Moi/Hi/Γεια σου! My name is Nani. I’m a Finn-Greek writer and photographer living in Finland. You’re reading my publication in which I write about my work as a photographer and writer, culture in general, as well as essays about the ways I've lived my life. This publication is entirely reader-supported and funded. If you’d like to support my work, please subscribe or consider becoming a paid member. I appreciate you.
You can also listen to this post here 😊
There was a time I drooled over my keyboard. It was 2009 and I had just discovered Jonas Peterson’s portfolio.
This is it, I thought. I want to create something like this.
My love for Jonas photography got pretty intense and in three years, I hopped off the hamster wheel to become a full-time photographer. I believe Jonas is to blame for this.
The past 15 years have included lots of portfolios, and for the past 7 years, plenty of mentoring on the subject too. I sincerely love portfolio building, and there are two reasons for that:
Firstly, a strong portfolio can change the way the artist relate to their own work, and secondly, it can connect the right audience with the artist.
![photography portfolio examples photography portfolio examples](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd318455d-a609-4771-a30e-71cfc81c26a9_3002x1696.png)
Portfolio building never ends
I’ve found myself, once again, at the heart of my own photography portfolio. I decided to create a new website to house all my photography endeavors in one place. I was supposed to publish the site in March, but, as time often does, it flew by.
In April, I finally launched my yellow portfolio site. Even though the actual portfolio was curated somewhat half-heartedly, I love the end result. And guess what I love even more? That it’s done. I have the rest of my life to make it better.
Actually, this is how I feel about portfolio building. It’s a never ending job. Once you create something better or better fitting than your portfolio’s weakest link, you need to give it an update. You need to show your newest best.
For some reason, we are accustomed to believe that once it’s set up, it needs to stay that way. But that’s not the case. Portfolios are like humans: they evolve constantly.
![photographer portfolio building photographer portfolio building](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb324411-1f92-4365-9513-6d91a0e417e8_3016x1698.png)
I chose yellow
I’ve always wanted to do things differently. I’ve never been the trendy photographer who uses neutral tones and requires families to stay awake until sunset. I love making magic with the harsh midday sun and offering family documentary sessions to families with newborns.
I don’t need attention for myself but as a creative, I want it for my work. So, as much as I’d like to stay invisible, I want my work to step into the limelight.
And this is the reason my portfolio site is yellow.
In the era of content, we have so little time to make an impression. Our portfolios shouldn’t stay in line; they need to be visually engaging and surprising.
So, I've been delving, sifting, and reminiscing over my 13-year journey as a professional photographer. It’s exciting and a bit scary to actually combine your heart work (street and travel photography) with your client work (portraits) and hope that someday the former fills your portfolio. Honestly, I cannot wait for that to happen.
It’s good to choose yellow, yes, but more importantly it’s good to keep refurbishing your shop window (website) to get as many people as possible to step over that threshold into your store.
Here are my three cents on portfolio building, and they are true for all kinds of portfolios.
First cent: Keep your eyes on the prize
Building your portfolio becomes easier when you know who’s looking for what you're selling. This way, you’ll attract the people you actually want to work with. Keeping your ideal client in mind helps you align your portfolio with your brand.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t dwell too much on the present moment. In my opinion, one of the most important roles of a portfolio is to enable growth. What does “You 2.0” look like? In which direction do you want to go? Does your portfolio reflect your destination?
At its best, a portfolio serves as a map: showing where you came from and where you want to go. Include only the work in your portfolio that you want to do more of. A dash of selfishness is a good spice in portfolio building. And above all: don't showcase anything that brings back bad vibes.
Second cent: Variety is the key
One of the most visible issues in portfolios is the lack of variety. It's possible and advisable to include work samples from beyond the actual job assignments. Many of us dream of clients who want exactly what we do for ourselves. Such clients can only be found by showcasing the work that truly speaks to our hearts.
Especially for photographers working with consumers, the content of the portfolio tends to be too narrow. Or rather: there are often too many images on display, but the variation between them is too small. Therefore, it's good to compile work samples as diverse as possible to highlight both artistic and technical skills.
For a photographer, this means presenting their work through various perspectives, lighting setups, locations, and other elements that bring variation. It's also advantageous to have different-looking people in the portfolio (if photographing people) with different features such as glasses, body types, and skin tones.
On the other hand, even if you photograph the same yellow bucket in the corner of a living room year after year, you should showcase your skills as the bucket photographer. All creative professionals can follow this guideline. Variety is the magic word.
Your portfolio doesn't have to be dull. Layout and naming of images are important. You can even divide your work into categories, which is my next goal. I want to showcase my street and travel photography together with my writing, so I plan to publish articles in my portfolio. The best portfolios flirt with the viewer/reader.
![ruka drone image ruka drone image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc5508648-18b9-4891-95d9-609da3900e7c_3004x1538.png)
Third cent: More is less
We photographers have one cardinal sin above all others (and we can thank digitalization for it): we don't know how to curate.
More isn't more, it's less.
If we promise to deliver 300 photos from a documentary-style wedding shoot and end up delivering 700, we're sawing off our own branch. We claim to be storytellers, but we're not aiming for a cohesive story. A storyteller is always also a curator.
I speak from personal experience. It's only through practice that I've come to understand that the client pays me for a complete narrative. For how I see things unfold before me. What my vision includes and what it doesn't. The client pays me to curate.
The same goes for portfolios. You have to be able to let go of those golden nuggets that, instead of being significant, are merely pleasing. Yes, I'd love to cram dozens of images into my portfolio, but what's more important is finding that one stunning piece of work that combines 10 similarly decent ones.
It's also important to showcase your expertise quickly because today's digitally saturated individual is impatient. Keep the viewer's interest alive with a diverse, tightly curated portfolio.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fea7f9c04-924e-404f-94a1-465baaa21778_3008x1698.png)
Life never calms down
At the beginning of the new season, I want to encourage you to aim for something new.
Portfolio building isn't just for those moments when you're working on a new website or when life calms down (it never does, by the way). There's no reason to make your dream client wait until you have the time to update your portfolio to showcase You 2.0.
There are many tips and tricks when it comes to portfolio building, but I chose my three cents because they help you highlight your style, get your voice out there, and push your work into the limelight.
You deserve a wonderful portfolio! At its best, it will guide you and boost your confidence. If you’re like me, you’ll do it half-heartedly, but it’s ok. You’ll have the rest of your life to make it better.
If you need another pair of eyes to go through your portfolio, just let me know!
Friend, thanks for reading, until next time.
-Nani
PS. Make sure that contacting you is easy after exploring your portfolio.
PPS. Choose a platform that works well on mobile devices.