A New Portfolio in 30 Days.

Photographers.

Creating a powerful?portfolio quickly is one of the ways to stay on top of the game.

Your portfolio is your most important asset, and keeping it fresh and new your most important job.

This is a system that is repeatable and scalable.

1.?Gather ideas using storyboards - digital or analog.?

Make sure the ideas are within your ability to do without extra gear or time / travel intensive challenges.

Shooting hiking gear locally vs on the side of Mt Whitney in a blinding snowstorm

Assemble the ideas into a shot list.?

2.?Note ways in which you can flow from image to image more easily than a total teardown between each shot.

Perhaps you do your four flat lay shots before you move to another set up.

Saving time and not creating extra work.

3.?Schedule your shoot times well in advance.?

Setting aside time "when you have it" doesn't work as well as scheduling in your shoots as though they were for a client. Put 'em down in the calendar.

You need 40 hours of uninterrupted shoot time on the calendar.

4.?Assemble all the props you need before shooting.

Refer to your shot list, and your sketches and make sure you are not wasting precious shoot time running around looking for a pair of Leopardi skin crocs or diamond-studded tweezers.

Have it all ready.

5.?Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Do not stop to do any post-processing. Just shoot, review, mark the ones you like.

Print them out cheaply. 4x6 is fine.

Assemble them in your shoot space so you can see the images being added each shoot day.

6.?I usually set a goal for my students of 30 images.

Shoot 40 to 45 to get thirty.

Do test post-processing.

Color grade? Film emulation? Color Palette?

Lock on to the look you want.

7.?Post process with deliberate attention to consistency.?

Make sure the images look cohesive and part of a body of work rather than random images made over the last decade or two.

A consistent presentation is very important.

Photographer Ken Lamb took my workshop and created this entire portfolio that landed a large gig right off the bat.

Photo at the top by Ken Lamb. The entire portfolio was shot during my previous 30-Day Portfolio Slam.

https://www.kenelambphoto.com/smallwares