The best portfolio is a digital one. Why digital? More flexibility, customization, and ability to add and remove photos at will!
I will make the heretical statement:
A digital portfolio is *superior* to a traditional print-based analogue portfolio (printed book, in-person gallery exhibition, prints, etc).
Why? My thoughts:
1. Digital portfolio is more flexible.
Why digital portfolios? Simple — far more flexibility. For example this collection of images, I can have it as a very small thumbnail contact sheet view (Gallery view in WordPress):
Or you can make it three images across in the Gallery view:
How it looks in WordPress:
And the great thing with digital; there are still infinite new ways to display and gallery and exhibit your photos! Another example: auto-playing Slideshows:
Or you can give the power to the viewer, and just let them advance the slideshow by having them click manually:
2. Why do people think that print is *superior* to digital?
The reason:
We are still trapped in this basic French notion of ‘success’.
All of the analogies we use when it comes to Art (a capital ‘A’ Art), is this:
The apex of success as an artist is to have a fancy gallery exhibition in-house at a prestigious gallery or museum, and have lots of fancy and interested people come, admire your work in person, and come up to you and schmooze you and tell you how great you are.
But this is insanely shallow and vain (empty). Perhaps if we truly want to develop and thrive as visual artists, we must think far *BEYOND* this insanely antiquated notion of ‘success’ as a photographer.
3. Why have a digital portfolio?
My thought:
When you curate your portfolio or create certain sets or have certain projects, you signify importance, value, and love for them.
To curate literally means to ‘care’. Thus by curating and creating portfolios of your work, you show which photos you CARE for!
For example, I care and love Cindy. Here is some photos from CINDY PROJECT: