Your portfolio is your most important asset. It represents you and the
type of work you do. It may seem as simple as putting together some
pictures into a book but there are a few key things to keep in mind. If
you're a newbie and haven't done a photo shoot before, you don't have to
worry about that hurting your chances if you're looking for an agent to
sign with. They love to sign undiscovered talent and will set you up
with shoots for your portfolio right away. If you are already modeling,
then this post will most likely be more helpful to you but newer models
can definitely take note as well! The first thing your portfolio must do
is reflect the type of work that you fit. In this particular case, only
include images in your professional portfolio that you meet the
requirements for. If you have an agent already, this will help them
immediately submit you for bookings that are appropriate. You do your
agent no favor by being a 5'5" commercial/print model who only has high
fashion images in your portfolio. That doesn't mean you can't do
pictures that are outside of your field in the industry, because by all
means you can, but when it comes to your agent and being considered for
work, keep it to the themes your agency is representing you for. If you
are a commercial/print model, then your portfolio should contain that
type of theme throughout. This goes for all parts of the industry. Of
course there's no harm in including a little variety but make sure to
communicate with your agent and get all of the photos you decide to put
in your portfolio approved by your agent first. In the age of online
technology, many agencies now post online portfolios instead of having
hard copies but you may still be required to have a portfolio book with
printed hard copies of your images. This will definitely be the case for
high fashion models. The ideal size for printing out your images is no
bigger than 8"x 10". And make sure that you get a good quality, sturdy
portfolio book or case that accomodates the size of your photos without
wrinkling or tearing them. Include no more than 20 photos. If you can,
try to limit it to 15 photos. You never want to overwhelm the client
with too many photos, unless your images are all stunning. Include both
color and black and white images. If 15-20 photos sounds like it
wouldn't be enough, keep in mind that over time models always update
their portfolios with new shots so it's not like you'd be showing
clients the same 15-20 pictures. The most important thing to remember
when it comes to your portfolio is to only include the BEST photos of
you. EVERY SINGLE IMAGE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO SHOULD MAKE THE VIEWER GO
"WOW"! Not, "okay", "cute", "nice", but "WOW". Each turn of the page
should make them want to see more and ultimately, book you for their
gig. Put your best photos on the right side of the portfolio book and
the really good photos on the left side. This will allow them to catch
your best images first and make them want to keep going through your
book. Never put an image in your portfolio that you have any doubts
about. You need to be proud of your work and show your client and agent
that you have what it takes to get the job done and that you are the one
they should choose.
Warm Regards.