An example of a photographer portfolio in electronic form. How to create a good portfolio of a beginner photographer - Part 1. The page structure will depend on your activities - if you are shooting in several directions or only one type of activity

During the acquaintance of potential customers with a photographer, the portfolio plays the role of the familiarization material, according to which the conclusions about his experience and professionalism are made. Quality, expressiveness, creative content of the pictures presented in the portfolio, determine the desire of customers to contact the services of this photographer. Studying pictures, customers evaluate the skills of the photographer, professional skills, experience. This article will consider how to create a photographer portfolio.

Which photos choose for portfolio

Portfolio presents a meeting best photosdemonstrating the professional level of the photographer, personal style and "handwriting". But it is impossible to overdo, selecting photos for such a collection. It is necessary to choose not so much perfect photos, perhaps, the miracle resulting how much are those frames that the photographer without any problems will be able to fulfill again. Thus, a guarantee arises that new pictures will delight customers, and not disappoint. After all, distressed clients may noticeably spoil the reputation of the photographer, and satisfied customers are a magical powerful force, creating success.
The portfolio of the novice photographer should be shot by photographs, captured in his favorite genres, which he plans to do, or in it there should be pictures of different genres if the photographer has not yet decided in which direction will work. The demonstration selection of photos should consist of about 20-30 pictures, this amount allows you to appreciate the professionalism and style of the photographer. Snapshots in the portfolio must be placed in genres so that, if necessary, it was possible to sequentially demonstrate to the client, as far as the photographer owns a one or another genre and, so that, in this case, it was not feverishly looking for the necessary pictures among others.

To evaluate the work of photographers, Portfolio is the only source to compare the work of different photographers and make a choice to whom to contact to create a photo session. Every photographer as it professional activity, It begins to give preference to some specific shooting type and it is necessary to emphasize this in his portfolio, placing in it more than the pictures of this genre. It is better to be a specialist of several genres than photographing ineptly, trying to embody in his work all genres of photographs.

Portfolio format

What form will be stored and demonstrated a photographer portfolio, in digital or printed, it decides on the basis of my own considerations, it can be photo books, simply folder with printed pictures, digital folder with files, slideshows, presentation or personal site. The last method is considered the most progressive, because in addition to the demonstration of its professional opportunities, on the site you can also post another useful information, including discounts and other tempting offers. In addition, on its own site, you can upload an unlimited number of photos of different genres with a handy menu and navigating them. Well, of course, if the portfolio is posted on its own site, to evaluate the photographer's skill, a potential client will just go through the link that he can do without leaving home.

Have several demonstration versions of their portfolio even more practical. Suppose to customers with whom the photographer seems to be personally, it is more convenient to demonstrate a photo book. Friends and acquaintances on the Internet, as well as sending offer Potential customers, it is more convenient to demonstrate the portfolio on its own site.

Professional photographer portfolio

Professional photographer portfolio his own complements information about awards and prizes, but also a professional portfolio is distinguished by masterfully made by photographs that can fascinate, admire and amaze. For no accident, photography becomes real art, in skillful hands. But you should not be upset with beginners, with time, with the acquisition of experience and skills, as the professionalism will change, the collection of the best pictures will change, transforming every year.
Online you can find a portfolio of different photographers and make own analysisthan they differ from each other. Browsing the photographs of professional and beginner photographers, you can make your own conclusions about what their work is different and take into account this, when drawing up your own portfolio.

Accompanying text to pictures

It is very convenient when each photo in the portfolio is accompanied by information about which important thing is the same photo, as well as the ideas of the photographer, as he could beat the picture shown. Thus, the information promise of the portfolio increases - the visual demonstration of the photographer's capabilities is complemented by a slight acquaintance with his creative potential.

Portfolio of wedding photography

If the photographer is engaged in wedding photography, he needs to have a separate, demonstrating wedding photos of the portfolio. Such a portfolio should be not very small, but not too big to clients do not have to view hundreds of photos.

To demonstrate to potential customers, the wedding photo of the portfolio must contain the following pictures made by the photographer:

- Portraits of brides
- Common area plans
- Photo of the details of weddings, their design
- Portraits of Grooms
- Photo, transmitting emotions of guests and newlyweds
- Photos in unusual angles
- Group photos
- staged and non-producing photos of newlyweds
- photos of banquet halls
- Reportage moments

By creating a wedding photo portfolio, it is necessary to be aimed at a selection of photographs that best show creative and professional skills that are most important when photography at weddings - capture important moments, allocate key details, perform portrait and group photography, creatively approaching your work. The wedding photographer portfolio is also complemented by snapshots made during the shooting of Love Story.

So, what should be a photo portfolio?

- Expressive. To do this, it includes the best pictures.
- concise. It should not be too few or too many pictures.
- Original. All pictures should be unique in its own way, denoting the author's personal handwriting.

Prehistory of professional portfolio

To do professional portfolio, It is necessary to have quality work in your personal collection, so that there is something to choose the pictures that can cause interest from potential customers. For this, newcomers are photographed by all and everyone who agrees to photography. But this is not enough. To obtain professional skills, it is necessary to post the experience of photographers, accumulated by humanity today, so that not the method of "tyka", but with the knowledge of the case to create wonderful photos. http://ufa.videoforme.ru/photoschool provides all the wishing courses of photographers, where everyone can master photo art. Professional photographers will be trained from the zero of beginners. Each green novice photographer who will visit our courses will be a ripe professional after learning. When a person has a desire to take pictures, but is not dedicated to the alchemy photography process, he does not have the opportunity to truly express his ideas, his creative potential. And after training, you will have all the necessary skills. We will eliminate the lack of knowledge standing between your ideas and their embodiment.

Work with color filters.

Colored filters are a tool that will help convert the usual space, maintain the selected color scheme Or add intrigue into a calm plot. An orange filter will help to create an atmospheric, a combination of blue and orange filters will create a cold and heat confrontation, which is a top combination of colors pleasing to the eye. Pink filter will add tenderness to a bright interior, and purple will add mystery. Most often, I use color filters on the context and background light so that the model does not get extra colors. An exception is a diagram with a low white balance point, in this case the orange filter on the drawing light will compensate for the temperature of the picture and return the skin warm natural shade.
In bright photo studio, the color filter is used especially accurately, choosing tender, calm tones.
Working with color filters is a huge field for experiments, but I would recommend to think through the flower scheme in advance and not use filters without need. Too active color can divert attention from the model, the wrong color choice may disrupt the color balance.

Studio light in the photo

Everyone love to shoot with natural light. In plus to multiple soft lighting - wonderful blur on an open diaphragm. But competent and skillful management of several light sources will allow you to manage the situation always - make an evening twilight on a sunny day and bright sunny photos in the evening.
Any novice photographer is familiar with the pictures common on the Internet with studio light schemes. Conterior light, classic scheme and so on. Understand the studio flash control is also quite simple.

Working with green

Work with green.

Green color-fresh, juicy, cheerful - has a huge amount of shades and looks completely different in different situations.
Warm, cold, with yellow, blue, brown semitones - shades vary depending on the season, plant types, time of day and lighting.
Anyone who is familiar with the circle of ytten knows that the easiest way to achieve a harmonious combination of colors is to oppose colors in a circle (complementary scheme).
For example, in a circle of yttn green color combined with red.
And then the most interesting begins. After all, colors are divided into hundreds of shades.
And if your model is dressed in the terracotta-colored dress (red closer to orange), then, when using the complementary scheme, the cold shade of green will look more profitable than warm. And here the saturated burgundy color will work well with warm green (on a summer sunny day, eg).
On the other hand, an analog scheme (three colors nearby) for such a dress will require a gentle lightweight shade and adding yellow elements.
Thus, starting to handle photography, you must understand what shade of green will be the most advantageous look at the color of clothes and other items in your photo.
And then - the case of technology.
First of all, I ask the tone of greenery in the Lightroom program. This is working with color in HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminance).
With further retouching photo in pHOTOSHOP program The desired shade of green we achieve through the color balance, selective color correction (yellow, green, blue), color (blending mode soft light) and, if necessary, saturate the shades in the LAB space.
An example of working with green you can look at the video.

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5 reasons why the photo does not like.

Imagine that tomorrow you have an interesting photo session. You close your eyes and see your tomorrow's photo as if it already exists. And your brain draws you ideal. The heroes are well lit and look bulk, and the background delicately retreats into beautiful blur, the colors are harmoniously combined.
But in fact, everything can be completely wrong.
I collected 5 reasons why:
1. Extra details.
When the artist writes the picture, it includes only those objects that have a semantic load. The photographer is faced with the problem of "photographic garbage", it can be cars, urns, ugly branches, borders. The fact that the artist cuts off in his picture becomes an obstacle on the way to a holistic and harmonious photo. Therefore, the photographer is important to see this garbage and be able to do not include it in the frame. Some items can be hidden behind the model, some cut off with cropping. Of course, many details can be removed in the retouching process, but it will increase the time you spend on processing.
2. Volume.
We all like the volume in the photo, the picture in which you want to dive, something like the tunnel. If you have a foreground (photographers often use twigs for this) and a lot of air behind the model, the viewer will dare to your photo. But if, for example, behind the model, the model will turn out to be a tree, then the sensation of the tunnel will collapse.
3. Color harmony.
If the family of three moms will be dressed in a green dress, a child in a yellow jumpsuit, and dad into blue jeans and a red t-shirt - even the golden hands will not be saved. That is why the selection of clothing to the photo session must be carefully controlled.
4. Emotions.
I will not open America if I say that the photographer should be a psychologist and be able to create a comfortable atmosphere on a photo shoot. I often say the heroes of my photo shoots that the shooting process is like a game in the theater. Just plunging into your story Heroes shooting will be able to transfer the desired mood, and the photo will acquire conceived meaning.
5. Light.
Take the light into your allies, manage the light so that it worked for your idea. First, the light should work on creating volume. Incorrectly filed light can make an image flat, and you will spend a lot of extra time on the drawing of shots. Secondly, the flow of light should support your idea - hard light is suitable for a dynamic plot or creating a dramatic effect, while soft scattered lighting will emphasize the tenderness of the moment. And thirdly, driving the light can be paid to the viewer's attention to the desired details.

In WIX, we often get questions from freelance photographers who want to learn how to create a professional online portfolio. And although we have enough material on the topic of how and how best to use the tools of the WIX editor, especially in relation to photographers, experience shows that one picture costs thousands of words.

It encouraged us to walk on a hundred recently created Wix sites to choose the top 10 of them and demonstrate them to you. Nothing contributes to the flow of creative ideas to create its own portfolio, like watching beautiful, high-quality photos-portfolio. It will help you understand that your colleagues do to attract the attention of potential customers, plus you will learn that now it is fashionable in web design and interface design.

But before we start, here are a few questions that you should ask yourself along the view of other portfolio:

What highlights this site, and how can I play on this?

What are the cons of the design of this site, and how could you fix it?

How is the photoportopholio itself organized, is there a breakdown in the category and is there a slideshow?

What in addition to the portfolio is on the site, and how does this content help potential customers to make their choice?

Born in Cuba, and now living in Miami, this photographer specializes in photographs for selling real estate, making menu, weddings and various products. Its site is dynamic and simple, it uses large sliders that perform the role of the background and demonstrating top works photographer. The "Services" page presents a typical set of job descriptions and prices.

The Austrian photographer-paparazzi David Bean is actively engaged in professional shooting for the last 4 years. At first glance, his portfolio looks very unfoundedly: nothing superfluous and simple white background. The photo gallery is divided into 14 sections, for which it is very convenient to move, and decorated as a modular grid. On his portraits there are very curious characters (and among them a lot of businessmen!), Photos of architecture are distinguished by unconventional compositions and the use of special lenses, and snapshots from weddings transmit a festive mood.

Photographer with 20 years of experience in photography of sport, travel, portraits and advertising, talented German Yerh Polax created a site in the design of which he decided to use a minimalist style. Using photo miniatures allows you to demonstrate all its work regardless of their size and proportions on one page.

Canadian married couple makes "bright, exciting, spectacular, exciting, and most importantly emotional" snapshots. In the section "About us", their children's photos are posted on their website with a brief biographical information about each of them - a great way to give the brand. Human face.

Carlo Hitchcot from Singapore presents its portfolio as a activist project, aims to attract attention to global problems mankind. His pictures tell about mass hunger in Niger, about the victims during the earthquake in Kashmir and military conflicts in Afghanistan. "This exhibition was created to give a voice to people depicted in photographs in the most difficult moments of their lives," so writes Hitkot on the page "About me."

Japanese China Koya specializes in studio photos of various products and models, but it works no worse and with wedding photos, and with illustrations for guidebooks. Calm gray tones on the site helps to focus on the photos themselves, which is actually the goal of the portfolio.

Laura Garilio is not afraid to use saturated colors on its website, starting with many green shades, ending with a palette of gray tones diluted with bright pink spots. This approach requires careful thinking and neat work, but the result is worth it.

The wise decision was to create the "My style" section, in which it shares the way to draw inspiration in every day, in addition to the classic page "About me," where Laura tells how once she was an artist, and then moved to Canary Islands and changed their lives. The "Your Photo Session" section is dedicated to rates for various shooting options. It is fine that its portfolio is supplied with so much information: so it does not only represent itself to potential customers, but also works to promote the site in search engines.

Broken galleries look very carefully. In them you will find photos of people on vacation, enjoying life, and the nature of the Canary Islands environment enhances this impression. The photo project "Future Pope" with its emotional pictures of new fathers are especially attracted.

Not a major holiday fee without a professional photographer, which is ordered in advance to the celebration. Creative shooting, beautiful frames, lively atmosphere of photography, all this outcome of the work of this master of your business. But any photographer must have a portfolio for the presentation of their work to the client. The main thing, with the mind to approach the question:

• How to create a portfolio of a photographer?

And, without fail, have:

• Sample photographer portfolio.

The main weapon of the photographer, it is not only his camera, but also samples of his portfolio. Before you are invited as a photographer for a celebration, you will definitely ask for examples of your filming. Therefore, your portfolio must be flawless.

How to create a portfolio of a photographer

When you captured all the foundations and secrets of shooting, you need to create your own portfolio.

Portfolio - This is not just a gallery of the work of the photographer, but also his face, style, professionalism.

Portfolio is a set of professional artistic photos, which the photographer positions as examples of their work.

Photos of the portfolio must be high quality and professional

Design

Portfolio is a presentation of the photographer's work. . To begin with, you must decide on the design of your portfolio.This will require a special album or folder. It can be made of any material, whether it is an ordinary cardboard or genuine leather. Of course, the folder looks more expensive and presentable, the better. You can decorate it yourself with various embroidery, stickers, painting. Do not overcome, the abundance of distracting design can push the client.

Pick the folder according to the size of the printed photos than the size is more, the better. Also decide on the photographic paper, let it be the highest quality.

Folders for the portfolio must denote the photographer as a person of creative and professional

Subject

Focus on the audience. If you browse the portfolio will be client who is interested in shooting the wedding, it means that you need to enable wedding photos in the folder.

You must collect your photos together. Naturally, all your photos will not be seen in the portfolio, so it is necessary to sort the topics on topics. For each topic, a separate album, your own design and original signatures. The client will not be interesting if all the albums are issued equally.

Themes in the portfolio must be sorted

Quality

The priority property of your work is their quality. You better provide customer with 25 technically high quality and creative photos than 50 unreserved boring works. Photos must be sharp, clear, focused, beautiful. They must highlight the moment, reflect the essence.

Photography is the capture of emotions that should always transmit a snapshot. And the snapshot is the soul of the photographer, which he invests in his work.

If the client will interest your work, it will definitely respond to your shutdowns.

Shooting in the style of "Report", "Children", "Women", "Men", "PIN.- Up.»

Portfolio format

You must have photos, both in printed form and in digital. What portfolio format will require the client is unknown, so you must have both options.

Portfolio is two types:

1. . For this type of portfolio, a special album is required, where photos will be stored.
2. Digital portfolio. It is also called online portfolio. At a specialized site, you can place all your work on topics.

If you place your personal site, it will be a plus, since you can always provide the client to the link to your online portfolio.

The photographer must have both types of portfolio

Creating a portfolio, you must remember the important components:

• Introduction: Information about the photographer and the description of the topic of the portfolio.
• List of photos.
• Signatures for photos: a brief description.
• Date and place of shooting.
• Contacts of the photographer.

Do not forget that the photos in the portfolio must have a certain order to create a mood. It is always more interesting to watch work from beginning to end than absolutely in incomprehensible order.

Technically qualitative I. beautiful pictures - Pledge of the perfect portfolio

Several secrets of the creation of a photographer portfolio:

1. To shoot photos, only expensive and high-quality cameras are used. It should be a mirror, with a removable photo skip. The camera should have at least 3 lens for different tasks.
2. Portfolio cannot be permanent. You create new masterpieces, your experience is constantly growing, so your portfolio as a photographer should increase and update.
3. For printing photos used high quality photo paper.
4. The portfolio of the photographer should not be heaps of photos. Otherwise, the client will simply get tired of browsing them, and all photos are alive in one picture.
5. Portfolio work should not have a small size. Standard size 10x15 is not suitable. Ideally, it should be photos of 20x30 cm.
6. For the design of the portfolio, approach with the mind and creative fantasy. This should not be a boring book with a pack of glued photos.

The photographer is a professional of his business. He must have many fresh thoughts, ideas and ideas. He must not stand still, and all the time improving. His portfolio must change and expand, and most importantly, every time it becomes more attractive and better.

Successfully maintain a photosecle business- Not easy task, especially if you feel that you already do everything possible for this. Your portfolio is just the starting point. There are many more things about which it is worth taking care, for example, about promotion.

Suppose your portfolio is perfect. Think what the following steps will be to promote your work. Photographers must have tools and channels that allow you to share creativity, get feedback, communicate with colleagues and develop your business.

Basics Successful photobusiness

Before promotion, you should solve a few questions. After all, if you do not prepare how it should not be done in a presentable look, you can simply have fun to spend time.

1. Carefully selected portfolio

The portfolio should not be just a meeting of successful, in your opinion, photos. Properly composed portfolio allows customers to understand your style and specialization. Find more advice on our blog how to improve your portfolio.

2. Personal site.

As a photographer, you will use the ability to update your site without any special knowledge in programming. This is an important component of any business and another way to promote your work. The site allows those who are interested in your services to contact you. Many sites from our list require references to the photographer's portfolio so that it can be found.

3. Blog

The blog can be a time of business and far from the most necessary. Nevertheless, blogging helps to attract traffic to the site. In addition, this is another way to achieve potential customers to find out about you and your style.

4. General understanding of their marketing purposes.

Understanding goals will make it possible to take the necessary steps and successfully develop your business. Here you can learn more useful marketing tips.

How to choose a site to promote a portfolio of a photographer

A good site for promoting the photographer's portfolio can also be a place to store work. When choosing such a platform, consider the following aspects.

1. Ability to share files

It is very important that the selected site for promoting the portfolio allows you to easily share your works, for example, if you need to send them to customers. They should also have a photo publication feature in popular social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and others.

2. Storage size

Different sites for photographers allow you to store different data volumes. So before you upload your photos to a specific platform, find out what options it offers.

3. Ease of access

You should be able to easily upload photos to the site, edit them and organize your portfolio at your own. Pay attention to the availability and functionality that offer different sites to promote the photographer's portfolio.

4. Quality control

Make sure your selected site allows you to save a high resolution Photos, because in promoting low-quality work there is no point.

5. Audience

Website for photographers, where you stop, should give the opportunity to distribute information about your business. Therefore, it is worth choosing a platform combining a community creative peoplewhich can help with the promotion of your work on both the site and beyond. Find the platform that attracts such people, and the site that will help you create a good reputation.

10 best sites to promote the portfolio of the photographer

There are hundreds of sites for photographers who allow you to promote their work. We will not consider the most obvious platforms as Instagram, Facebook and other popular social networks. Let us turn to alternative options that make it possible to enter the creative sphere and earn a name in creative communities.

1. Smugmug.

Smugmug is a simple and stylish platform for publishing your work. This is not a free website: the cost of placing images is about $ 5.99 per month or $ 39.99 per year. It is quite inexpensive, given that you get an unlimited space for storing photos and videos, as well as a couple of useful and simple editing tools.

2. Photoshelter.

Photoshelter is one of the most popular sites for photographers, uniting the huge international photos community. Here you can upload and even sell your work.

3. Flickr.

Millions of people enjoy Flickr both in professional purposes and to search for inspiration. This site for photographers and representatives of other creative professions makes it possible to promote your work both in the community and beyond. It also offers extended functions that have no other platforms. Flickr has very active and involved users who not only view images, but also expose them to evaluations.

4. Pinterest

Pinterest continues to gain popularity and remains one of the most inspiring sites for people from around the world. it social networkIn which you can create boards and save photos on them so that other users can view them. Make sure you have given a link to your site or portfolio so that customers can find you.

5. Behance

If you want to become part of the creative community, Behance is an excellent choice. This is an online community of professionals and creative people from different spheres. Here you can create folders and present work in the form of individual projects.

6. Photography Talk

Photography Talk is a leading site for photographers who visit thousands of users daily. Such platforms are collected around themselves the public community, give you the opportunity to learn from other authors and receive reviews about our works.

7. PIXPA.

PIXPA. - An excellent option for those who need an online portfolio. This universal platform allows you to create a professional portfolio website with an integrated online store and the possibility of blogging.

8. Exposure

Website for photographers with an eloquent name Exposure gives them the opportunity to present their work. This platform appeared relatively recently, but has already managed to attract a lot of professional photographers and artists who unite the desire to share their creativity.

9. ABOUT ME.

About Me did not create as a site for photographers. This is a platform that allows visitors to learn more about you, your specialization and get acquainted with the works. About Me gives statistics to visitors of your site, shows what they click and where are located. Excellent resource to place references to your site.

10. Depositphotos.

As soon as you start uploading your work on Depositphotos and become the author, you can immediately share links to the portfolio with your potential customers. Depositphotos combines a large community of photographers, and if you have a talent, it is a great way to make yourself a name in photoindustry. You can create your own collection collections, share them with colleagues and customers.