What's On

  • Written by Adam Jacobs

If you are building a career as a professional photographer, among the essential investments to make is your portfolio. It must display your skills and range as a creative, so people will think that you are the perfect person for their photography needs.

Building an impressive portfolio will not only demand your artistry, but it also requires a lot of time and money. Before you get hired, potential clients would want to see what you are capable of. The easiest way to prove yourself is by showing them a collection of your best work.

As a newcomer in the business, your best work would have to come from your personal efforts first. This generally means that the photos will not come from paid gigs. You have to orchestrate your own photography opportunities and pay for everything, which is the norm for all startups.

Taking beautiful photos for your portfolio is easy enough, primarily if you have studied and trained to hone your craft. Complications, however, arise in organising a photo shoot. There are different components involved to ensure a smooth and professional process. To aid you with your first portfolio photoshoot, rounded up below are the seven elements to stay on top of.

1. Concepts

Before diving into anything for the photoshoot, it's imperative to decide on the concepts you want to work with in order to show your artistic range and skills. Likewise, once you have identified them, it will become so much easier for you to gather the materials you need to convey these concepts clearly.

2. Location

You need to choose a location or venue for the photoshoot that will support the concepts you're working with. For example, if you're working with a bridal or wedding concept, a local church and a beautiful garden are two of the best locations for the shoot.

Now, if you have more artistic themes and you want to easily manipulate the physical setting, a photo studio hire, Melbourne photo directors say is the best option. You can customise the studio according to your artistic vision. Another advantage to this photoshoot venue is you do not have to worry about uncontrollable elements, such as the weather.

3. Equipment

For the photo shoot, you need a collection of props based on your themes, lighting, additional equipment, and fans if you want a windblown effect.

Many of these pieces of equipment will be provided for you by a photo studio rental. The best photo studios already have most of the things you need for a professional photoshoot - everything from fans to lights, reflector boards, a few backdrops, different types of tripods, and others.

4. Crew or Staff

For the most organised photoshoot, you need to build a support system. These are people who can take care of other photoshoot essentials that you cannot. These people include:

  • Assistants - perhaps one to three people that will hold your other cameras and be ready to give the right one you need for particular shots, as well as hold the reflector boards and fans.

  • Props people - these are people who will help set up and adjust the background according to your instructions.

  • Professional makeup artist and stylist - this person will be in charge of the different looks for the model

  • Errand runner - this is a person whose job is to ensure everybody's convenience during the shoot by taking care of the tasks that you and the other members of the crew cannot.

5. Model

As expected, you need a muse. Find someone who's experienced and not just a pretty face, unless you do not mind spending a lot of time to direct and educate.

But, if you want the best flow for the photoshoot, it's best to work with a model or even an actress who already knows what to do and can easily take directions from you. Look into talent agencies in your area. Or, visit a theatre school or company and inquire if anyone would want to model for you. It's not unlikely that you'll find talents who'd be willing to take part in your project in exchange for several professional headshots.

6. Outfits

For a concept photoshoot, you will need a wardrobe of costumes. You can rent these from local costume shops. But you may want to purchase some for your own collection, especially if you intend to have your photo studio later on.

7. Food

Photoshoots can last an entire day, be ready with food for your crew and model. This will keep everybody's energy and spirits up. You have the option to hire a catering service. However, if there aren't too many people involved and you are working with a conservative budget, you can just purchase snacks and fast food like pizza, burgers, and pasta.

There you have it, the fundamental components that you should prepare for your portfolio photoshoot. You may only need to add a few more details, but once you have all of these covered, you may have already set a date for the activity.

Author Bio

Adam Jacobs is the owner of Windsor Photo Studios in Melbourne, Australia and Managing Director of Bubblegum Casting, the country's longest operating modelling, talent and casing agency for babies, children and teens. Adam is a creative digital marketer focused on growing companies' online presence and performance using both tried and true as well as cutting-edge growth marketing and growth hacking tactics.

About Australia

What Are the Most Desired Skills For Australian Workers?

With Australia’s unemployment rate increasing and the phrase “cost of living crisis” becoming an...

What Does It Take to Start a Business in Australia?

Many Australians dream of starting their own business, but it isn’t as simple as some think it i...

Different Event Venue Types to Hold Your Next Gathering

Running an event is tougher than it looks like. No matter what kind of bells and whistles you plan o...

Best Decorative Things For Your Backyard

When you’re just starting to decorate your house, one of the most important things you need to r...

How to Diagnose and Treat Conjunctivitis in Dogs?

Dogs can often suffer from conjunctivitis, and just like humans, get it at any point in their li...

Suburban Spotlight: South Melbourne, Victoria

It may come as a bit of a surprise to non-locals but South Melbourne is a hot spot of Melbourne ...

Take a Year Out! 8 Reasons You Should Consider a Gap Year in Australia

Are you feeling like taking some time out between high school and university? Or maybe after gradu...

A Closer Look at How Australia’s Culture is Evolving

Australia has always been known for its unique culture and vibrant lifestyle, but in recent years...

8 Tips for Furnishing Your New Home from Scratch

So, you just bought a new home and you can’t wait to get started furnishing it. You want it to be ...

Discover the Magic of Bergamot Hand Cream for Silky Smooth Hands

Introduction Are you tired of struggling with dry and cracked hands? Look no further than Bergamo...

A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Plants for Your Terrarium

Introduction Terrariums have become increasingly popular for their ability to bring the beauty of...

The Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Bone Cancer Risk

Bone cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the bone ti...

Hot Travel News

A guide to choosing the right dinnerware

Everyone loves to go to a fine dining restaurant to have a nice dinner, but what is the reason tha...

7 Vital Elements to Prepare for Your First Portfolio Photoshoot

If you are building a career as a professional photographer, among the essential investments to ...

4 First Aid Skills to Teach Your Children

You may be under the impression that there’s a minimum age requirement before you can start teac...

3 Practical Tips for Renovating Your Home Without the Stress

So, you’ve finally decided to give your home a complete makeover. But the question is, are you rea...

Dental Health Care - Differences Between Sweden and Australia

When it comes to health care, some countries, like the United States, still rely on private sector...

The simple way to trade the high impact news

News trading is one of the most difficult tasks for the traders. Many novice Aussie traders have b...

Road Trips Create Unforgettable Memories – Make Sure They’re Good Memories by Following This Simple Car Checklist

Some of the best memories are made during road trips. It’s when we understand the sheer wisdom beh...

Trading attitude change over time

Do you know that your trading attitude will change over the course of time? You will first trade t...

Beat Bridezilla Stress With These Wedding Planning Tips

No formerly sane woman wants to transform into a stressed-out, snappy, infamous bridezilla in the le...

Why the US dollar is used in maximum forex transactions?

Traders who are trading in the market use many different types of currency pairs in Forex. There are...

Going on Holiday on a Budget

Like many people, you probably daydream about taking a holiday while going through the same routine ...

Preparing for Your Australia Trip By Getting in Peak Shape

Getting ready for your upcoming trip to Australia? In between the plane tickets, hotel reservations...

Park Hyatt Melbourne Launch The Winter Edition

This winter, escape the cold and visit Park Hyatt Melbourne for the ultimate night in. Located in t...

How Local Businesses Can Profit from the Cruise Ship Boom

Cruising is a lucrative, growing industry with most of the cash filling the pockets of big players -...

Matilda Joins Melbourne's Show-Stopping Theatre Line Up

Visitors will be flocking to Melbourne over the coming months as a show-stopping line up of musicals...