There isn’t a specific number of images a portfolio should include and opinions about this tend to vary. However, most professionals agree that less is more. Twenty images should be the maximum; closer to ten is preferable.  Remember, each of these shots should strongly represent your skill level. The execution of each shot should be close to perfect and there should be no visible flaws in any of them. Examine your set closely. Think about any steps you need to take to perfect your chosen images. Perhaps you need to tweak a negative for a better print or crop something slightly differently. Complete the computer or darkroom work necessary to finalize your series of photos. As you tweak the images, don't forget that a consistent theme should be apparent and the series of images should fit together in a cohesive way. Don't change the images so much that you lose cohesiveness. There is no “right” way to order your images. However, the first image in your portfolio should be one of the strongest. You want the first photo to make a clear statement. It also needs to create enough interest to make the viewer want to continue looking through the series. Arrange the rest so that the colors, tones and moods compliment and play off one another.  It might help to think about arranging them in a way that tells a coherent story or evokes a particular mood. The final image should appropriately sum up the rest of the series. Avoid crowding the “best” images at the front and then padding the end out with weaker images. There should be no weak images in the group. Your portfolio is more than just a handful of great photos. The way you present them is extremely important. A bound book of selected works is the most traditional option. The book you arrange them in should represent the contents inside. Choose techniques, borders and backing sheet colors that enhance the collection. Make your prints on good paper.  Be consistent and choose either matte or glossy – do not include a combination. Package everything as attractively and professionally as you can. Most artists prefer to do this themselves. They either mount the photos onto backing paper or they slide the images into the plastic sleeves that their purchased portfolio provides. If you'd prefer to have a professional do this part, research your area for shops that do custom printing. The photos should be placed into the portfolio in the sequence you worked out earlier.  You can arrange one image per page, or you could cluster two or three photos together to create a "chapter." Remember, the sequence should make sense. Tell a story with your images. The amount of additional information you include in your portfolio is up to you. Consider adding final elements such as an artist statement, a title list of the photographs in the portfolio, or a cover image that represents the portfolio as a whole. You want the images to stand alone and speak for themselves, but there is nothing wrong with including additional information that may enhance the portfolio. Digital portfolios are becoming more common, especially in technology and media fields. There are two options – creating your own website or using a portfolio hosting site like Smugmug or Zenfolio. Unless you are prepared to buy web space and create a website from scratch, the hosting site is a better option. These sites let you upload your photos into galleries and then you can customize the order and the appearance.  Digital portfolios can be updated frequently, whereas a print portfolio is usually a finished work. Online you can add and take away images and continually customize your portfolio. You should still try to keep your chosen images concise, but with digital portfolios it's acceptable to display a few more images than a print one would. 20-30 is a good number.

Summary: Settle on ten to twenty final images. Tweak your final images if necessary. Organize the images into a particular sequence. Use high quality materials. Put the photos into your portfolio. Add the finishing touches. Consider an online portfolio.


This is especially helpful if you're also trying to teach them to help cut down on expenses. Show them how much money you earn each week and explain that they can't spend more than that amount. This step requires quite a bit of trust. Explain to your child that details of the family budget should not be discussed outside the family. Have them look in the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator to figure out what the family needs for the coming week. Then, review the list with them before going to the grocery store. While shopping, hand them a calculator to see how close you are to your budget as you add more items to the shopping cart. If money is tight, try planning your meals around what's on sale and which coupons are available. Have your child look through store circulars and help you clip coupons. At the store, ask your child to find unit prices on items. Have them divide the price by the net weight or number of contents in the package. This will help them to become more frugal shoppers. For example, a 5-oz. bag of chips costs $3, while a 10-oz. bag costs $5. If your child does the math, they'll find that the $5 bag is the better bargain at $0.50 per ounce (as opposed to the $0.60 per ounce on the $3 bag). Explain what they can and can't buy based on how much they've saved. Tell them that they might have to wait to buy the things they don't really need if they come up short. Turn it into a math lesson as an educational bonus. For example, their account balance is $100, but they want a $60 video game and a $50 jacket. After some simple addition, they'll discover that they don't have enough money for both. They'll have to choose one or the other. Consider it a reward for doing their chores. Tell them that if they want to save up for shoes before the store's sale ends, they'll have to work harder for the money. This will teach them that they must earn money and not just expect it to come out of nowhere.  Assign a different monetary value to each chore. It might help to pay more for the less appealing chores. Let's say your child hates washing the dishes but doesn't mind mowing the lawn. Pay them $1 more for dishwashing. You can also encourage your child to look for ways to earn money outside of the house, such as by mowing the neighbor’s lawn, shoveling snow out of driveways, or pet sitting. Brainstorm with your child to help them come up with some potential money making options.
Summary: Review the family budget with your children. Let them help with the shopping list. Teach them to comparison shop. Make a spending plan. Have them work for their allowance.