Overview

Creating an online photo portfolio can be a very tedious and laborious task. The personal showcase of your art works is the main indicator of your skills and abilities and makes a major impression on your site’s viewers. The importance of the issue may seem frightening, but there are certain principles that will help you create a really impressive and successful photo portfolio. In this article I’d like to concentrate on those principals and some common traps to be wary of while creating your portfolio.

Trap 1: Arrangement

The first thing that comes to mind is the very organization of a portfolio. Be attentive to the priority you give your artworks. Place an emphasis on your best works by presenting them before the others, as first impression is always important. If a viewer is captivated by your art at once he will be motivated to continue browsing. Interest him from the first works down and you will definitely get a chance to be highly appreciated.

Trap 2: Excessive Material

Don’t over saturate your portfolio with too many works. Be sure to put quality above quantity while deciding on your material. The old saying, “less is more” rings very true here. It is equally as detrimental to make your showcase too tight, as it will hardly add to its professional look. Attempt to design the elements a bit loosely and harmoniously. Stay away from showcasing too many of the same styles; this will help convey originality, so ¬the viewer will not become bored.

Trap 3: Beware of Trying Too Hard

Making a very complex portfolio won’t leave an impression of professionalism. Try not to invent something that you personally won’t be able to cope with. Make it simple and viewers will definitely appreciate how easy to use your portfolio is and will be able to focus on the artwork itself. Of course this doesn’t mean that your online showcase has to be overly plain. Make use of contemporary technologies, implement interactive elements and maybe include some flash animation – it will make your portfolio more live and vivid. Just don’t overdo it and remember that usability is very important.

Trap 4: Obscure Navigation

Don’t neglect the matter of clear navigation while constructing your portfolio. You will hardly be given a chance if your content can not be viewed properly. So be careful to avoid incomprehensible and confusing navigation, and nothing will prevent a visitor from evaluating the real quality of your works. Arrange photos in such a way that they can be viewed one by one with simple clicks, preferably in the same window, so the viewer won’t be confused with browsing. Let them quickly and easily estimate your little masterpieces by adding a comment right away with no additional clicks and transitions. The easier it is to browse, the best impression your photo portfolio will make on the viewer.

Trap 5: Decorative Mess

Of course you want to make your personal showcase the most striking and captivating one. For this purpose you can add different visual elements, white space and so forth; making your portfolio look more vivid and professional, but don’t overdo it as someone may become confused by the decorative mess your portfolio will become.

Final Thoughts

Being aware of all the matters listed above and concentrating on your objectives will help you go places for sure! What are your thoughts? What are some common pitfalls you’ve seen with photo portfolio sites?