4.1.1. A Photographer's Portfolio & Assignment

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Welcome!

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Unit 4

In this unit, you will explore all the essential requirements for a successful career in photography. You will learn about portfolios, artist statements, and how to start a photography business.This unit will have four assignments (2 are extra credit) and one unit test.

• 12/18: Unit 4 Review
• 12/20: Unit 4 Test

Reminders

A Photographer's Portfolio

4.1.1

Vocab: genre, layout, photography portfolio

• Recognize the importance of a portfolio
• Identify different types of portfolios and their advantages
• Explain the factors to consider while building a portfolio
• Recognize the use of layouts in displaying photographs in a portfolio

Learners can...

Which portfolio do you think, better fits the theme for this gallery?I HEART NY is looking to feature a photo story of the city. Often described as the capital of the world, New York is a city of diversity and dynamism. It is vibrant, exciting, and ever-changing. The photo exhibition must be intimate, showing a genuine knowledge of and affection for the city.

Portfolio 1

Portfolio 2

Reflect on the two portfolios and think about the following questions:

• In your opinion, is there one portfolio that is best suited for the I HEART NY exhibition?

• What are your reasons for choosing a particular portfolio?

Theme or Genre

When observed as a single body of work, this photographer may be thought of as someone with expertise in travel or an interest in astrophotography. This series of images represents the photographer's unique style.

A photography portfolio is a collection of the best images taken by a photographer. These images are a representation of their expertise within a specific genre. Because photography is a visual medium, a photographer's portfolio is like their resume. Prospective clients want to see what the photographer can produce. The images in the portfolio can serve as a compilation to share with prospective clients. Genre: photographs with similar elements, style or subject matter.

🔥 Portfolio

If a photographer is looking to pursue a career in fashion photography, then their portfolio should be a collection of their best fashion photographs. Because a photographer can't show all of their images, their portfolio must represent their BEST work. The images they choose to include in their portfolio should highlight:

• The expertise of the photographer in a specific category of photography
• The personal style and unique skill set of the photographer (use of particular camera equipment, specific looks, lighting styles, props, or editing methods)

Photographers can showcase their work to viewers by using different types of portfolios and sharing each with clients based on the preferences and requirements of the job.

🔥 Portfolio

🔥Online Portfolio

An online portfolio is uploaded to a website. The website creates a digital presence of the artist over the Internet, accessible from anywhere and to anyone in the world.The photographer can easily update the online portfolio as new images are taken.

A printed portfolio is an old-style printed album of the body of work done by the photographer. It can be used by the photographer for face-to-face client meetings.However, a printed portfolio may not be easy to update and is not a cost-effective option. It may also become worn out due to regular handling by clients.

🔥Printed Portfolio

Order

Building a portfolio may seem like just selecting some of your favorite photographs from your archive, but portfolio building requires strategic planning. While building your portfolio, you should consider the following:

Quantity

Genre

What to Include?

Layout

• Feature technical skills
• Be perfectly exposed
• Sharp and in-focus
• Clutter-free
• Feature good composition

Ideally, each image should contain a "wow" factor to engage the viewer. While selecting photographs, consider diversity in subjects to make the portfolio more interesting. The client may not understand your talents and skills if you have the same person in all your images.

All your images should:

In today's lesson, you learned about:

• The importance of a portfolio
• Different types of portfolios
• Factors to consider when creating a portfolio
• Using different layouts to display images in a portfolio

In the next part of today's lesson, you will create your own portfolio. In an upcoming lesson, you will learn about artist statements and their importance.

Summary 4.1.1.

Building a Portfolio Assignment

Day

If not, fill out the survey question before you go! See you!

Questions?

A strong portfolio should include 12 to 20 images within a single category.

• Display only 12 to 20 of the best images, and showcase a variety.

• Never include a sampling of genres as it can look chaotic and unfocused.

• You can include 12 to 20 photographs under each category, separately.

Quantity

Layout refers to the placement of text and image elements within a visual design. How these elements are placed, both in relation to one another and within the overall design, will affect how the content is viewed and received by the viewer.

• The layout should build and move from general to specific.
• You may be able to evoke an emotional reaction to your content from the order or arrangement of the images you select.
• Your choice of layout should depend on how the images are related to each other. Complementary images can stay next to each other, while diverse subjects should be separated and appear on different pages.
• It is recommended that you keep a similar layout across different categories to maintain cohesion.

Layout

Before building your portfolio, consider the genre, the artistic composition category characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

• Ask yourself which genre of photography interests you the most, or which genre you feel that you are best at.
• Depending upon the genre, you can include subcategories. For example, a travel photographer can create a portfolio with landscapes or people and culture as the subjects.
• Make sure the selected images are of the same category and that they have a cohesive look and feel.

Genre

The order of photographs impacts the overall visual presentation.

• Prospective clients may be short on time and may not always view the entire portfolio, so show your best work first.
• Include diverse subjects. For example, avoid having consecutive photographs of lions in a wildlife portfolio, even if they have unique perspectives.
• Visual transitions should be smooth or follow a pattern.

Order