Creating a Portfolio?

Question

My photography teacher has asked me to create a portfolio of work over the summer showing a variety of photography techniques. However he has also asked me to include some writing within it and I don't have a clue how to do this since I've never made a portfolio before. Any ideas?

Answer 1

you want to put maybe 10-15 of your strongest shots in the portfolio.  (tip- do not put your best shot in there first)

Show some using selective focus

show some that show action

show some that uses some type of framing device

show some that are hyperfocal

show some that shows a play with shapes

show some that have contrasting colors

show some panning shots

Write about what or who the your subject is

the settings that you used

where and when the shot was taken

what lens you used

the type of camera you used

  Present them in a basic black portfolio that can purchased at the camera store for about $5.00.  Don't put your best shot in first and don't put your worst shot in last either.  And don't put some many photos in there that it becomes overwhelming to look at.  Ten to fifteen of your strongest work.  Even for wedding albums- I might shoot 2,000 frames but the album only gets 50 photos.  The must haves (good or not- that's my assignment) plus what I think were the best.

Answer 2

Basically, just put your best photos in a blank medium/large photo album then add the writing of

what techniques did you use?

what do you like/dont like about it? (should as DOF, lighting, tonings etc)

what would you change about the photo?

what was it influenced by?

right with the presentation, you could put up to two photos on the same page.

All you want it is to be simple, with just a photo and a small selection of writing below it. Some photos could have more writing than others.

Try not to stick other random stuffs in. If your photo would look better with a frame, then by all means, place a photo on a piece on card.

Good luck with this.

Answer 3

I hope this is not wrong in what your teacher is looking for, but if it were me, I would put together my album, and at the bottom or on the back of each page, put a note card naming the picture, where it was taken, the  date, camera used, f-stop, film and film speed used. All the little details about that particular photo, and I hope I didn't leave anything out.  Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Ugh Portfolios.

Well for my photography portfolios I have been using these black portfolio books. Its easier to carry around to interviews and you can wip something up and make it look nice easily. (Link below) Oh and they aren't too much money.

I actually use these books for my graphic design portfolio too. Just easier than dealing with the gigantic portfolios that my college use to have us do.

My suggestion would be one photo per spread. Have a photo on the right and then put the write up on the left. Mounting your write up on black paper looks better than slipping a full sheet inside.

Answer 5

If it were me, I would write a bit about a particular shot - what was my inspiration for taking it, what kind of technical details that are relevant should be listed, how I made my cropping choices, etc.  You can also use some narrative info if you would like - for example, if you took a shot that has a story, tell it!  Make your work come to life by telling the story and the work behind it.  

Good luck!