Start with the work you have done, however informal. Personal projects, voluntary work for organizations or events, assisting established photographers, student editorial work, and self-initiated projects all count. Build a portfolio with the strongest 15 to 20 images, even from personal work. Your CV should describe what each project was, what it required technically, and where it was used or published. A CV that honestly describes 10 real photographic assignments is more persuasive than one that fabricates or inflates experience.
Both, with the portfolio as the primary document. A CV contextualises and supports the portfolio by providing the professional record: where you have worked, who you have worked for, what equipment you use, and your professional credentials and training. The portfolio provides the visual evidence that the CV claims. Without a portfolio, a photography CV cannot be evaluated. Without a CV, a portfolio provides no professional context.
20 to 40 images that represent your best work in the specialism you are applying for. Organized and presented with intention. If applying for a specific type of work, the portfolio should be edited to show primarily that type. A portrait photographer applying for a commercial role should show commercially-minded portrait work, not their documentary or landscape series. The edit of the portfolio is itself evidence of editorial judgment.
Important in commercial contexts where specific technical requirements apply. A commercial studio that shoots with Phase One medium format needs to know you can operate that system. An agency hiring a social content photographer cares more about speed and visual instinct than camera brand. List your primary system and any specialist equipment you own or regularly hire. For video work, list cameras, stabilization, lighting, and any audio equipment separately.
World Press Photo, Sony World Photography Awards, Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, and the Paris Photo-Aperture PhotoBook Awards for documentary and fine art. D&AD, Cannes Lions, and Epica for commercial and advertising. The Lucie Awards and IPA (International Photography Awards) for broad category recognition. Include the year, category, and whether you were nominated, shortlisted, or won. A shortlisting at a major international award is a legitimate credential even without a win.