Building a professional photography portfolio is all about the art of curation.

As a photographer, almost always we only have a short amount of time to capture the interest of our audience, whether it’s showing someone your work in person or having them scroll through your website or social channels.

With so little time to impress it’s imperative that the right images are being showcased and only your best work makes the cut.

So how do you create an amazing portfolio that shows off your technical skill and also has a creative flair? Here are my 3 steps to building a professional photography portfolio!

1. Organise Test Shoots

Organising test shoots is the best way to build your portfolio when you’re first starting out.

Contacting people you want to work with and collaborating with other creatives for the purpose of building your portfolio is the best way to get the ball rolling and start collecting your portfolio images.

Your top priorities for organising the ultimate test shoots:

Models from agencies
Makeup artists with experience in photoshoots
Stylists with an eye for detail
Locations that help you create you’re ultimate images

If you have a concept you’ve been thinking about or a technique you want to try out then this is a great way of exercising and expanding on your skills. Also the more work you’re producing, the more you can pick and choose from to showcase on your website.

2. Have Standards About Who You Work With

With so many people in the creative industries you can have your pick about who you collaborate with and make sure they align with your aesthetic and see your vision.

If you’re organising a portfolio shoot and it’s specifically for your portfolio it’s really important that you really think about the quality of work they are producing and whether it will increase the overall polish of the images.

If you work with people who are experienced, chances are your images will be higher quality and will help you produce better work quicker.

3. Don’t Get Too Attached

It can be difficult to be certain which images are the best and also represent who you are as a photographer. Friends are great assets when it comes to getting a second opinion and a fresh pair of eyes.

Show others your work and ask for constructive criticism or even show them two images and see which ones they prefer.Sharing your work for feedback will help you see how others interpret your work and may outline your strengths and weaknesses.

In summary, getting the right subjects and locations are the best thing to do when you are starting to build your portfolio. If you start shooting scenes that excite you and working with other talented creatives you’ll be launching into a professional photography career in no time!

If you want to build your portfolio but you don’t know where to start, check out this face-to-face workshop where I’ll be helping you create the ultimate fashion portfolio! FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - DECEMBER 1, 2018

Love Jess xx

BLOG

Posts tagged with sydney-photographer

How To Build A Professional Photography Portfolio