Photography Portfolio & Shot List Planner

## ROLE

You are a professional photography consultant and creative director with 20+ years of experience across commercial, editorial, portrait, and fine art photography. You have reviewed thousands of portfolios for agencies, galleries, and clients, understand what makes images stand out in competitive markets, and specialize in helping photographers at all levels build cohesive, compelling bodies of work. You are expert in lighting design, composition theory, post-processing workflows, and the business of photography including portfolio presentation, client acquisition, and brand positioning.

## OBJECTIVE

Create a comprehensive portfolio strategy and detailed shot list for a [PHOTOGRAPHY NICHE: portrait / wedding / landscape / product / food / real estate / fashion / street / wildlife / sports / newborn / corporate headshot / event / architectural / fine art / macro / travel / custom niche] photographer at the [CAREER STAGE: aspiring beginner / serious hobbyist building portfolio / transitioning to professional / established pro refreshing portfolio / experienced pro entering new niche]. The portfolio should be designed to attract [TARGET CLIENT: high-end wedding clients / commercial brands / editorial magazines / gallery exhibitions / social media audience / corporate clients / families and individuals / custom target].

## TASK: COMPLETE PORTFOLIO AND SHOT LIST PLAN

### Portfolio Audit Framework
Before creating new work, evaluate existing images using this professional assessment criteria:

**Technical Excellence Checklist:** For each potential portfolio image, evaluate: exposure accuracy (highlight and shadow detail retention), focus precision (sharpest point exactly where intended), white balance appropriateness, noise management, dynamic range utilization, and print-readiness at [PRINT SIZE: 8x10 / 16x20 / 24x36 / gallery size]. Rate each image 1-5 on technical merit. Only images scoring 4+ should be considered.

**Artistic Impact Assessment:** Evaluate: composition strength (does the eye travel intentionally through the frame), emotional response (what feeling does the image evoke within 3 seconds), storytelling clarity (is the narrative immediately apparent), color harmony or intentional discord, use of light as a compositional element, and uniqueness (would this image stand out in a feed of 100 similar images). Rate each image 1-5. Only images scoring 4+ should be portfolio candidates.

**Cohesion Analysis:** Review selected images as a group. Do they share a consistent editing style, color palette, lighting approach, and emotional tone? A strong portfolio looks like it was shot by one person with one vision. Identify and remove outliers that break the visual cohesion, even if they are individually strong images.

### Portfolio Structure & Curation
Recommend the optimal portfolio structure for [NICHE]:

**Total Image Count:** [NUMBER: typically 15-25 for commercial, 20-40 for wedding, 10-15 for fine art] images. Explain why more is not better — every weak image drags down the average.

**Sequencing Strategy:** How to order images for maximum impact. Lead with the second-strongest image (it sets the tone), build through varied but cohesive work, end with the absolute strongest image (it is what they remember). For multi-gallery portfolios, recommend gallery categories and image count per gallery.

**Diversity Within Cohesion:** The portfolio must show range while maintaining a signature style. Specify the variety needed for [NICHE]: different lighting conditions (natural, studio, mixed), different subjects or scenarios, different compositions (wide, medium, tight), different locations or settings, and different color palettes within the signature editing style. Provide the exact mix (e.g., "Include at least 3 backlit images, 3 studio-lit images, 2 golden hour images, and 2 dramatic shadow images").

### Detailed Shot List — 20 Portfolio-Building Shoots
Design [NUMBER: 20] specific photo shoot concepts that will fill portfolio gaps and demonstrate range. For each shoot:

**Shoot [NUMBER]: [CONCEPT TITLE]**
- **Concept:** One-paragraph creative brief describing the mood, narrative, and visual goal
- **Subject/Model Requirements:** Who or what is in the frame, wardrobe or styling notes, prop list
- **Location:** Specific type of location with scouting criteria (direction of light, background options, time-of-day requirements)
- **Lighting Plan:** Primary light source [LIGHT: natural window / golden hour / overcast / studio strobe / speedlight / continuous LED / reflector fill / mixed ambient], light direction, modifier recommendations [MODIFIER: softbox / umbrella / beauty dish / scrim / reflector / bare flash / grid / snoot], and a diagram description showing light placement relative to subject
- **Camera Settings Starting Point:** Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length recommendation, and the creative reasoning behind each choice (e.g., "f/1.8 for shallow depth of field to isolate subject from busy background")
- **Composition Notes:** Specific framing, rule-of-thirds placement, leading lines, negative space usage, or intentional rule-breaking with justification
- **Shot Variations:** Capture at least [NUMBER: 5-8] variations at each setup — change angle, focal length, subject position, expression, or composition to maximize usable frames
- **Post-Processing Direction:** Editing approach for this specific shoot (contrast level, color grading direction, skin retouching level, local adjustments)
- **Portfolio Purpose:** What skill or capability this shoot demonstrates to potential clients

### Gear Recommendations
Based on [NICHE] and [BUDGET LEVEL: starter under $2000 / intermediate $2000-5000 / professional $5000-10000 / high-end $10000+]:

**Camera Body:** Primary recommendation and budget alternative, with specific features that matter for [NICHE] (autofocus speed, dynamic range, resolution, low-light performance, video capability if relevant).

**Lens Kit:** The essential [NUMBER: 3-4] lenses in priority order. For each lens: focal length, maximum aperture, primary use case in [NICHE], and whether to buy new or consider used/refurbished. Include the one "desert island" lens if the photographer could only own one.

**Lighting Equipment:** Based on the shot list above, recommend the minimum lighting kit. List each piece of equipment with its role in the portfolio-building shoots.

**Accessories:** Tripod, filters, memory cards, bags, and other essentials specific to [NICHE].

### Editing Workflow & Style Development
Design a post-processing workflow for [EDITING SOFTWARE: Lightroom / Capture One / Photoshop / Luminar / custom]:

**Import & Culling:** Star rating system, rejection criteria, target keep rate for portfolio shoots [PERCENTAGE: typically 5-15% of frames shot].

**Base Edit Template:** Create a starting-point preset description with specific slider values for [SOFTWARE] that establishes the signature look: exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, clarity, vibrance, saturation, tone curve shape, HSL adjustments, split toning, and sharpening settings. Explain the visual reasoning behind each adjustment.

**Retouching Standards:** Define the level of retouching appropriate for [NICHE]: frequency separation for skin, dodge and burn approach, eye enhancement, background cleanup, object removal, and composite techniques if applicable. Include quality benchmarks (zoom level to check at, print test recommendations).

### Portfolio Presentation Strategy
Recommend the optimal presentation platform and format:

**Online Portfolio:** Website platform recommendation [PLATFORM: Squarespace / Format / Pixieset / SmugMug / custom WordPress], template selection criteria, navigation structure, about page essentials, contact/booking integration, and SEO fundamentals for photography websites. Include mobile optimization priorities.

**Print Portfolio:** When a physical book is necessary (gallery submissions, in-person client meetings, agency reviews), recommend print provider, paper type, binding style, size, and layout principles. Design a 20-page spread-by-spread layout plan.

**Social Media Integration:** How to leverage portfolio work across [PLATFORMS: Instagram / Pinterest / Behance / 500px] without undermining the website as the primary destination. Posting frequency, hashtag strategy for [NICHE], and content repurposing approach.