Photography portfolios for college courses, need help fast??

rox5

Hello, I have a lot of portfolios assessments this month for photography, but I never started them because I bascially haven't got a clue where to start! I don't know if portfolios have to be really professional and binded together with expensive glossy paper, or if you can bring them in loose in normal folders and have them printed on normal paper. When I applied for my PLC in Photography, the portfolio could look like anything, just has long it was presented nicely.

So help would be really appreaciated, thank you.

melekalikimaka

what college/course?

pete4130

DIT expects 3-4 themes over about 25-30 images. Get images that fit well together (especially if they are together on a double page). You can use A4 portfolio books or A1 size portfolio folders. A4 should be big enough. I always used an A4 folder book with plastic sleeves, put some black sugar paper in the sleeves and had images mounted to the sugar paper. Small, cheap, simple and easy. You don't get marked on your portfolio. Don't get intimidated by people with massive portfolios when handing it in. They are art students with paintings/drawings and need the bigger size.
I personally prefer images printed onto matt/pearl paper. In my opinion it looks better than a gloss finish. It's personal opinion so go with whatever you think looks better.

DIT marks out of 9 points (creativity, articulation and technical ability ranking 0,1,2 or 3 points for each. 9 points being a full 600 points in CAO terms...so each point being about 67 points.

IADT expect 2-3 themes over about 25 images and have a different marking system.

Thats how it was about 10 years ago anyway. It might have changed now?

Basically you want several sets of strong images that look well, show some ability, creativity and probably more importantly convey what they mean easily. Go with images that you feel work and you think are good and try not to put images together you think other people will like. It just won't flow and work as well and it won't be an accurate interpretation of the way you work when its being looked at.

If you have 3 themes over 25-ish images you could have 3 main themes each with 6 images and maybe break each theme up with 2 images unrelated (mini themes I guess?), perhaps printed at a smaller size so its obvious its a break from 1 theme to the next. It can also give you an opportunity to sneak in some favourite images that might not fit in with ANYHTING you've shot before.

Whatever the outcome, don't get disheartened. Portfolios can take a bit of time to prep but you have plenty of time if you get your head down. At worst you can enrol in a portfolio course/PLC course inthe likes of Sallynoggin and Stillorgan VEC (if they still do them?) and spend a year working on your portfolio before you would have to resubmit the following year.

For me, I did a portfolio course for a year and was unsuccessful with my CAO application to DIT that year. I sucked it up and continued shooting on my own and got 600 points for the next few years when I applied. I never took the place as I was already working but wanted to keep the option open.

Just give it your best shot and be true to yourself in what you think works.

thebaz

pete4130 wrote: »

and be true to yourself in what you think works.

agree with what pete says , but that bit at the end is so important , show you can think, create and shoot with your own personal imagination - i.e. you think and see things differently