Saturday, June 11, 2011

How A Photography Portfolio Can Impact Your Success At Job Interviews

By Peter A. Puentavilla


The determining factor for many photographers getting a job or successfully nailing a job interview is their portfolio. If you have many years of experience under your belt, a photography portfolio can be a showcase of an entire career's worth of work. If you are just starting out fresh, it can help give insight into your skill and competency in your craft. While everyone knows you should be careful about how to showcase your own portfolio, what exactly should go in it?

This can depend on a variety of things but is largely determined by your target audience and the kind of position or job you are being interviewed for. If the work that you will be doing is not centered around any theme then the best that you can do is to showcase your overall talent. Only your best work should be considered for inclusion and then arranged according to specific categories or themes.

For example photography portfolios can have a separate section for black and white photography, nature shots, portraits, or any other theme or category so that your portfolio will have a structured presentation while displaying your work. Also, if you have an abundance of works, you might need to consider making multiple portfolios each with a theme of their own.

If your audience is after a more specific theme then you should only include works that showcase your skill with that particular theme. So if a couple approaches you for a wedding photography job or if you specialize in weddings, your portfolio should only be a compilation of wedding-related photography. Don't hesitate to display work that has been published or has received acclaim from critics.

If it has been published in a newspaper or magazine, you can make a clipping to include in your portfolio. Do not forget to caption your work and include a table of contents to make it easier for your prospective employers to reference specific pieces if they need to.

Just as the quality of the pieces are important, so is the presentation. Organizing how your work is arranged in the portfolio is just a waste of time if you put it into an ordinary plastic ring binder. This shows how little pride you take into your work and is an indicator of a lack of professionalism and experience. Try logging onto sites like http://www.portfolios-and-art-cases.com for possible deals on quality portfolio cases. Although it won't be cheap, portfolio cases in tasteful materials such as leather are a great investment.




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