marked as staged or practice? All photos could be considered practice, since every shoot should in some way help to improve your knowledge and experience whether you are a professional or not.

And how can you take a commercial shot (particularly if we're talking about studio-based shots)without planning and staging it? As long as you don't openly claim a shot to be for a big client when it wasn't, I can't see any reason to explain what a shot was for or why it was shot at all unless someone directly asks you about it. And if they do, just say it was a personal project.

ohkphoto said:

Your portfolio is always a work in progress. I see it as a way of refining your vision, developing a style and a body of work.

I found this link a couple of years ago and it's still valid . . . class is never outdated. He has some excellent points and ideas.

Creating a Photography Portfolio | Joey L.

Click to expand...

Helene,

Thank You!! I glanced at it (from work) and it looks impressive... I sent the link home so I have it to review when I can spend time with it.

Pat in NH

Fork said:

Sorry Pete,

Why must it be clearly marked as staged or practice? All photos could be considered practice, since every shoot should in some way help to improve your knowledge and experience whether you are a professional or not.

And how can you take a commercial shot (particularly if we're talking about studio-based shots)without planning and staging it? As long as you don't openly claim a shot to be for a big client when it wasn't, I can't see any reason to explain what a shot was for or why it was shot at all unless someone directly asks you about it. And if they do, just say it was a personal project.

Click to expand...

If you want to take the chance of un-intentionally misleading someone that may be hiring you, then of course that's entirely up to you.
I just see this as a matter of personal integrity. If your integrity is dependent on solipsism, then that's okay with me. I just want the people
that may hire me for a job to feel they can trust me completely.

JMTCW

​Pete

Carolina Photo Guy said:

If your integrity is dependent on solipsism, then that's okay with me.

Click to expand...

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Carolina Photo Guy said:

If you want to take the chance of un-intentionally misleading someone that may be hiring you, then of course that's entirely up to you.
I just see this as a matter of personal integrity. If your integrity is dependent on solipsism, then that's okay with me. I just want the people that may hire me for a job to feel they can trust me completely.

JMTCW

​Pete

Click to expand...

I don't see how presenting a photo and not stating a reason for the shot being taken has any bearing on the integrity of the photographer.

Did I plan the shot? Yes.
Did I shoot it? Yes
Is it technically and compositionally good? Yes
Is it good enough for my portfolio? Yes.

Job done. There is no obligation to divulge non-essential information. As long as you shot the photo, why should whether it was a practice shot or a commissioned one make any difference? It still shows what you can do.

What if someone does some TFP shoots? Are you saying you should state that the shoot was TFP in the portfolio? What about the model, should they state that it was TFP in their portfolio too?

TFP or indeed shooting friends can be a perfectly good way to boost a portfolio, but just because the "payment" is prints and not cash, it doesn't make the transaction any less professional or valid for a portfolio.

If your practice shots are below par and have technical or compositional errors in them I would certainly advocate stating that they were for practice only, but then I would question why they were even in a portfolio in the first place.

And how can you take a commercial shot (particularly if we're talking about studio-based shots)without planning and staging it? As long as you don't openly claim a shot to be for a big client when it wasn't,

Click to expand...

This has actually been a point of contention with wedding photographers who enter "contests" and promos to get their work seen. They feel that anything submitted for consideration should be a "real" wedding, not one staged with professional models who know how to pose (unlike "real" brides lol)

Fork said:

I don't see how presenting a photo and not stating a reason for the shot being taken has any bearing on the integrity of the photographer.

Did I plan the shot? Yes.
Did I shoot it? Yes
Is it technically and compositionally good? Yes
Is it good enough for my portfolio? Yes.

Job done. There is no obligation to divulge non-essential information. As long as you shot the photo, why should whether it was a practice shot or a commissioned one make any difference? It still shows what you can do.

What if someone does some TFP shoots? Are you saying you should state that the shoot was TFP in the portfolio? What about the model, should they state that it was TFP in their portfolio too?

TFP or indeed shooting friends can be a perfectly good way to boost a portfolio, but just because the "payment" is prints and not cash, it doesn't make the transaction any less professional or valid for a portfolio.

If your practice shots are below par and have technical or compositional errors in them I would certainly advocate stating that they were for practice only, but then I would question why they were even in a portfolio in the first place.

Click to expand...

I don't think TFP needs to be stated anywhere in your portfolio, and "commissioned" and "commercial" are not necessarily the same thing. What a client chooses in a commissioned shoot is not necessarily what I include in a portfolio, which should be thoughtfully put together and their choices might not fit into my theme.

The disclosure of commissioned and commercial work should be a separate section . . . a list of clients that can be posted or stated outside the portfolio or presented to a potential employer or client.

As others have said in this thread, it always comes down to the "interview" whether you're looking for a job or trying to close the deal with a client. How "transparent" are you willing to be?

When I first built my website for wedding photography (6 years ago), I had no photos suitable to showcase. I was told to just buy some "stock photography". I thought that was unethical. So I went to a "wedding photography workshop" that had a staged wedding with professional models as bride and groom. I got enough shots to use on the website . . . but I did not include them in my "portfolio" nor did I state anywhere on the website that these were taken at a workshop. I did have brides comment on how much they liked some of the photos, and I explained to them that these were taken at a workshop, under controlled conditions and lighting, and not at a "real" wedding.

I have since then replaced the photos with photos of "real weddings" (which I am gradually letting go because I'm much more interested in other areas)

I don't think anybody is attacking anybody's integrity . . . the bottom line is that you need to know your audience, and you need to know yourself and your style. If done right, the portfolio of images will speak for themselves and for you, regardless of how they are labeled.

Honestly, my feelings are your portfolio should stand on it's own merits. In my opinion it is totally and absolutely irrelevant whether it was TF or hired work. Honestly who cares? My portfolio is about 50:50 TF vs hired. I challenge anyone up through the most seasoned professional to look at mine and tell me which one was which. I approach any shoot from the very same perspective and technical and artistic vantage point regardless of whether it is TF or a paying gig for either myself or the model. And if the model is inexperienced, which many of the ones with whom I shoot are, I will stage effective poses rather than let her do her "own thing". I use it as a teaching opportunity for them as well as a photoshoot.

Presenting your portfolio should for the most part be a "no words" kind of thing. Let the images stand on their own merit. If you have to explain an image unsolicited, that says to me you may probably lack confidence in the image or your own abilities. And your port should display nothing but your very best work. A portfolio with only 10 outstanding images is far more effective than one with 30 which are a mix of your best and your-not-so-best images. And if you have 40 outstanding images, cut it in half. Allow time for discussion after the viewer looks at your portfolio rather than forcing them to sit through a ton of images. Now if the person viewing the portfolio asks a question, then by all means answer their question succinctly and let them move on to the next one. The less said the better.

STM said:

Honestly, my feelings are your portfolio should stand on it's own merits. In my opinion it is totally and absolutely irrelevant whether it was TF or hired work. Honestly who cares? My portfolio is about 50:50 TF vs hired. I challenge anyone up through the most seasoned professional to look at mine and tell me which one was which. I approach any shoot from the very same perspective and technical and artistic vantage point regardless of whether it is TF or a paying gig for either myself or the model. And if the model is inexperienced, which many of the ones with whom I shoot are, I will stage effective poses rather than let her do her "own thing". I use it as a teaching opportunity for them as well as a photoshoot.

Presenting your portfolio should for the most part be a "no words" kind of thing. Let the images stand on their own merit. If you have to explain an image unsolicited, that says to me you may probably lack confidence in the image or your own abilities. And your port should display nothing but your very best work. A portfolio with only 10 outstanding images is far more effective than one with 30 in it which are a mix of your best and your-not-so-best images. And if you have 40 outstanding images, cut it in half. Allow time for discussion after the viewer looks at your portfolio rather than forcing them to sit through a ton of images. Now if the person viewing the portfolio asks a question, then by all means answer their question succinctly and let them move on to the next one. The less said the better.

Click to expand...

​All of this. With knobs on.

Without a distinctive, professional portfolio showcasing your best photographic achievements, not a cluttered personal website, you won't get much work. As others have said, how you construct your portfolio and the message it carries either leads to the first interview (consultation in the trade) or not. From there its all sales pitch in establishing the comfort level a customer requires.

What's in the portfolio is highly dependent on what type of work you're seeking. If you're after weddings, better have some sharp, well-composed wedding pictures in there and so on. Don't forget humans have extremely short attention spans and keeping the KISS formula in mind is always good advice. Don't attempt reinventing the wheel. Spend a bunch of time looking at web portfolios presented by commercially successful photographers who specialize in the work you're after. Yes, I did say specialize.

For a start-up I wouldn't worry about people questioning whether or not you've been paid for anything in your portfolio, they're more interested in your talent and price (not necessarily in that order). If the money gets serious the bright ones will ask for references.