In my column for American Photo on Campus last year (reposted at PopPhoto.com/campus), I focused on how you think about making imagery and how that thinking informs the way you present your photos to the world. This year I’ll explore the details of displaying your photographs in various pre- sentation or promotional avenues, beginning with the most analog, your printed portfolio. After all, in school you’re probably printing and will eventually present an iteration of your book for feed- back (or a grade) at the end of the term. And if you ever attend a big portfolio review, you’ll need one. Of course, in classes or your own research, you will gather lots of information on making a port- folio. Some photo programs dic- tate how you must present your images—right down to the width of the white border around your prints. So while the three rules here are sacrosanct, my other tips can be adapted to your needs.

PUT YOUR NAME ON THE COVER

No exceptions! Emboss it on the leather at the high end of expense; include it as the title of a bound book from a self-publishing service; make it visible through a Lucite cover; or just write it on a beautiful sticker that won’t fall off. Even at this early stage, it’s critical to establish “visual equity,” always showing your name with your images. This is the beginning of the branding that will continue throughout your life as a photographer and it must start with your very first book. It also creates a psychologi- cal commitment: Own it!

KEEP IT PRISTINE

Your portfolio doesn’t have to be black, but it does have to be clean. It also must be durable and big enough to make an impact (no smaller than 11×14 inches), but small enough to open comfort- ably on a viewer’s desk or lap. Most potential commercial clients see a red flag when your portfolio is overdesigned, with cowhide or fringe or corrugated cardboard on the outside. They think the photos inside will be underwhelming— and they’re usually right. Also, if your book has a metal spine or cover, file down the edges; they tear clothing (especially tights).

PICK A FORMAT AND MAKE YOUR IMAGES STICK TO IT

Vertical, landscape, whatever—no one wants to be turning your book in every direction while leafing. through it. For example, if you have a horizontal image in a vertical book, either print it going across the gutter (no, this won’t kill it) or show it on one page with borders on all four sides.

Most viewers, and even photog- raphers, would rather see photos without plastic or acetate sleeves, but to me it is more important to keep the work fresh. Are you really going to update a custom- printed book frequently with images on both sides of a sheet of paper? If you can’t commit to that, don’t choose this format.

If you do use sleeves, make sure they are neither reflective nor scratched, and get rid of the black paper that comes with them.

If you want a traditional ”fine- art” presentation of prints in a box, it is OK, but a book may be better. Even when it’s meant for gallerists, it is important to control the order in which they see your images—impossible with loose prints. A box is also a huge pain at a big in-person portfolio review, when you meet with many people back to back. With a box, the rule still applies: Put your name on it. Portfolios usually need protection against dings or bent corners. A slipcase or bag with handles will suffice. It can be pretty and, again, doesn’t have to be black. But don’t put the book in a slipcase and the slipcase in a bag. Oh, and have I mentioned this yet? The bag. Your name goes on it, too.

These tips should help you start shopping for a new portfolio. Next time, we’ll get to the inside: printing formats, sequencing, typography, and, assuming the pictures are fabulous, what else to include for a strong and memorable impression.

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One of the best parts of heading off to school—apart from tearing 
yourself away from the old town, the old friends, and the old, well, everything—is the grand potential that lies in your self-reinvention. You’ll let go of stuff that doesn’t fit you anymore, and try on anything that might. Just to see how it feels (or looks).

It happens in everyone’s college 
experience, especially at the beginning, but the art-school milieu practically 
demands it. Did you change your hair, your aesthetic, your politics? Maybe. 
Did you photo-document every second 
of your metamorphosis? Definitely.

So how do you make the most of this constant flux?

If the photo program at your school is like most, there is plenty of focus on the technical necessities. This is hugely important. Knowing what buttons to push on your camera or computer so that your images look the way you want them to is the first step in building your creative toolbox. You already know this.

But concurrently, and amid the “shoot an egg” type of assignments you will undoubtedly receive, it is also time to merge your academic exploration of photography with your personal one.

The first step is shooting for no one except yourself. Don’t make photographs for Facebook, or Instagram, or your own blog. Or even for class assignments. Yes, I just wrote that. I get that you will need to learn how to collaborate and execute ideas and assignments given to you (especially if you intend to shoot commercially). And understanding the process is part of filling up that toolbox. But it is always worth trying to find a way to infuse your assignments with your own voice. Lock yourself in the metaphorical studio walls of your own true self—where there is nothing to prove, no audience to impress, and no peer (or professorial) pressure that demands you act or look a certain way.

A couple of practical suggestions: One is to rethink your idea of the selfie. Rather than simply using these images to express an “of the moment” mood or experience, try seeing all of your self-portraiture as sort of long-form documentary, one that lives outside the idea of photography—or vanity. Think of those images as inventory. Coming at it this way will give you much more room to relax, breathe, and improvise through the creative process.

Second (and you might hate this), 
try not shooting your friends for either school or personal work. Perceiving that your friend wants something from 
your creative project prevents you from 
viewing your subject as a repository, 
a vessel, or even a mirror on which to 
imprint your heart, mind, and spirit.

The best photography portfolios, images, and projects are materially self-portraits, made from the inside out. This is regardless of who or what you’re photographing. Or what you’re wearing. Or whom you’re sleeping with. Or even how you feel about photography.

No matter what, everything will change, but learning how to get clear with the expression of the truth of who you are right now, and doing your best to close the window on the noise outside of you, will give you the best head start in thinking and living like the artist you are becoming.

**Continue the conversation with us on Twitter or Facebook. **

Allegra Wilde is the cofounder and chief operations officer of Eyeist, the online portfolio review service (eyeist.com), Allegra Wilde is a picture/visual strategist, creative director, and consultant to artists, photographers, and other art-based businesses. She has served as an MFA mentor for the Digital Photography program at the School of Visual Arts and as a visiting instructor at Art Center College of Design, FIT, and many other university photography programs, where she has regularly critiqued graduating students’ final portfolios.

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