On selecting, sequencing, and killing your darlings to find your strongest images.
You’ve shot hundreds, maybe thousands, of photos. Your hard drive is full. Your Lightroom catalog is organized (or… not). And yet when someone asks to see your portfolio, you freeze. Because deep down, you know the truth: Your best work isn’t what you’ve shot. It’s what you choose to show.
Curation is one of the most underrated skills in photography. A strong photo can fall flat in the wrong sequence. An okay image can sing in the right context.
Let’s break down the art of curating. How to select, sequence, and let go, so that your work tells the strongest story possible.
✧ 1. Selection: Only the Strong (and Relevant) Survive
Your hard drive is full of experiments, duplicates, technical tests, and emotional favorites. Your portfolio? It should be focused, intentional, and cohesive.
Ask yourself:
- What is the purpose of this portfolio? (Personal project? Client work? Grant application?)
- What kind of story or aesthetic do I want to be known for?
- Am I showcasing range or just variety?
Exercise: Portfolio Pull
- Create a folder and pull in your top 30–40 images.
- Don’t overthink it, just go by instinct. What pulls you in?
- Once you have them, ask: Would I stand behind this image if it were shown alone, without context?
Hot tip: If the image only works because of a backstory you need to explain, it might not belong.
✧ 2. Kill Your Darlings (Gently)
We all have those photos we love. Maybe because of the memory, the effort it took, or how technically perfect it is. But if it doesn’t serve the portfolio as a whole, it needs to go.
Exercise: The Brutal Five
- From your shortlist, pick your five favorite images.
- Ask a trusted photographer friend or mentor: Which one doesn’t belong?
- Delete it from your selection. Even if it hurts.
Remember: your portfolio is what works best together.
✧ 3. Sequencing: Build a Rhythm, Not Just a Grid
Sequencing is where the magic happens. It’s the flow. The pacing. The emotional arc.
Start strong, build tension, and leave them with something that lingers.
Exercise: Print and Shuffle
- Print 4x6s or create thumbnails of your selected images.
- Lay them out on a table or use software like Adobe Bridge.
- Move them around until they start “talking” to each other.
- Look for:
- Visual links (color, texture, shape)
- Thematic links (isolation, intimacy, tension)
- Emotional variation (don’t cluster all your most intense or most quiet images)
A good sequence has rise and fall. Think of it like a short film, not a gallery wall.
✧ 4. Create Micro-Series Inside Larger Projects
If your work spans multiple moods or aesthetics, consider dividing your portfolio into small, themed sets. Even within the same body of work.
Example:
- A travel series could be broken into:
- “Quiet mornings”
- “On the road”
- “Portraits of movement”
This allows you to show range within cohesion, and helps the viewer understand the rhythm of your storytelling.
✧ 5. The Case for Breathing Room
Less is more. Fewer strong images land harder than a crowded page of 30 “pretty good” ones.
Be bold. Let your images breathe. Give the viewer space to feel something.
Final Trim Test
Once you have your sequence, ask:
- What happens if I remove 3 images?
- Do the remaining photos still carry the emotional arc?
- Does the absence make the rest stronger?
If yes — trim.
✧ Final Thought
Your hard drive is where your work lives. Your portfolio is where your voice lives.
Curation is where good photographers become great artists. So go ahead: trim, rearrange, kill your darlings, and shape your story.
MELISSA MARTINSEN 