14
Technique PORTFOLIO TIPS
Holding it
together
Producing a coherent set of images for a
successful portfolio or panel can be challenging.
To demystify the process, Tracy Calder persuaded
fi ve experts to share their insider secrets
Stefan Christmann
Award-winning nature
photographer
Professional nature
photographer Stefan
Christmann likes to
immerse himself in a
subject. In 2011 he began
a 15-month stint at the
German Antarctic
research station Neumayer III, and in
2017 he returned to the frozen continent
to spend a year documenting the lives of
emperor penguins for the BBC Series
Dynasties. Unsurprisingly, his portfolio
impressed the judges in last year’s Wildlife
Photographer of the Year (WPOTY)
competition. Creating a coherent set of
images is challenging, but Stefan believes
that much of it comes down to storytelling.
‘A standalone image has a lot of value, but
it can always be just one “lucky” shot,’ he
says. ‘When you create a portfolio you have
to work much more as an artist – nothing
is left to chance.’
Working out what kind of story to tell is
tricky, even for Stefan. ‘Most of the time
aspects of the story change and develop
once you start working on an idea,’ he
admits. ‘Often, right in the middle of the
process you realise that your initial idea
doesn’t go far enough and you resolve to
tell something more meaningful.’ This is
precisely what happened when he
embarked on his penguin portfolio.
‘Each day I was connecting more closely
with my inner emotions and beginning to
understand why the penguins were having
such an impact on me,’ he explains. ‘In
time I realised I didn’t want to tell a story
about survival or the lifecycle; I wanted to
tell a story about aspects of love, such as
courage, dedication and trust.’
With his story decided Stefan set out
to create a coherent set of images. ‘Once
you have your story you need to produce
a portfolio that is coherent in style
and quality, he urges. ‘Sometimes, it
even helps to use the same colour palette.’
His Antarctica images tick all the right
boxes, displaying technical mastery, as
well as emotion. The colour palette unifi es
the set, while helping to convey a sense of
the cold. Editing down the selection
required focus. ‘When I’m creating a
portfolio I select images capable of
carrying the storyline, and then I
choose my favourites from these,’
explains Stefan. ‘These pictures serve as
anchor points around which I select the
rest of the images.’Maintain the narrative
Stefan admits that not all of the images he
selects will work as standalone pictures.
‘Some images serve to connect the anchor
images together, and keep the fl ow of the
story going,’ he suggests. If he still has
multiple images for aspects of the story he
then looks for variety. ‘A body of work will
be much more engaging if you can include
a mixture of close-ups, wide shots,
portraits and images that provide
context,’ he reveals. ‘I want to draw the
observer into my story and not let him or
her go until they have reached the last
image of the set.’Choosea topicthatyouhave a
strong connection to – even if
you don’t understand why at
fi rst – and immerse yourself in
it. When you become involved
and start to understand why it
engages your senses and drives
your passion you will be halfway
to telling the story already. If
you then enrich the story with
the appropriate facts and
message, you’ll fi nd yourself
with the right ingredients for a
successful body of work.Stefan’s top tip
Stefan Christmann, Winner,
Wildlife Photographer Portfolio
Award, Wildlife Photographer
of the Year 2019ALL PICTURES © STEFAN CHRISTMANN/ WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR (WPOT Y)