Educator’s Guide: Portfolio Development

This guide will show you how to incorporate Photography: A 21st Century Practice’s innovative content into your photography classroom.

The focus of this guide is courses like Portfolio Development, Photography Studio, Photography Project, Photography Lab or any course with a focus on image production and expanding the body of work.

Guide to using P21 in your Portfolio Development/Photography Studio classroom:

Chapter 1: Devices, Chapter 2: Optics, Chapter 3: Exposure, Chapter 4: Composition, Chapter 5: Light, Chapters 6 and 7: Post-Production I and II, and Chapter 8: Prints:

These chapters are intended for prerequisite courses prior to a portfolio development course. Every aspiring artist, however, has both their strengths and their Achilles’ heel. Constant review of the basics is important to avoid blind spots and weaknesses. Use the materials in these chapters as hands-on guides or reading assignments when students need to fill in voids in their skillset. 

My Artist List: every inspiring artist should be well informed about their fellow artists’ work. The breadth and depth of this knowledge can be a source of inspiration and the solid ground on which aspiring artists can base their work. Ask each student to use a spreadsheet to record the names of artists that interest them. Use the 250+ artists in P21 as a starting point. For each artist, use a succinct note as a memory key. For example: “aerial views of environmental phenomenon,”  “photographing herself for 40 years,” or “battlefield reconstruction through miniatures.” This list can accompany the student throughout their entire career. Encourage students to spend plenty of time on this list with praise and even points. Lists can be shared between students and professor, so they may feed on each other’s opinions. Students can also make reports on artists from their list. 

Chapter 9.5: Craft, Composition, Content and Concept – The DNA of Photographic Art:

This chapter sets the groundwork for developing a body of work. For an aspiring artist, the 4 Cs provide a solid structure for their effort. This structural thinking, like any habit, requires time in order to form. Sprinkle discussion of the 4 Cs throughout the semester, whenever the topic arises. This chapter also introduces 4 C profiling, i.e. examining photographic artists in terms of their emphasis on each of Cs.  Students can use 4 C profiling on established, big-name artists as well as on peers and self.

Chapter 9: Content and Concept:

At this stage of their career, an aspiring artist can, and must, find their unique voice and put more thought into their work.  The analysis of example artists in this chapter gives students a glimpse at “how they do it.”  It’s important for students to realize that content and concept require one’s knowledge and experience beyond the realm of art: this chapter, therefore, serves merely as a seed. 

Chapter 10: Development and Presentation:

Production is paramount for such courses. Whether it’s a portfolio review, a show, or a thesis presentation waiting at the end of the semester, students must keep themselves busy with the hands-on. This chapter provides a practical methodology for developing work and tips on packaging – metaphorically and literally – one’s work. This chapter and Chapter 9: Content and Concept strike an important balance between thinking and doing. This balancing act differs from individual to individual, meaning that the mentoring professor must prescribe the content differently according to students’ personalities. 

Chapter 10.5: Money, Chapter 11: Tradition, Chapter 12: Video, Chapter 13: Computational Photography:

These chapters might fit certain students’ special interests and can be used as reading assignments and as starting points for their own research into these topics.

Chapter 14: Words:

Articulating becomes more important for students at this stage. Use this chapter to help guide students in writing artist statements as well as using words in other ways to support their visuals. 

Want more ideas for how to use Photography: A 21st Century Practice in your classroom? See our features list and chapter descriptions.