How to build a stunning photography portfolio
Here's an accessible guide to the ins and outs of starting, maintaining and promoting your photography portfolio.
By Rachel Westbury
By Rachel Westbury
An essential part of any professional photography business is a stunning photography portfolio. If you're not sure where to start with creating your portfolio, this guide will walk you through each step.
You'll also learn how to attract clients, and how to maintain and promote your portfolio over time.
Creating a photography portfolio can be overwhelming in the beginning. Before we get started, all you'll need is a clear idea of your photography niche, and a selection of your best images. After that comes designing, publishing, and promotion. But not to worry — we've got you covered!
In this guide, we cover:
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What is a photography portfolio and what is it for?
A photography portfolio is a visual representation of your photography services. It's a small gallery of images that shows the style and niche in which you photograph. Aim for between 10 and 15 images for each example shoot or niche. Remember, you don't want to overwhelm your viewer with too many images!
Why should you have a photography portfolio? Think of it as your photography business card. Potential clients view your portfolio to gain an idea of your photography style. It's often their first impression of your services, so you want to make it memorable!
Your photography portfolio showcases your best images and conveys your artistic vision. It also serves to show your distinct shooting style and niche at a glance. You can think of it like a photo essay for your business.
When clients look for photographers, they'll often start by viewing and comparing portfolios.
Define your niche and style
The very first step in creating your photography portfolio is to decide on your niche and style.
A photography niche is a particular genre of photography. For example, your niche might be in capturing weddings and events. Other niches include portrait photography, fine art photography, food photography, and more.
Can't decide on just one? Choose one or two niches that you already specialise in, or wish to book more often. Choose niches that make sense together so that you can convey a stronger sense of expertise. Like pairing commercial and product photography, or lifestyle and travel photography.
By photography style, we mean the broad look and feel of your images. To identify your style, note down the characteristics typical of your best images.
- Do you prefer to shoot in black and white, or use unique filters?
- Do you like saturated colours, or diffused tones in your images?
- Are there any other defining visual traits in your favourite images?
- How do you compose using aperture, ISO, and the rule of thirds?
This is a great exercise to begin clarifying your understanding of style. It's also worth noting that style can change, and that's okay!
Your unique approach to shooting will define your photographic style. And as you shoot more, your distinct style will develop over time. All that matters is that your portfolio is up-to-date, and reflects your current style and niche.
Choose your best photos
Your photography portfolio should include a small curated selection of your best images. As mentioned earlier, you'll want to decide on 10-15 images per example shoot or niche. If you work across multiple niches, include a set of images for each niche.
Think quality over quantity here! Cast an editorial eye over your own work, and be rigorous.
Ask yourself whether these photographs best show your technique, style, and versatility. Lean into the images that stir emotion, like awe, joy, or curiosity. And try to show variety in your framing, lighting, and angles.
Most importantly, ensure your images are sharp, clear, and have minimal noise. You can add the finishing touches to your final selections using photo editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom. For more, read our round-up of five free tools to edit your photos.
Next, ask a friend or industry mentor to review your portfolio 'first draft' and give feedback. A fresh set of eyes will help you see any images that don't belong, or make suggestions on images to add in.
Choose the right platform
New digital platforms have made it easier than ever to build a photography portfolio. In years past, photographers used simple blog formats to show their work. And while these blogs were functional, the format didn't do their images justice.
Modern portfolio builders allow photographers to design immersive, full-width, responsive photo galleries. Most of these tools have a small learning curve, with no coding knowledge required.
Some of the most popular photography portfolio platforms include:
When choosing your platform, consider the monthly or annual fees and inclusions. You'll want to ensure that your plan will allow you to host multiple pages — your homepage, about page, gallery, contact page, and more.
Pay close attention to the platform design, menu navigation, and responsiveness. These aspects are critical to ensuring that your portfolio is sleek, easy to use, and fully responsive across all devices.
How to create an online presence
Creating your photography portfolio is the first step in building your online presence. Use relevant keywords to help your website appear in search engines — this is search engine optimisation (SEO).
For example: 'wedding photographer' or 'wedding photography'. You can also include keywords for your location, pricing, and photography style. You can learn more about making your portfolio rank well in our beginner's guide to SEO.
Social media platforms can be another powerful tool to build your online presence. You don't need to create a profile on every platform to succeed. Choose one to three platforms that you like best to begin with.
There are passionate photography communities on all platforms — particularly Instagram and Facebook. Here, you can connect with industry peers, learn about tools and trends, and reach potential clients.
For inspiration, search popular hashtags to see how other photographers show up online. Some key hashtags to search include: #photooftheday, #picoftheday, and #photographyaddict.
How to maintain your portfolio
Once your portfolio is live, schedule time in your calendar to review and update it with your recent work. A good rule of thumb is to book a photography portfolio review once every three months. You can set this as a regularly recurring event in your calendar, so you don't forget it.
As you gain more experience over time, your photography style and niche may evolve with you. So it's important to ensure that your portfolio reflects your best work as it stands today.
Photography and design trends change over time, too. So don't be afraid to try a new gallery layout or homepage design as you and your brand grow.
With each update, remember to loop in an industry peer or trusted friend to review your portfolio. You want to ensure that it clearly conveys the niche and style that you're most passionate about.
Once you've built a polished portfolio, it's time to start promoting it to the world! There are a variety of marketing strategies you can use to spread the word about your photography services.
Social media promotion
Connect with photographers and potential clients by sharing updates via social media. Share some of your best recent images, and the story behind them.
Give your community a behind-the-scenes look at your workflow or camera bag. Enthuse about industry trends, or share short educational tips for amateur photographers.
Use popular photography hashtags to make your work more discoverable.
And remember that social media is just that — social! Take time to reply to comments after you post, and engage with others in your network.
Newsletter
Start a mailing list on your website, and invite friends and family to subscribe. Send a regular newsletter sharing portfolio updates, photography packages, blog posts, and more.
Your newsletter doesn't have to be sent out like clockwork. You can simply opt to update your community when you have something meaningful to share.
Blog
Write a blog as part of your photography website to share your expertise and insights. You can also pen blog posts about your inspirations, or the story behind your photoshoots.
Regularly updating your blog will help to position you as an expert, and drive more traffic to your site. Plus, it helps potential clients to get a feel for your personality and approach to shooting.
Photography competitions and exhibitions
Seek out opportunities to enter your best images into art and photography exhibitions. These are a fantastic way of generating exposure for your work and new client leads.
Competing in photography competitions can also position you as an industry leader. Most competitions feature categories for photography niches, style, level of experience, and more.
Now you've got a solid plan to kickstart your photography portfolio. It may seem like a lot to consider, but before you know it you'll have a sleek portfolio that showcases your brand. Through a careful curation of your best work, you'll attract potential clients and grow your business with ease.
And don't forget, building a stunning portfolio is an ongoing process. It calls for continuous updates and improvements. By refining your style, niche, and design, you can ensure that your portfolio best reflects you, and your work.
So what are you waiting for? Start building your photography portfolio today and share your best work with the world. Good luck!
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