A printed portfolio of your work is a great way to attract new clients, land jobs and leave a lasting impression. And you can take it with you — never show up to a meeting empty-handed again! A high-quality, well-edited portfolio signifies the value of your work and helps you stand out from the crowd. These examples illustrate the variety of photographers we create these for, and the different types of books we make for them. Click the '+' buttons for lip-smacking close-ups.

Lola Photography's Exhibition

10x10 Q Book Medium with offset Tintoretto printing. Plain Faux Leather cover in Midnight Blue.

We made this album after Lola's Aqua Frizzante exhibition — a keepsake on a totally different scale to the large format, fine art prints on the gallery walls. But exhibition prints are sold, and opening night photos probably somewhere in the cloud, so these printed images are the permanent record of Lola's first exhibition. As a practising photographer it's important to keep a record for prospective clients and employers, not just for yourself! Sponsors too will want to see examples of your work, and a printed portfolio sets you apart from the rest.

In an industry where design and aesthetics play a huge role it makes sense to go for something classic and beautiful that makes your work the star of the show. The Tintoretto printing offers a "fine art" look — lightly textured, matte finish paper — while the small size offers portability.

Ken Adams' Fine Art

15x12 Q Book Medium with offset Tintoretto printing. Carbon Buckram laser-engraved cover.

Unlike the others in this selection, Ken has gone for big and bold. Ken's panoramic exhibition prints are typically a metre long (39in), and the 15x12 vertical format is such a great way to display them. Amazingly, the album images are almost 2/3 the size of the framed originals! The discrete centre split is not distracting — the images look great. Being 15in (39cm) tall, this is also a highly impressive portrait format. Finally, Ken has added quite a lot of text to the album, which is crisply rendered on the offset-printed pages. 

The lasered front cover is a new service, and looks very impressive on this black cover.

Victoria Hollings' Personal Portfolio

10x10 Panorama Flushmount with Fine Art (inkjet) printing and a Futura standard title page. Gunmetal Buckram cover with a text-only Futura cover motif.

That's my own portfolio! — made for my personal, fashion-based work. I used it to to apply for Master's level education, and I'm not saying it sealed the deal, but it definitely helped. Having a printed portfolio, in a cohesive, well-designed book, sets you apart from those who don't. Sometimes we have a mindset that albums are "just" for wedding and portrait photographers, but there is a quietness and a personal encounter with your work in an album that I find is not achieved with loose prints.

I chose this particular album for the inkjet printing, which also allowed me a continuous, uncut print across the entire layout. It's another small 10x10 album, but it gives me a 20x10 full bleed panorama image with a lot of impact, which is what you want, right? The album has been in rotation for over a year now, and stood up to a fair amount of handling. Very important if you're going to be showing your book around. 

If I was to make another? I'd probably go for custom foil embossing on the cover and make more of the images full bleed. Starry Night Buckram with gold foil embossing looks amazing! Portfolios should be updated regularly so it might be time for a refresh...

Jocelyn Janon's Instagram Feed

10x10 Q Book Medium with offset Tintoretto printing. Futura Embossing on Classic Genuine Leather in Brown (available while stocks last).

This portfolio is a selection from Jocelyn's Rear Window Instagram series, which captivates us whenever we go back for another look: all the images are shot through car windows. Jocelyn says cars are a fascinating way to observe people's behaviour, a reflection of their social status, life challenges, and priorities. "I love how cars can frame our lives, add depth and reveal the different layers of our stories." 

Jocelyn's opening page is an introduction looking back to his childhood in France, and memories of his father's Citroen ID20 station wagon. A page like this is an excellent way to introduce yourself or to help your reader understand something about your process or content, but you can confidently add text throughout these offset-printed albums.

I could go on! For example, click the link for a beautiful and truly moving 15x12 album by David Edmonson. And we recently blogged about Amanda King's album, another impressive 15x12. Amanda also sells wall art, but we reckon this album is something she'll treasure for years.

In this virtual world a printed portfolio is sometimes seen as unnecessary, but that's not true. People still like to see printed work, and your portfolio will be much more impressive than whipping out your iPad to flash a few pics. Your portfolio gives you the opportunity to show your editing ability, quality standards, attention to detail and design skills. It should extend what you show on your website, rather than be an exact copy. Then, if people have found you online, they get to see more in person. If your website is their first impression, your printed portfolio is a strong reinforcement. And if you value your work enough to make it tangible, others will too.

That said, your work needs to be shown with the highest possible quality printing and binding technology – and that's where we come in! Here's a nice quote from Jocelyn to finish off with: "I should be used to it by now, but no. There's always something magical when I see my work printed for the first time. For many years, I have been working with Queensberry for my prints. Their work is spotless and their service outstanding."

Have you created your own portfolio? We'd love to see it! Send us an email.

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