BOOK – The Photographer’s Portfolio Development Workshop

The Photographer’s Portfolio Development WorkshopfromRocky Nookis a book designed for the photographer who has learned the fundamental techniques of photography such as the basics of exposure, composition, and focus. The world is full of wonders to photograph, and photographers can be pulled in many directions, excitedly chasing the light and the moment. This approach can certainly yield wonderful photographs, but over time the photographer’s progress often begins to slow, and eventually, it can stop altogether.

The reason for this is simple: creativity begins with image making, but true progress comes with learning to edit and organize your work in ways that reflect your unique style and perspective, ways that offer insight into how you can improve your work moving forward. In short, the key to becoming the best photographer you can be is to create an ongoing portfolio (or multiple portfolios) of your work.

Based on an eight-week course taught by renowned photographer and author William Neill, the book provides the tools and skills you need to create a methodology that allows you to create a tightly-edited portfolio of work, no matter if your end goal is a box of prints, a book, an online presentation or website, or even a gallery exhibit.

A portfolio is simply a collection of photographs with a consistent theme and consistent quality. In developing such a body of work, you will learn what your specific passions are, find focus for your work, and begin the iterative process of creating better and better photographs over time. By constantly working within a “feedback loop,” you carefully assess and edit your images, note and learn from mistakes, then go out and create more photographs. You’ll develop a portfolio constantly gaining strength, quality, and impact. It’s no surprise you’ll also become a much better photographer.

No matter what photographic genre you work in, this book will teach you to objectively assess your work on both technical and aesthetic levels, establish a personal standard of quality, focus your efforts on new work, and become a better photographer. The book features eight lessons, along with assignments at the end of each lesson to propel you and your work forward. Throughout, Neill uses his own photographs to illustrate the process he has used for years to create multiple portfolios and books.

Table of ContentsLesson 1: Find Your Focus
Lesson 2: Thinking in Themes
Lesson 3: Editing on a Technical and Aesthetic Level
Lesson 4: Grouping by Quality
Lesson 5: Adding New Work
Lesson 6: Improving Your Portfolio
Lesson 7: Where You Can Go from Here
Lesson 8: Putting It All Together