Art School Portfolio Presentation?

[Neesha]

I am currently working on a portfolio for acceptance to a bachelors program in visual arts. I have no idea how to present my stuff. I can't send originals as they are bulky and if I want to apply to multiple schools I may not be able to get my work back. I know I can photograph everything, but how do I photograph a painting? How is this supposed to look? I have absolutely no one to turn to about this. My family are all in sciences and business and I have been working my ass off for the past year to catch up considering I thought art wasn't an option (I was premed from birth).