My epic portfolio checklist
As a third-generation photographer, I sit in a weird niche and have a different context to the work. I assisted first and had a curiosity, but did that for five years before buying my first camera; family has told me I don’t have an eye for it or the talent to back it up. I worked in music and events, primarily with PR agencies and then with brands. I changed to portraits only after I was burnt out. The body of work I am currently known for was a personal choice, as I tried to stay passionate about photography during Covid. It seems to have worked; I have seen many things work and, even more, fail for myself and others. Whether it’s studios not adapting as we moved to digital. As photographers ignored the writing on the wall as we moved online, many still refused to release new work or try new things. Our portfolios, after all, are what people want to see, without which, we’re dead in the water. I created this little guide for new and old to look at, talk about, and, in this case, discuss.
TLDR: I hope this helps.
Part 1: Find your path
Create your taste
What do you want to communicate through your photos?
What do you want these to say?
What does photography mean to you?
What inspired you to pick up a camera? How do you find and focus on that feeling?
What do you want to get out of the work?
Create mood boards:
Jump on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr, buy some books, print out photos or cut up magazines and make mood boards to pin inspirations and styles that resonate with your vision.
Research photographers and other artists: Check out established photographers, look at how they’ve structured and communicated their value, and what’s in their book. Can you find interviews where they’ve spoken about their journey? Look at their older work, who they’ve worked with, if you can, if you can, reach out, ask questions, but be respectful of their time and skill, do not compare and contrast yourself.
Invest in training:
If you’re interested in fashion, lifestyle or commercial, get practical experience; assist, then assist more; then when you hate it, assist even more, get familiar with all the roles on set; every person there has a purpose, and their roles are CRITICAL in completing the job, value each and every single one of them and their viewpoint.
There are short courses at TAFE, my work Georges Cameras offers some (where I teach myself), and online courses from places like CreativeLive, MasterClass, and ProEDU.
Create briefs for yourself to complete based on the mood boards/research you’ve created. This will mean that practice has a dedicated function to help you improve. If you don’t start creating plans/briefs, you’ll spend five years trying to figure it out; this is a part I wish someone had taught me a lot sooner.
Start shooting:
Plan regular shoots to ensure you consistently build your body of work.
I did 35 in my first year, and then in my second, I created the challenge to do 100 (test shoots) to build my ability to communicate and create consistently. You can read about that here.
Get feedback based on the expectations you set for your work. Don’t just ask what someone thinks; ask what someone thinks based on what you’re trying to achieve. Criticism is useless if it is not structured to help you grow.
Refine your process, improve your briefs, ask your models for feedback, create feedback forms for talent, and ask your team how they felt working with you.
Peer Review: Ask others at your level how they feel and what they’re struggling with, be vulnerable, and explain how you feel too; this comradery is essential; everyone struggles, so you need to struggle together (I do, and I have great friends around for this part)!
Review your book: Once you have a decent number of shots, review them to check for consistent quality and style. See how they fit together; at this point, it might be best to look at professional help or someone at a higher level whose book is consistent.
Networking: This feels like a dirty word, and I’ve had people use networking as a way to seek advantage over others. For photographers looking at fashion, meet with agencies, look at places you can submit your work locally, and organise to meet like-minded creatives for coffee. DM, create stories, engage with people in a real way, not just for your social benefit, find people you care about, and work with them. Look for peers and friends who have established relationships, and see what you can offer in terms of value so that you’re not just taking something for yourself but offering something in return, whether it’s a great body of work, insight, an introduction to an agency.
Part 2: Building strong foundations
Personal Projects: Start looking at creating long-term themed projects that showcase your passion and storytelling ability. Create a structure to your work and look for a way to invest in it long term.
Create in quantity and post in quality: Ensure you’re always putting your best foot forward and selecting your best images. It’s better to scrap entire shoots, even if you loved the experience than to post something that isn’t up to scratch. People like to do things at a slower pace and create smaller pieces; believe me, the photographers who are making the most are working every day, and quality will often drop for those who are used to doing things in quality, I always recommend creating in volume, and posting in quality. There are a bunch of studies on this counter-intuitive principle.
Digital Portfolio Development: Consider how your online presence showcases your work, and look at what percentage of it goes online. be especially considerate as to what work is selected and what is left off; your body of work should present the work you want to be doing.
Printing Considerations: Creating a physical product shows a great deal of care and thought that has been considered with your work. It will feel different when you start printing. If you want to generate more buzz, consider doing a gallery opening.
Stay Updated on Trends: Photography, like all art forms, evolves. Ensure you’re aware of current industry trends. The change to constant light is big; many people are using Aputure lights on set. Fujifilm has released a new medium format camera, and the newest Sony Alpha series, Nikon Z’s and Canon R’s, are great contemporary options with incredible autofocus and delivery of great image quality.
Be strategic with your social media presence: Platforms like Instagram can be hugely beneficial; however, a poorly run online presence will decrease client interest. Regular posts can help you build and create a larger audience for your work, allowing you to work with better talent and get attention from potential clients.
Develop your voice: Consider how your online presence communicates your values to your audience and potential clients. Talk to people online in person, explain your vision, and why you create your work; people want to care.
Part 3: Your book is a business
Read constantly: I recommend completing at least one book a month that fits in with where you want to go with your work. No matter your niche, a greater understanding of yourself and others will give you greater empathy and understanding; psychology books, autobiographies, and self-help, are all great reads.
Consistent branding: Ensure your messaging, branding, and portfolio deliver a tonality that showcases that “this is your work” so that people can see and understand your viewpoint. Hire someone external or engage in a work trade for this step; it is important that there is a consistent message.
Revisit old work: It’s important not to forget the old; many things we learn when we are new are forgotten lessons. old work often has its place in your new portfolio; consider where you’ve come from. They also have timeliness; often, things will come back into fashion, or talent you’ve worked with will gain a larger profile.
Expand your offerings: The more income streams you’re able to generate, the less pressure you’ll have on yourself as an artist, whether it’s selling directly to your audience, offering portfolio development to new talent, coaching lessons to models, running workshops or becoming a brand ambassador, these can all help diversify your income and increase the profit you can make.
Seek client testimonials: Constant feedback is really helpful, asking for this is a lesson in humility and will help strengthen your brand.
Update regularly: Make sure your portfolio remains up-to-date with your best and most recent work. Many photographers wait till things are quiet to do this; make time for it. Otherwise, you may find that the momentum you built up slows, as it did when I let this website get into disrepair.
Collaboration: It’s a pretty dirty word with how people can often behave, expecting things for free on social media platforms. Be forward and reach out, but ensure you are clear on expectations and outcomes for all parties. Find people who align with you; the more people in your corner you have great relationships with who can help move you forward, the quicker you’ll get where you want to be.
Part 4: Never stop learning
Analyse your performance: Look at your web metrics, and your social media metrics, and find ways to benchmark. Look at your rates and your bookings, build targets, and reach for them. There are so many tools that allow you to look at what’s working as well as what isn’t.
Diversify your niche: If you’ve always shot landscapes, maybe try portraits; if you shoot architecture, try people, as someone with a technical background who switched to PR and events, and then to portraits/people and now whatever you’d call this, it took me a while to get good with people, it took time, but it’s allowed me to grow and gain relevancy.
Try new techniques: Be it a new post-processing method, trying new software, developing your own film, or shooting a in studio with strobe lights; experimentation will lead to evolution.
Document the process: Whatever you’re learning, make sure it’s kept somewhere, you can go as far as running a blog like this, but I would recommend, at least having a place to keep updates for yourself.
Reevaluate and pivot: Periodically review your direction. Maybe it’s time to pivot to a new style or niche or deepen your specialization. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
Remember, every photographer’s journey is unique. This checklist is a guideline, but it’s crucial to follow your intuition and passion, adapting as you go along.
