How to Build a Photography Portfolio Website With 9 Examples

When you sell photography as a service, you need to prove that you’re the right pick for your clients with high-quality work. Whether you’re a new or experienced photographer, an online portfolio will give you the space to do that.

But, what if you feel like you don’t have time to build a portfolio? Or you’re worried it’ll be too expensive to pay someone to build one? You’re busy after all and no one is made out of money.

Fortunately, even if you don’t have tons of time or coding skills, you can build an awesome photography portfolio website with WordPress.com. Today, you’ll learn how to build your own and explore nine examples to inspire it. Before you know it, you’ll be as proud of your site as you are about your work.

In this article:

What is a photography portfolio?

A photography portfolio is a collection of your best photography to share with potential clients. People interested in your services will look at yours to evaluate the quality of your work. Before we had the internet, professional photographers had to use physical portfolios, but now you can share your work with anyone using your website.

Who can benefit from having a photography portfolio?

Anyone who takes photos and wants somewhere to share them! However, you’d generally create a portfolio when you’re looking to sell or publish your work. If you’re one of the following types of photographers, that probably means you:

Studio photographers
Wedding photographers
Event photographers
Fine art photographers
Street photographers
Photojournalists

Why do you need a portfolio website for your photography?

A photography portfolio website enables you to achieve three goals:

Showcase your work: Your portfolio gives you space to share your best work. With a careful selection of photographs, you can show off your skills to anyone who visits your website.
Earn inbound and outbound clients: Once you have a portfolio, it’ll soon become your most useful tool in finding new clients. You’ll gain a base of potential clients who come across your website. Plus, you’ll have your portfolio available to share whenever you approach a desired client.
Own your presence on the web: You could host your portfolio on a social media site or a dedicated portfolio platform. But, you won’t have as much control over its presentation as you would with a website. A website portfolio gives you total freedom over the way you show off your work to potential clients because you can determine its entire design.

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How to choose photos for your portfolio

Choosing the right photos for your portfolio takes careful consideration of your niche, audience, and services.

Before you decide on what photos to include, get a clear picture of the people you want to sell your photography to. Professional photographer Todd Owyoung (who you’ll read more about later on) recommends considering your audience as you choose your pictures. Think about what they prioritize in the photos they buy and what kind of photos they want to see in a portfolio.

Then, identify the type of work you want to do. Maybe you want to shoot ecommerce listing photos or photograph weddings. Define your genre of work (such as weddings) and your main capabilities (like portraits).

With your audience, niche, and services in mind, pick 10 to 15 of your best photos related to all three of those concepts. If you offer multiple types of work, you can create separate portfolio pages for each that include their own collection of 10 to 15 images.

WordPress.com tip: Use the blog posts block to display a collection of projects from your portfolio. This feature is useful for users who want to showcase a specific type of work.

Owyoung advises showcasing a collection of photographs that demonstrate your range. For example, he includes portraits and event photos in his portfolio to show that he can perform both types of work.

Related Reading:

How to make your own photography portfolio site with WordPress.com

Follow these steps to build a portfolio using WordPress.com:

Create a WordPress.com account

Go to WordPress.com’s account creation page to start an account. This account will manage your website, hosting, and domain under one hub. During the signup process, you’ll choose your website name and WordPress.com plan.

Choose your domain

As part of the account creation process, you can pick a domain for your website. A top-level domain name makes it easier to find your website and adds a professional touch to your URL.

WordPress.com offers more than 350 domain endings with a variety of prices. Plus, you’ll get a free domain for your first year if you sign up for a WordPress.com paid plan.

As you create your domain name, remember that a simpler website name is easier for potential clients to remember and type. Aim for an easy-to-find website name. Usually, your name, plus some variation of the word “photography” if your name is already taken, will do the trick.

You can also use our domain search to explore our domains before you make an account.

Pick your WordPress theme

After you finish setting up your account and domain, you’ll go to the WordPress dashboard, where you can manage everything related to your website. Here, go to the Appearance option in the left-hand menu to choose a theme for your site. Themes determine your site’s layout and visual design.

Every WordPress theme lets you use WordPress.com’s portfolio features to showcase your projects. But, WordPress.com also comes with portfolio-centric themes that might appeal to you.

If you have a Business or ecommerce plan, you can also install a third-party theme. Some web designers make custom themes for WordPress, while others offer pre-made themes for you to install.

Set up your homepage

Now that you have a site ready to fill with content, start with your homepage. This is the first page many of your visitors will see, so getting it right will create a good first impression. Some methods for spiffing up your homepage include:

Creating a unique logo: If your theme supports logos, consider creating one in your favorite image editing program. Use a font that complements the rest of the typography on your website. No worries if you don’t have the graphic design chops to make a logo, though — these themes will automatically add your website name to the logo spot.
Using one of your best shots for your hero image: Choose a shot that you feel proud of and embodies your work as the focal image for your homepage. Your visitors will want to get an idea of your work right away, so they know they’re in the right place.
Adding testimonials from your clients: Ask your current clients for short testimonials to put on your homepage. If you’re still building your client base, keep an eye out for satisfied clients who would want to help.
Including a call to action: Create a message encouraging your visitors to use your services (AKA, a call to action). A statement like “book a call to learn more” that links to your contact page will guide interested visitors to the right place.

For more tips on designing a homepage and plenty of examples, read our comprehensive guide.

Add your about page

Your about page explains these aspects of you and your work:

Who you are: Share your background in photography, including your experience and skills.
What you do: Define the types of work you do and point out any major successes, like if your photos were published in a certain publication.
Why you do it: Express your passion for your work and what led you to photography in the first place.

Include a picture of yourself somewhere on your about page, especially if your work involves a lot of in-person work with clients. Potential clients will be interested in what you look like. Plus, a photo of yourself will add a personal touch to your page.

Visit our guide to writing a good about page for more tips and examples of successful pages.

Build your contact page

Here’s where you seal the deal. Potential clients will use your contact page to get in touch with you about your work, so make this page accurate and easy to find.

Consider adding a contact form to protect your email address and organize your queries. WordPress’s form block includes all the features you need to add one to your photography portfolio. You can ask for basic info or include fields to specify what services the visitor wants.

Besides your email or contact form, include any other information people will need to contact you. You might have a business phone number or address clients can use. If you have a studio that clients visit, use the map block to show where to find it on the map.

Create your portfolio page

Time for the star of your website — your portfolio. WordPress’s portfolio feature lets you curate different projects that you manage like blog posts. You just need to activate the functionality for your website.

If you don’t see the Portfolio option in your dashboard menu, go to Settings > Writing > Content Types. There, you can turn on your portfolio by clicking the toggle button next to Portfolio Projects. Enter the number of projects you want to display per portfolio page, then click Save Settings in the top-right corner.

Once you have the Portfolio option available, click on it and go to Add New to add projects to it. Since you have full control over how you present your projects, you can add single photos or entire photoshoots.

Finally, go to your portfolio page and see how it looks, then make adjustments as necessary.

Consider blogging

Some photographers have blogs on their websites where they present new photos, provide updates on their services, and share knowledge. A blog can help you connect with your clients and show off your expertise. But, you’ll need to put thought and effort into it for it to succeed.

If you decide to blog, go in with a strategy. Decide on the types of posts you’ll make, such as updates, opinions, or expert tips. Then, stay focused on those categories as you blog.

Then, build a simple editorial calendar for your blog. Determine how often you’ll be able to post, and fill in topics for the days you want to publish. Aim for a consistent publishing schedule over frequent posts if you don’t have much time to blog.

Link to your other online presences

Whether in your header, footer, or contact page, remember to include links to the other platforms you use online. The social icons block simplifies this step by offering a large range of icons, including photography platforms like 500px.

More pages you can add to your photography portfolio

Don’t limit yourself to just the pages I already mentioned if you have more information to share with potential clients. Here are some other ideas for pages to add to your portfolio website:

A detailed list of your photography packages
A store for your photo prints (try the WooCommerce plugin)
Listings of where people can see your photos, like showing or gallery dates
Links to books featuring your work
A page explaining the process you take with each client
An exploration of your creative philosophy and approach to photography

Looking for even more? Check out 18 web pages that your website should include.

Nine photography portfolio examples to inspire you

Let’s look at nine examples of photography portfolios from different niches to give you even more ideas for your website:

1. Todd Owyoung (music)

Todd Owyoung shoots pictures of music shows, festivals, and artists. He has two websites — his portfolio and his blog, ishootshows.com.

While Owyoung shares his portfolio site with potential clients, his blog also helps him get business by building his authority in the music photography space. People interested in his work will see that other photographers look up to him and gain more trust in his abilities.

2. Stacy Kennedy (senior pictures for American high schoolers)

Stacy Kennedy takes senior pictures for American high schoolers and their families who want to commemorate the transition to adulthood. She also specializes in recording videos of high school seniors as a supplement to their senior photos.

Her website makes an impression right away with a video on the homepage showcasing her video work. Think of how you can highlight your talents on your homepage to communicate them to potential clients.

3. Markus Huth (photojournalism)

Markus Huth is a journalist and photographer who sometimes combines the two disciplines through photojournalism.

His portfolio website shows that you can keep your website straightforward and still get results. Huth shares his books and bio on his homepage and organizes the rest of his content into two pages — writing and photography.

4. Milos Nejezchleb (conceptual photography)

Milos Nejezchleb focuses on conceptual photography related to current social topics.

His website demonstrates how you can show off your portfolio content on your homepage if you want to take a more minimalist approach to your content. Also, notice how he lists all of his awards and exhibitions on his about page to nurture trust in visitors.

5. Réhahn (fine art and documentary photography)

Réhahn combines fine art and documentary photography to capture life in Vietnam. He has an in-depth website offering plenty of inspiration for pages to include on yours.

For example, his behind-the-scenes page shares his philosophy on photography, and his galleries page explains where museums show his work.

6. Brandi Toole (weddings)

Brandi Toole takes wedding photos with an editorial and journalistic spin.

There’s no single best way to organize a wedding photography portfolio, so Brandi uses an easy-to-understand approach. She picked two weddings that feature some of her best work and sorts her portfolio photos using those two events.

7. Kayla Fisher (weddings)

Kayla Fisher is a wedding photographer interested in capturing the candid moments and stories behind her client’s weddings.

Her website has an artistic custom design using a two-sided layout and an original logo. She also sells the “KFP experience,” extra customer service, as part of her photography packages. Consider what you can do to make your clients’ photography experience special and promote it as part of your services.

8. JULIA × GIL (weddings)

Julia and Gil offer “anti-cliche” photography and film services for weddings across the world.

Their homepage/portfolio weaves photography, video, testimonials, and short statements about their work philosophy. They tie it all together with their branding centered around non-traditional wedding photography.

9. Greg Ross (weddings)

Greg Ross provides wedding photography services with an artistic and personal focus.

His homepage includes an impressive slideshow gallery that shows some of his best work off the bat. You can achieve a similar effect using WordPress’s Gallery block.

Start selling your photography services

Once you get used to using your photography website as a marketing tool, you can integrate it into more of your business processes. Try selling prints and services online using tools like the WooCommerce plugin and payments block. This blog post will walk you through your options.

Are you ready to take your photography business to the next level? Creating a photography portfolio website on WordPress.com is the solid foundation you need to make that happen.

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How to Build a Photography Portfolio Website (With 9 Stellar Examples)

What is a photography portfolio?

Who can benefit from having a photography portfolio?

Why do you need a portfolio website for your photography?

How to choose photos for your portfolio