Design the Perfect Portfolio With a Photo Book

Showcasing your best work with a photo book follows the same rules as designing an excellent portfolio in other platforms. The main difference is that photo book builders are easier to use than website builders or advanced design software. Here are the best practices to come up with an excellent portfolio:

1. Plan beforehand

Before you start selecting the photos you want to include in your portfolio you need to plan your goals carefully. If you’re going to come up with a portfolio for weddings it doesn’t make sense to include your beautiful landscape shots. Instead, try considering the following points first:

• • The portfolio’s goal: Is it for a job interview, an exhibition gallery, or a showcase for a specific client? Maybe you just want an all-in-one portfolio showcasing the variety of your work instead?
  • Target audience: Who are you going to present this portfolio to?
  • Print vs digital: Are you going to send your portfolio via a link that prompts people to an e-book, or do you prefer a physical book? If the latter is the answer, you also need to consider what kind of paper you want to use as well as its size.

2. Select your best work

Now that you have a clear idea of why you’re designing your portfolio, it’s easier to go through your awesome work and pick the shots you’re most proud of. It can be tempting to add hundreds of pictures to showcase all your work. However, some people have small attention spans or simply don’t have the time to go through so many photos. Instead, select the photos that represent your work at its best. Those are the ones that are going to get you the job anyway.

3. Don’t include similar shots

An excellent way to ensure that you don’t overwhelm your clients with a lengthy portfolio is by cutting out any similar pictures. Even if you’re just starting out as a photographer, showcasing similar photos may make your potential clients think you’re lazy or a one-trick pony. Therefore, it’s essential that you spice things up by adding pictures with different setups, even if they’re from the same session. This makes your portfolio exciting to go through and showcases your wide range of skills.

4. Ask for a second opinion

Before you print your photo book invite people to share their opinion on it. Third-party constructive criticism is an excellent way to improve your work, so ask your friends, family, and fellow photographers for suggestions.

5. Have a strong start and finish

A portfolio is the same as a presentation – what people will remember the most is the start and finish. This means that you need to put extra effort into the beginning and end of your portfolio. This way, even if people don’t remember most of your collection, you can be sure they’ll remember your best work.

6. Sell your photo book

While this isn’t an actual tip to build your portfolio with a photo book, it’s an excellent way to make some extra money. Just because your collection was built with a specific goal, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who would love to have your portfolio. Photo books are excellent pieces of decoration and if you don’t at least try to sell yours, you’re missing out.