How to make a Photography Portfolio
January 01
14 min. to read
If you're embarking on your journey to make a photography portfolio then you must know the initial steps that are involved in doing so. It is not always easy to deal with it. If you did not know how to make a photography portfolio at its best, today we will try to help you.
Photography portfolios are very helpful in displaying your work to potential clients or to businesses. They can be a great way to enter into the field as most people would want to see your portfolio when you approach them for work.
What is a photography portfolio for a professional photographer? This is a collection of works and best photos suitable for presentation to potential customers and displaying the author's style.
Fresh photographers have no clue how to begin with the process or what pictures to choose to add to their portfolio. It's difficult to comprehend what people are actually searching for and what approach you shall pick. So, how to create a portfolio for photography?
What should a photography portfolio include?
In a portfolio, you need to present a variety of images to take your business to the next level. But make sure that they fit the style and genre first. For example, a customer who wants you to shoot a wedding will not be interested in pictures of nature and cities. For such a portfolio for photography, it is best to use pictures from events and couples photo shoots. But it is good to show different formats: macro, group shots, portraits, etc. Photos taken at different times of the year will also only be a plus here. You can check out some of the portfolio examples and see the diversity of other photographers' work.
How to create a photography portfolio in this way? For example, if you are dealing with subject photography, focus on it and tell a story. You need to understand exactly what the customer wants to see, then your portfolio can be truly memorable.
The portfolio should contain a variety of photos showing your photography skills. Even if they turned out well, identical or even similar photos do not carry any new information. You can also use a digital photography portfolio as well as a printed version. It is already clear from one photo that the photographer knows how to work in a genre, set the light, or choose the best angle. Include in your portfolio not what you like, but different photography that best represents you as a professional photographer. Now you know a little more about how to create a photography portfolio with many images.
5 Steps to Making a Photography Portfolio
What are your thoughts on making a portfolio? Is a portfolio a photographer's tool and you can't find a client without it? It is better to think about in what sequence to work on the portfolio, who will see it first, and what feelings, thoughts, and desires should awaken in the person with whom the photographer would like to work.
How to build a photography portfolio? Here are the steps to begin:
Do Your Research
Begin by taking a look at various portfolios and notice how the content is placed on the website.
Pick out the features that you like and things that you don't like for portfolios pictures. This will help you save time and narrow down a picture of how you'll go about your portfolio.
Pick a Platform
Next, you have to choose a platform to kickstart your website. While you may get a site builder and build a customized site, most experts suggest going for WordPress, which is a free platform with tonnes of templates (paid and free). Using WordPress as a photography website builder can be daunting for many as it does need coding know-how. If you are looking for an easy, drag-and-drop website builder, Pixpa is a great option for professional portfolio photography. This all-in-one platform allows photographers, designers, and creative pros to build professional portfolio websites, complete with an in-built eCommerce store, client proofing, and blogging capabilities. Pixpa is affordable as well and offers top-class hosting and 24/7 customer support.
After you pick a platform, make an account and get the domain/hosting for your website from BlueHost or Godaddy.com, or any other that you think is reliable. You may also pick a free hosting program, but it would be wiser to go for a professional website with a paid account. If you didn't know how to build a photography portfolio before, this point is very important to consider.
Customize Your Portfolio
The next step involves customizing your portfolio. A portfolio demands a layout that is fascinating and eye-catching. Want to build a photography portfolio? WordPress provides you with a lot of portfolio based themes that you can download for as low as $2. If you search enough, you may even find some good themes for free.
Do not finalize the layout in one go, test multiple themes first and see what looks best and is relevant to your work and portfolios photos. Next, add a contact page and social media links for people to get in touch with you.
If you have a sound budget and you want to make it a bit more exciting, then you can hire a developer who can code and adjust your portfolio’s foundation as you like.
Add Content
Finally, take your time and pick out the best of your work from your collection and add it with proper keywords which are relevant to the photo. It is recommended to edit your pics with a photo editor like Luminar Neo to make sure they look great.
How to start a portfolio for photography? Also, categorize your photos carefully. For example, there should be a specific section for nature photography and another for humans or faces.
When creating a photography portfolio, another element to keep the visitors hooked is to add interesting captions or a little story behind the photo. It will also add personality to your site.
Publish Your Website
If you want to work as a professional and do your photography career, the last step is to make your portfolio go live. But, before you do that, make sure to check everything on your portfolio. See if the layout looks good and if you’ve added your work samples and check each portfolio photo. While you can always go back and make changes, but it would be wiser to look into it before you go live.
Ideas To Build Your Photography Portfolio In Any Niche
A good photographer's portfolio is one that allows you to find clients and work because that's what you gather the best shots for. If you create a photography portfolio and this tool does not produce the desired result, it is time to reconsider its concept, theme, presentation, and design, that is, to assemble it from scratch. We offer you a few tips for making a photography portfolio that will make the process much easier.
Tip 1. Start with simple shots
To keep your mind on the variety of ideas, it’s important to shoot something simple at first. Gradually move on to more complex ideas for portfolio pictures that require more preparation. For example, a simple family shoot with clothes in neutral colors, where the emphasis is on emotions and angles, not on the image looks good. Be inspired by the work of your colleagues, by people in the street, and by travels, and you will come up with more complex ideas that are interesting to implement. There’s a good chance to take great shots. It all depends on your imagination.
Tip 2. Work on your mistakes
After you've done a few shoots, start working on your mistakes. Think about what you would change for portfolio photos, and pay attention to angles, and lighting that make an impact. Look at your work as if it were not your photos. Ask your heroes what they particularly like in a photo, exactly. Don't collect critical comments around you, or you'll get upset and abandon the photo altogether.
Tip 3. Arrange the shots correctly
A portfolio is a presentation of a photographer's work, so the design is no less important than the content itself. When building a photography portfolio you can use an ordinary folder with printed photos packed in files, but it's better to approach the task creatively. For example, create a photo album or website and match each frame with the background, making a suitable composition. This will help to visually enhance the picture, although the trick will be invisible to the viewer.
Tip 4. Start and finish strong
As with public speaking engagements, the first and last pictures in a portfolio are best remembered. Clients won’t always finish looking at portfolios to the end. Therefore, try to choose the most impressive and high-quality shots at the beginning and the end when you create a photography portfolio. It would be great if both pictures could evoke a positive emotional response from the viewer because that's what will be associated with your portfolio in the future. This is a minor trick that will actually prove very useful. It works with any kind of portfolio.
Final Thoughts: User-Friendly Photography Portfolio
Now you know how to make a photo portfolio. Both experienced and novice photographers should be able to make a competent and high-quality self-presentation. You can talk eloquently about your qualifications and experience, but you won't get the proper result you want to show. And only a photographer's working portfolio, created with skill, will become the best business card, which will tell about your skills and creativity better than any words.
Also, when making a photography portfolio don't forget that a good shot will be even better if you post-processing properly. We recommend trying a new modern photo editor Luminar Neo to open new sides of your creative potential and make a great portfolio.
