By: Shepard Barnes
Looking for ways to build a photography portfolio? Online photography portfolios are a fantastic way to display your most impressive work.
Many website platforms exist to support the large storage capacity that is needed for high quality photographs from DSLR cameras. Photography is becoming a widespread passion for many individuals, so it is important to construct a well-designed photography portfolio to stand out from the crowd. Here are some tips for building your most impressive online photography portfolio.
Pick an Aesthetic
Photographers generally have a style and aesthetic that creates a theme for their photography. This is decided by a number of factors: subject in the photographs, angles in the frame, style of the edit, colorscheme, etc.
A wedding photographer, for example, would typically have pictures with happy individuals in the photos and a soft, whimsical editing style. A landscape photographer might have more colorful pictures with edits that accent the terrain.
Defining your photography aesthetic is important to designing the website as a whole. Text fonts and design patterns around the photographs themselves should match the aesthetic to create a complete experience online. Photographers are welcome to have multiple aesthetics, but the website itself should reflect that.
Keep it Consistent
Portfolios need consistency. Photographs that are featured on the same page of the website should have matching styles. Separate headshots from landscape shots and wildlife photography from photojournalistic pieces. Although having a variety of shots demonstrates the versatility in a photographer’s strengths, those who visit your online portfolio may be confused by the hodgepodge of photographs if they are all presented together.
Aside from keeping the website more organized, grouping photograph styles also leaves a better impression for viewers as they can see the photographer’s ability to create a cohesive collection of photographs.
Consider an Upgrade
Many website platforms offer an option that allows individuals to create a free website. However, there is a catch. These free websites generally run ads for viewers who click onto the website, and the website domain typically has a required ending that indicates the platform name (for example, yourcompany.wixsite.com).
These features are not a problem for many amateur photographers who use an online portfolio as a way to simply keep the photographs together in one place, but photographers who are looking to expand their business and become more professional might consider upgrading to a premium service to remove the ads and required domain. This upgrades the quality of the portfolio site to appear more professional and remove distractions from the page. Although the upgrade might be pricey, consider it an investment in your company as a photographer.
Aside from the satisfaction of having your photographs in an aesthetically pleasing and well-organized location, online portfolios can help score jobs in many career areas. Photographers looking for other photography opportunities can quickly and easily submit the link to the online portfolio on job applications.
For career paths that require more than just pictures, writing samples and examples of other deliverables can also be included online. The versatility and practicality of online portfolios continues to grow as the world becomes more technological, so use this as an opportunity to establish yourself and your work online.
1893 Brand Studio can help you create a stunning photography portfolio that captures your unique style as a photographer. Begin the portfolio process with us and get the help you are looking for to launch your career! Check out our website at https://1893.dailytarheel.com/ to see how we can give you our expertise.
