People who are working in a professional creative field need a portfolio in order to attract new clients. It is important that they showcase their work in a way that gives other people confidence in their capabilities.
If you need to create a portfolio, you probably understand the importance of it but you may not know where to start. After all, building a portfolio from the beginning can be a daunting task.
So, to get you started, we have compiled some helpful advice. Here are the best tips for the perfect creative portfolio.
Only Include Your Best Work
You only need to include your high-end work in your portfolio. Quality over quantity is essential! Accordingly, do not include everything, but only your most significant creations. That’s the way only to promote your best artistry and get the most notable clients for your work.
Let’s say that you are a professional photojournalist. If so, you shouldn’t include your freelance work in your portfolio. If you make extra cash as a wedding photographer, don’t include those photos in your portfolio. Include only the pictures that match your target — photojournalism jobs.
Also, add only the newest items that you have. Updating your work is essential for your clients to see what you are up to.
Show Your Versatility
Always show a presentation that matches your full capabilities. That might mean adding personal projects to your portfolio, as well as experimental work. However, stick to one idea — as mentioned above, you don’t have to add everything you have done, if you ate targeting a certain niche.
Nonetheless, you should include various types of creations. Clients might not choose you if you’re limited to only one kind of job. Diversity helps you sign more contracts and earn more money.
Look At The Big Picture
Reviewing your work image by image or article by article is easy. However, you should also see the big picture. You have to take into account various items at once. Taking a macro view of your creations is essential to assess your work and if the work you’re doing is among the best out there.
“Does this work represent the artist that I am and the artist I want to be?” is the question that you have to ask every time you’re updating your portfolio.
Additionally, you ought to review your work in a manner that brings progress. Arranging your creations so that they match specific clients, displaying the best examples, and adding explanations are all critical.
Use High-Resolution Images
Since technology has evolved so much that we all have a camera in our pocket, photos are commonplace in portfolios. However, it is not professional to add smartphone pictures to your portfolio. High-quality photos are essential to attract more clients.
If you must use your phone to take pictures, post-production is the key to make them look professional. Good light, the right saturation, and clarity are critical to making the difference between amateur and professional-looking photos. Also, you should include close-ups to show your talent.
Solicit Opinions
Creating things, be they photos or articles, doesn’t have to lack a personal view on the subjects or topics. However, to be a professional photographer or writer, you should know when to cross the line between subjectivity and objectivity.
One way to deal with that is to ask for others’ opinions. Professors, ex-colleagues, friends, and even your family might come up with a life-changing opinion on your creations. They might approve of them or not, but their opinion is important in helping you gain perspective.
Make it Easy to Navigate
Your portfolio has to be easy to navigate. Use categories that highlight your specific creations. If you’re going to place all your work in one big file, you will have to change your approach. A huge, disorganized portfolio might mislead clients, and you don’t want that to happen.
Using categories that match your work is critical to expose your capabilities in a more organized way so that you will attract clients.
Summary
In short, it is critical to come up with a clean, organized portfolio to draw the attention of possible clients. Your dossier must expose your skills, but it doesn’t have to show too many different items.
In conclusion, your portfolio has to showcase your true capabilities. It’s like a Curriculum Vitae that highlights your working experience, education, and talents. Keep it clean, organized, and essential!