For Beginning Photographers Only: Tips For Creating Your Own Professional Photo Portfolio

If you enjoy photography, you may wish to turn your love of photography into a career one day. Having a collection of photographs to show potential customers will be an important part of starting your own business in the future.

Creating your own photography portfolio isn't difficult, and you can keep the cost down by doing it yourself rather than paying a professional service. It's never too early to start putting your portfolio together, and you can add to it or change the content as your skill level advances.

Choose a portfolio case or notebook

Select the best portfolio case you can afford. You will be using the case for many years, and a high-quality case shows professionalism. Make sure the case allows for expansion so you can continue adding photographs.  

If a portfolio case is not in your budget, choose a high-quality black notebook. Purchase the best quality plastic sleeve inserts for holding your photos in the notebook. Look for acid-free and archival-quality sleeves.

You can also use a leather-bound photo album. Again, be certain the photo album contains acid-free sheets to protect your photos.

Use high-gloss photo paper

When you take photographs, choose only the best to include in your portfolio. Have the photos professionally enlarged to an 8 x 10 size and have them professionally printed on high-gloss photo paper. Do not try to save money by using cheaper paper. High-quality photo paper will make a difference in the appearance of your photos.

If you have a good quality printer at home, you can print them yourself, but make sure you purchase high-quality photo printing paper. You will also need to set the printer settings to the top quality setting or to match the type of paper you are using if your printer has advanced settings. However, having them professionally printed is well worth the cost, as your future business will depend on the quality of your photographs. For more information about this type of paper, contact Refill Ink or a similar company.

Arranging the photos in our portfolio

It's best not to place the photos into specific categories. Mix and match your photos to keep potential clients interested when they are looking at your portfolio. Having photos arranged into sections can be distracting and boring, but photos randomly arranged typically hold the viewer's interest better.

As your skill progresses, you should strive to expand your photo portfolio collection. You goal should be to include a combination of still life, portrait, landscape, wedding, and flower photos.

A dozen photos is typically enough for a good portfolio. Potential clients will not likely appreciate sorting through large amounts of photos. Use a dozen of your best shots to avoid losing your potential clients' interest.