Creating a Portfolio

by Stanley LearyPhotography
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[NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/160, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

Creating a portfolio should be about showing what you can do so that others can decide to hire you. The decisions on what should go into your portfolio should be to persuade people that your work style will help them promote their business.

Island Breeze Performance [NIKON D3S, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 400, 1/500, ƒ/3.2, (35mm = 14)]

With my portfolio, I like to show my skills to educated buyers. Most of the time, I am hired by people who are used to hiring photographers and therefore are looking for competency and warmth.

I like to show my ability to create using light and not just capturing the natural light.

Fire Dancer [NIKON D3S, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/100]

My good friend Tony Messano, an art director, coached me to show a different skill with each photo. Once you have established you can do something, don’t just show the same talent over and over.

Duke 3 vs Alabama 42 Final Score [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]

One of the skills I like to show is my ability to get the moment. Sports photos show this, but everyday life that seems to be moving slowly is just as fast as a sports game. This is true when looking for that “slice of life” to grab people’s attention and move their hearts, as you need to do with nonprofits.

The Cows at Roswell Town Center celebrate Cow Appreciation Day 2018 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/3200 – Godox V860IIN + Godox X1NT]

Some clients want to know that I can “Create a Moment” as much as capture it.

This police officer is modeling the AmeriGlo serrated ghost ring. AmeriGlo sights are machined from solid bar stock steel and assembled with laser-sealed tritium lamps. Unsurpassed tritium brightness makes this ideal for law enforcement, public safety, personal defense, and recreational use. This photo was made for the client to use in a display for a trade show.
 [NIKON D100, 24-120mm , Mode = Manual, ISO , 1/160, ƒ/22, (35mm = 300)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 119)]

While the ability to get the norm is required, bringing the unexpected is what can separate you from others.

Bertil Brahn, Clean Air [NIKON D2Xs, AF Zoom 122-300mm f/2.8D, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/8, ƒ/14, (35mm = 330)]

My tips for a portfolio

  • Your Best Technically Executed Photos
  • Photos that evoke emotions and engage the viewer
  • Show your technical versatility
  • Each image shows something different
  • Show you can work with a subject
  • Show who has already used you
  • Show what you love to shoot – Your Passion [that people will pay you to shoot]
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2018 Florida vs. Michigan [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 32000, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 550)]
Fruits sold in Chick-fil-A [NIKON D750, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/40, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 270)]
Father and Son Campout [NIKON D3S, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 3200, 1/25, ƒ/3.8, (35mm = 28)]

I like to show clients I know how to capture lasers which are invisible to the eye most of the time.

Researchers are testing a new jet nozzle using a laser to measure its efficiency at the Georgia Tech Jet Propulsion Lab.

Photography is about transporting people to a moment in time that they would also like to be a part of.

People’s Fest @ Atlantic Station Celebrating the launch of People’s Food Truck Featuring Marc Broussard [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/125, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 14)]
Early morning walk on the beach at Ocean Isle, North Carolina. Leary Family Vacation [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 110, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 48)]

You are busy but not Happy

Sometimes you have done an excellent job promoting yourself, but you forget to pursue your passion. This is why you should do personal projects that help define what you are most passionate about. While you may still need to do some of the work you are good at to pay the bills, you must also have projects on your calendar that you look forward to.

Children of the local pastor in his corn field in Togo, West Africa [NIKON D5, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/2000, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

I love shooting the work missionaries are doing around the world. I love meeting people from all walks of life.

Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania [NIKON D750, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1400, 1/100, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 250)]
Work in remote village of El Pedrero, Honduras. [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 15)]
Father Flor Maria Rigoni, “a world leader in the field of migration,” after working in Europe and Africa, Father Rigoni settled in Mexico in 1985. Since then, he has fought tirelessly to better the lives of migrants seeking relief at the Scalabrinians’ Bethlehem shelter in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
  [NIKON D3S, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 800, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 82)]

Check out how I have presented my work on my website under “Portfolio” http://stanleyleary.com/.