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How to make a good portfolio that will aid your application onto ‘A’
level Photography at City College Norwich.
The entryrequirementsforthe ‘A’level photographycourse state thatyoushouldhave 5 Cs or
higherat GCSE- one of whichshouldbe inan arts basedsubject(Art/Photography/TextilesArtetc.)
Where thisisnot the case-providingyoustill have 5Cs or above- youcan still come ontothe ‘A’level
photographycourse if youpresentagood portfolioatinterview.
A portfolioof yourworkisessentiallyacollectionof imagesthatshowsyouas a photographerand
image makeroff to yourbestability.Thiscouldbe presentedinasketchbook,mountedontocard or
ina folder.There are goodwaysof doingthisand not-so-goodwaysof doingthis.
Firstlet’slookat the not-so-good:
You have alwaysenjoyedtakingpicturesandthinkPhotographywouldbe greatfun.Youflick
throughyour photoalbumsandchose what youconsidertobe the bestphoto’syouhave.
A picture of a sunset: Those cute children youmet onholiday: A Motorbike race you went to:
Your Photoshopskills: Your friends doing ‘love hands’: Your friend intheir promdress against a tree:
Althoughthere is someskill inthese photographs,thereislittledirection- nothingtiesthem
together.Theyalsorelyheavilyonclichésandoverfamiliarreferences.
Nowlet’slookatwhat a good portfoliocouldlooklike:
Beginbygoingto a library andlookinginthe photographysection.Booksare where youwill find
qualityphotographerswhoare recognisedandcrediblewithgoodsolidideasthathave been
translatedthroughvisual matter.AvoidusingGoogle image searchandtypinginsomethinglike
‘nature photographers’- youwill nothave anythingof value bydoingthis.Findaphotographerwho
has a visual style youare interestedinordealswitha subjectmatterthatyou can relate to.Write a
small amountabouttheirworkand whatyou like aboutit- focusonhow thisworkhas influenced
youand what youwouldlike todohavinglookedatit.Thinkabout a theme title thatcouldbe used
to describe the workyouare lookingat- thiscouldbe along the linesof ‘shadows’,‘beauty’,‘light’,
time’,‘movement’,‘colour’etc.Once youhave atheme take a series (16-25) of photographsthat
explore thistheme- the photographsshouldbe influencedbyyourearlierresearch.Presentyour
imageswitha brief descriptionof youraims- whydidyoutake these photographs andwhatwere
youhopingto achieve?
For example youmayhave lookedatBrassai andhisseriesof imagesof Parisat Night:
Andchosenthe theme ‘shadows’.Youthenexplore yourowntownatnighttime focussingonthe
shadowsof the town.
Your response ismature andshowsa definite understandingof the ‘feel’of aBrassai Photograph.
You couldalsoinclude (if youwish) sketches,drawingsandanyothervisual matterthatmay support
your ideasandhighlightyourvisual understanding.

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What to have in a Portfolio

  • 1. How to make a good portfolio that will aid your application onto ‘A’ level Photography at City College Norwich. The entryrequirementsforthe ‘A’level photographycourse state thatyoushouldhave 5 Cs or higherat GCSE- one of whichshouldbe inan arts basedsubject(Art/Photography/TextilesArtetc.) Where thisisnot the case-providingyoustill have 5Cs or above- youcan still come ontothe ‘A’level photographycourse if youpresentagood portfolioatinterview. A portfolioof yourworkisessentiallyacollectionof imagesthatshowsyouas a photographerand image makeroff to yourbestability.Thiscouldbe presentedinasketchbook,mountedontocard or ina folder.There are goodwaysof doingthisand not-so-goodwaysof doingthis. Firstlet’slookat the not-so-good: You have alwaysenjoyedtakingpicturesandthinkPhotographywouldbe greatfun.Youflick throughyour photoalbumsandchose what youconsidertobe the bestphoto’syouhave. A picture of a sunset: Those cute children youmet onholiday: A Motorbike race you went to: Your Photoshopskills: Your friends doing ‘love hands’: Your friend intheir promdress against a tree: Althoughthere is someskill inthese photographs,thereislittledirection- nothingtiesthem together.Theyalsorelyheavilyonclichésandoverfamiliarreferences.
  • 2. Nowlet’slookatwhat a good portfoliocouldlooklike: Beginbygoingto a library andlookinginthe photographysection.Booksare where youwill find qualityphotographerswhoare recognisedandcrediblewithgoodsolidideasthathave been translatedthroughvisual matter.AvoidusingGoogle image searchandtypinginsomethinglike ‘nature photographers’- youwill nothave anythingof value bydoingthis.Findaphotographerwho has a visual style youare interestedinordealswitha subjectmatterthatyou can relate to.Write a small amountabouttheirworkand whatyou like aboutit- focusonhow thisworkhas influenced youand what youwouldlike todohavinglookedatit.Thinkabout a theme title thatcouldbe used to describe the workyouare lookingat- thiscouldbe along the linesof ‘shadows’,‘beauty’,‘light’, time’,‘movement’,‘colour’etc.Once youhave atheme take a series (16-25) of photographsthat explore thistheme- the photographsshouldbe influencedbyyourearlierresearch.Presentyour imageswitha brief descriptionof youraims- whydidyoutake these photographs andwhatwere youhopingto achieve? For example youmayhave lookedatBrassai andhisseriesof imagesof Parisat Night: Andchosenthe theme ‘shadows’.Youthenexplore yourowntownatnighttime focussingonthe shadowsof the town. Your response ismature andshowsa definite understandingof the ‘feel’of aBrassai Photograph. You couldalsoinclude (if youwish) sketches,drawingsandanyothervisual matterthatmay support your ideasandhighlightyourvisual understanding.