
 
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.