Creating A Complete Pictorial Portfolio
West coast resident, Kari Basel deeply wished to begin a legitimate acting career. She had done years of community theater, school plays, and dance classes. Now she was greatly anticipating taking that next big step. She had devoted long hours to her hobby and over time she had become more skilled at all aspects of theater entertainment. She had used a reputable Utah wedding photography studio to prepare some head-shots of her which she could include as she interviewed for acting jobs. She was not having a lot of luck being considered for roles and she soon concluded that she needed a few more pictures in order to properly market her appearance. She hired a Salt Lake City modeling photography studio to take additional snapshots of her for her portfolio. Kari quickly realized that having the right set of pictures could make all the difference in jump-starting her career. After completing a detailed spread of pictures, many career opportunities came knocking at her door.
The first call Kari received after submitting a complete picture portfolio was an interview request for a body lotion advertisement Her updated images had included several shots of her posing in swimwear. She had never been offered the chance to interview for this type of commercial before and she was convinced that it was her new, visually relate-able resume that got her in the door. She had given the casting director the opportunity to envision her in the role, simply by including pictures of herself in a variety of poses. In this case, those swimwear poses had a direct correlation to the job in which she was applying.
Another new and exciting opportunity presented to Kari was a call to interview for a job in the print media industry. The studio she had contracted with to take her pictures had suggested taking several specific pictures of her hands. Kari thought this odd but they explained that many agencies are seeking actresses to pose for pictures while holding products. Therefore, they are particularly curious about an actresses hands. Kari was grateful to the studio for suggesting she include these types of pictures as part of an acting portfolio.
Another interesting call Kari received came from a representative for a popular mail and web order clothing company. Kari had thought it would be a great opportunity to appear in magazines and to be someone who would wear a designer’s clothing line, yet she never dreamed she would be contacted to do that. She was sure that the pictures in her portfolio, which included shots of her in casual wear and formal wear, highlighted Kari’s attributes. She was confident that this clothing line had the opportunity to envision her in their outfits and that she was in an excellent position to get a job with them.
Kari’s dreams of getting work as an actress were starting to be fulfilled. In her case, she was receiving potential work in many fields, including print and television opportunities. She knew it was more than coincidence that her opportunities grew more plentiful after increasing her portfolio of pictures.
