Portfolio (5% of your final grade)

 

Portfolio is a summary of your works. It needs to be precise, attractive, and most of all, representing your ability and believe in photojournalism.

 

  1. Precise: DonÕt put in more than you need. Eliminate similar photos. If one photo can do the job, donÕt weaken your works by adding a second one. Viewers tend to remember your weak ones.
  2. Attractive: DonÕt treat your portfolio photos as your travel photos showing it to your grandma. Most viewers donÕt have the patience to see mediocre photos. Be very selective and make sure every photo of yours bring in a special impression, perspective, association, meaning in life, to sum it up Š an interesting story that viewers want to know and see.
  3. Representing your ability and believe: The purpose of your portfolio is similar to a showcase in front of a department store. We all know that you have a lot of good stuffs in the store but the space of the showcase is very limited. ThatÕs why you have to select the best combination that reflects what you have in you. Let viewers know how good you are, and what kind of works they could expect if they select to work with (hire) you.

Also, put in photos that you feel comfortable with and have a strong sense representing what you believe in. Be prepare to defend why you think it is a good photo that you put in.

 

Some technicalities you want to care:

1.       Carefully crop your photo, adjust color and brightness to the best possible.

2.       Put photos of same category together.

3.       Put photo story at the end.

4.       Arrange order of the photo to make it refreshing to the eyes (e.g. close-up after a scenery shot)

5.       Select background music that match with your style, avoid songs with person actually singing, donÕt let the music be overwhelming (not too loud).

6.       Remember, sell your strength and hide your weakness, you donÕt have to have even number of photos in every category.

 

Portfolio assignment

1.       Deadline: April 30, at 10:50a.m. (Thursday).

2.       Prepare 15 -25 photos of your own which need to be taken within this semester with an intention to submit to possible employers that seek for hiring photojournalists. Contents of the photo need to be within documentary or photojournalism.

3.       Size them to 800 pixels on the longer side and arrange them in an order your want them to present.

4.       Use Soundslides to present your portfolio on the presentation day.

5.       All photos need to have captions showing during the slideshow.

6.       Save a copy of your portfolio in your Classwork turn-in folder. Name that folder as ŅPortfolio_yourfirstnameÓ

7.       Late portfolios will not be accepted.