first impressions = huge impact

Jan 11, 2010 by Laura Greb

Posted under: blog

Recently a friend of mine submitted her portfolio and resume for me to review and I started wondering about myself. When was the last time I updated my portfolio and is it still needed? The answer, “oh my, 9 years go certainly flew by and yes, of course a portfolio is not needed. no, not needed…REQUIRED! AH!” From artists ages 5-55, I hope the below tips are informative.

Keep in mind the kind of job you are applying for and if you’re unsure, include generic and simple samples. For example, I emphasized in travel photography so I included samples of: hotels, couples eating, spa clubs, shopping and restaurant scenes and main attractions.

When figuring the number of final selects, keep it to a maximum of 6 images and no more (regardless if you are presenting the portfolio in person or on line). While interviewing, if the potential client is interested, they will want to see more. Seeing more = wanting more = bonus for you.

Keep in mind the product you are presenting and make sure to keep it in a neat and ordinary fashion. Skipping around content is confusing and doesn’t prove your super strong strengths.

Start and end with awe inspiring and ROBUST pieces. Of course, all your pieces are strong and have meaning but for visual pieces that were for a specific job or one that was given strong comments about, make sure to include it first or last in your portfolio.

Obviously when presenting your portfolio make sure you know which each piece represents and be able to talk about it if asked any questions like where your inspiration came from or what lead you to create a certain piece.