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Photography is a competitive industry. If you have a beautiful portfolio of work but aren’t getting those all-important enquiries, you’re definitely not alone. It’s likely that talent isn’t the issue here, but instead it’s the presentation and marketing around your work that could be holding you back.
The good news is that, while competitive, photography is also an industry that rewards creative talent. The trick is getting your work noticed. From designing your online platform to expanding your reach, turn your portfolio into a list of paying clients with these expert tips.
Your Website Matters
Let’s start by looking at your website. When it comes to how to get clients for photography, you need a reliable platform that loads quickly and offers intuitive navigation for your audience, ensuring that you start off on the right foot.
These little details - like how easy it is to find your contact info or browse your images - will form your client’s first impression of your business. They reflect your professionalism and credibility, and if they’re not up to scratch, then you’re likely to lose a lot of leads.
The truth is that, just as it’s easy to judge a book by its cover, your audience is going to judge your portfolio based on what your online portfolio says about your style of photography business
If you’re not clued up on web development, there are two options here.
The first is to hire a web developer to do all the tricky work for you, creating a professional site that’s worthy of your photography portfolio. The downside is that this is usually pretty expensive.
Cost: Web dev projects can range from £1,000 for basic websites to £20,000+ for a more complex custom build.
The second and more cost-effective option for photographers like yourself is to use a drag-and-drop portfolio builder, like Portfoliobox. You’ll start by choosing a high-quality template that you can customise with your own branding, while showcasing your best work.
Cost: Create a free portfolio website, and when you’re ready to upgrade to a more professional portfolio site, with a branded email address and the ability to accept bookings online, you’ll be looking at £10-£15 per month.
As a photographer, one of the main perks of building your own portfolio website is that it offers you more creative control. You can choose everything from your font to your colour palette for a website that perfectly reflects your individual style and personal brand.
Hikaique / Pexels
Identify Your Target Market
A crucial part of creating a portfolio that’s often forgotten is identifying who you’re putting this together for. In other words, who’s your target market? Who’s your ideal customer?
Knowing your audience will guide everything from the images you use to your tone of voice (TOV), creating a portfolio that feels cohesive and purposeful.
A wedding photographer, for example, will want a portfolio that looks very different from a commercial portrait photographer.
To identify your audience, start by asking yourself a few key questions:
- What kind of clients do I enjoy working with the most?
- Which events or scenarios do I enjoy photographing?
- Who have I worked with already?
- Which markets within photography are the most lucrative?
The clearer you are about your target market, the easier it becomes to build a portfolio that feels intentional and engaging. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, you’ll attract the right people; those who connect with your vision and are ready to book your photography services.
Pok Rie / Pexels
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Now it’s time to upload your portfolio of work. The trickiest part here is deciding which of your photos to include and which to skip.
The best advice is to focus solely on quality, choosing the images that are excellently framed, shot, and edited, with no flaws that could put potential clients off.
This particularly applies to images you might love, or that were a challenge to achieve, but that aren’t examples of your best work.
If, for instance, you almost froze in the Arctic getting that shot of a seal only for it to be out of focus, don’t use it. We know it’s tempting, but your leads want to see your skill, not the effort it took to get the shot.
It’s also important not to overwhelm your audience with too many images and duplicates or similar shots. Stick to your favourites to create a body of work that accurately reflects your style and abilities, and don’t worry if it feels a little sparse. Quality is always more important than quantity.
Arrange Your Imagery
A quick note on how to arrange your photos once you’ve picked them. To create cohesive themes, group together images for visual coherence that feels organised. Some go-to themes you can’t go wrong with include:
- Mood
- Movement
- Colour
- Composition
- Subject
Your audience should feel a style emerge as they browse through, while keeping your portfolio looking visually aesthetic.
Words Are a Powerful Tool
Alongside your photography, you’re going to need copy. This is the text on your portfolio website that explains who you are, what you’re offering, and how your potential clients can get in touch with you.
Just like your web design and photography, your copy needs to be well-written to reflect your professional brand image. You can’t afford any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, and your writing should flow naturally with a clear TOV.
If you don’t count yourself as a gifted wordsmith, your best bet here is to hire a copywriter. They’ll be able to curate a TOV that engages your audience while getting across who you are clearly and succinctly. They’re skilled at writing copy designed to convert readers into paying clients, and will add clear professionalism to your website.
In terms of using AI to write your copy, it’s typically not a good move. More than half of consumers still don’t trust AI and view artificially generated content negatively. If it’s clear that your copy is AI-generated, it could cause significant damage to your brand image and highlight a tendency to cut corners, putting potential clients off.
You can, however, use AI to help you with ideas for your content. If you have a blog, for instance, it’s great for pinpointing relevant topics and planning a content strategy, but it should always be used alongside human creativity for an authentic portfolio website.
Share Your Portfolio
Even the most beautifully presented portfolio isn’t going to bring you clients if you’re not focusing on visibility. Simply put, you need to help your target audience find your website.
This is where marketing comes in. Effective techniques to direct more traffic towards your portfolio include:
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Sharing your portfolio in relevant social media groups
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Sponsored posts on social media
- Adding your portfolio website to directories
These are just a few smart strategies to help you get started. For more insights, your best bet is to speak to a professional marketing agency that’ll help you develop a campaign built on expertise and data.
Final Thoughts
Building a photography portfolio that converts browsers into buyers isn’t just about showcasing your talent, but about marketing it, too. From the website and images you choose to the quality of your copy, each element needs to feed into your brand image while working hard to convert your leads.
We hope these tips have given you the insights you need to take your photography business to the next level. For more advice, check out the latest at Fstoppers.
