Tips for photographing your portfolio

Portfolio prep videos

This set of two videos will help you build your portfolio, whether you're a CIA admission candidate or a practicing artist or designer.

How to photograph 2D artwork

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How to photograph 3D artwork

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Portfolio tips

These tips will help you photograph your work for your admissions portfolio. For extra help, please see the two instructional videos in the right sidebar of this page.

• Preferably use a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, but a smartphone should do the trick if necessary. The minimum recommended size and resolution is 5x7 inches at 300dpi.
• Make sure the white balance setting on your digital camera is for outdoor of daylight. For indoor shooting, block other sources of light and use two tungsten bulbs. Place a light on each side of your artwork at a 45-degree angle. Make sure the light balance is for indoor or tungsten.
• Photograph each piece individually. Try to fill the camera frame with your work. If you use a background, it should be a neutral color, preferably black.
• If unsure about exposure time, take three slides of each piece: one at suggested meter reading of the camera, one at an exposure (f-stop) higher, and another at an exposure lower.
• Most importantly, take your time. Photograph your work again if necessary. Select the best shots, and put them in the order you want us to review them.