More than 150 emerging photographers expressed interest but only 52 were able to attend Photofusion's free "How to submit to galleries" talk last night hosted by Carole Evans and Adrian Wood.

The photographers asked about everything from photography submission to video submissions and portfolio reviews, and some of the questions covered very technical details.

Evans and Wood provided much practical advice in the 90-minute session, on subjects including print size for submissions, and negative reactions from artists who discovered they must pay for their own framing.

"Do your research, look at galleries and learn how they take submissions so you don't look unprofessional, and make a good impression," said Evans, a gallery co-ordinator at Photofusion who also reviews photography submissions.

Wood emphasised the importance of presentation, whether at a portfolio review or at a gallery submission, and pointed out that fine-art photography may not be well-received in a documentary setting and vice-versa. He exhibited in and helped curate a recent Photofusion group show, Sight/Unseen, and said: "The quality of the presentation helps," adding that emerging photographers often present a random selection of amazing images that don't work as a coherent body of work.

The duo also touted the benefits of portfolio reviews, a chance to show your work, such as book commissions, shows and editorial work, to someone in the industry and discuss it for 20 minutes, despite their expensive price tags and possible negative feedback. However, they added that being at the right stage in a career or project and knowing what you want get out of a review helps make the most of the opportunities.

Evans advised photographers to "choose quality over quantity on submissions" and suggested they shouldn't meet a maximum work count at the expense of adding "filler images", as they could detract from the overall quality of the submission.

"You want to show your work in the best possible light," Evans said, adding that a smart portfolio box containing a list of contents, exhibition proposal, artist CV, project statement and the technical aspects regarding exhibition requests (print sizes, framing, etc) is best.

Alternatively, they suggested photographers should get creative with exhibiting if they cannot find a gallery. Online exposure, salon shows, independent shows, open submissions, pop-up galleries, competitions, self-published books and asking landlords to use unoccupied space to host a DIY exhibition were all presented as options.

Photofusion's third annual members exhibition, AMPS/11, will be on show at the Photofusion gallery from 25 November to 13 January 2012. Members can submit for free and the general public can submit under the condition they become an annual Photofusion member at the half price rate of £25 instead of £50. The submission deadline is 16 September.