If you're trying to succeed in your career as a photographer, your portfolio is going to be a crucial resource. It is your portfolio that catches the eye of potential clients. It is what they will base their decision on when comparing you to other options.

This leads to a lot of panic among young photographers who have not done much-paid work. A portfolio requires some of your best photography, but using samples from past jobs is impossible. Instead, you need to find the right photos in your archive that show what you can do.

How do you make a photography portfolio that wows new clients? Here's what you need to know.

Create a website

Many photographers share a Dropbox folder or something similar with potential clients. This is the easiest way to share high-quality versions of photos without sending huge files. However, the packaging leaves a lot to be desired, especially since navigation to different parts of your portfolio is not intuitive.

There is a far better option that requires only a small investment. Create a portfolio website using a website-building platform. You can choose a theme that best represents your work and use templates designed to guide your visitors to what they need to see.

You can create your website for free, but it is worth paying for a domain name, at least, as this looks a lot more professional.

Once you have your portfolio website set up, what do you need to include in it?

Choose your most attractive photos

The instinct many young photographers have is to share a wide variety of work that shows just how versatile they are. There is nothing wrong with this instinct, but it is not efficient in a practical sense. The reality is that potential employers or clients are not going to look carefully at dozens of photos. By putting everything out there, you only dilute the impact of your best work.

If you have chosen a niche to work in, or have started a business in a niche, choose your best photos that represent your skills within that niche. In this case, you can choose a variety that shows your versatility, as the scale is far more limited.

If you have not chosen a niche, you can choose one or two photos from your archive that show you can work in various niches. Keep them to a minimum so as not to overwhelm your audience.

Incidentally, it may be in your best interest to choose a niche. While it narrows down your potential client base, it also means you're more likely to be chosen for specialist jobs.

Quality trumps price tag

Another instinct that young photographers have is to use any photos that they have been paid to produce. This shows that they have work experience and the ability to deliver on expectations. If you are particularly proud of the photos you have produced for your clients, this is the way to go.

However, if you know that the job did not require the best of you or that the subject matter is just not very interesting, you should go with the photos you consider to be of the highest quality. You may not have been paid for these shots, but clients want to know that you have skills and taste. The fact that someone else paid you for a job is not so important to them.

This applies even when potential employers ask for a certain amount of work experience. While not all employers are made equal, most of them are willing to overlook a lack of work experience if they think you're the right person for the job.

Ask for feedback

No matter how perfectly you've curated your portfolio, you may have blind spots. Certain images may have particular meaning to you but do not stand out to others. An array of images that you think flow well may not be as intuitive to those who don't instinctively get your theme.

Ask for feedback from friends. If there are other photographers you have studied or worked with and who you trust, they are the perfect people to give you constructive criticism. Remember to be specific about what you ask for, especially if you are a photographer in a niche that requires something different from what most photographers produce.

Your photography portfolio is going to be one of the main factors that sell you to potential clients and employers. Don't just throw all of your photos in a folder. Curating a portfolio website can get you much further.