For us photographers, our portfolio is everything. You could have nothing on your website except a portfolio and a contact form, and you could still attract clients. (I don’t actually recommend this but you get the idea!). Your portfolio showcases your style, tells a story, and shows potential clients why they should work with you. It’s our key to unlocking more bookings.
But, building a portfolio can be a lot of work, whether you’re starting or looking to up-level and refresh yours. If you’re wondering how to build a photography portfolio that attracts clients, I’m here to help! I’ll walk you through how to plan your portfolio, get the best shots, and choose the right work that gets you more clients. Let’s dive in!
But, building a portfolio can be a lot of work, whether you’re starting or looking to up-level and refresh yours. If you’re wondering how to build a photography portfolio that attracts clients, I’m here to help! I’ll walk you through how to plan your portfolio, get the best shots, and choose the right work that gets you more clients. Let’s dive in!
Need more guidance? Check out my photographer resources for more tips and tools, or explore my mentoring services for one-on-one support to take your portfolio (and business!) to the next level.
Define Your Niche
The first step to learning how to build a photography portfolio is defining your niche. For photographers who are just starting, this means determining if you want to offer family photography, portraits, wedding photography, branding, or something else altogether. You can offer a combination of different types of photography as well.
Once you have your specialization, you can also niche down further. Especially for well-seasoned photographers, this is a great exercise that you may not have thought about before.
Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer, and you love taking candid, natural photos of your clients. You can probably carve a niche in your market for documentary-style wedding photography. By determining your niche, it’ll make it easier to curate your portfolio and communicate your style. As a result, it’s easier for potential customers to find you when they’re looking for your niche!
Only Showcase Your Best Work
This sounds obvious, but it’s important to keep in mind as you’re figuring out how to build a photography portfolio. I know how easy it is to go down a rabbit hole when it comes to selecting portfolio photos. You end up wanting to show every type of photo, pose, and location you’ve shot. But editing is key, and removing photos can actually make your portfolio work better for you.
This might be difficult if you’re just starting, but I also recommend only showcasing the photos that are in your niche. For example, if you’re aiming to book more wedding clients, you should edit out other sessions like newborns or seniors.
If you do offer different types of photography, you can always create a unique portfolio for each niche. This will make it easier to market to your different target audiences.
Be Strategic About Variety
Though your photography portfolio should be focused on your niche, you still want to incorporate variety. Think of it as showcasing all of the different types of photos you can take within your specific niche and style.
For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, you can showcase your first-look photography, ceremony shots, reception candids, wedding party photos, and more.
Here are some tips you can keep in mind to be strategic about your portfolio photography:
- Showcase a diverse range of clients you’ve worked with
- Showcase different locations
- Include a variety of posed and candid shots
- Include some detail shots if that’s part of the photography you offer
- Select photos in different types of lighting
Use The Power of Storytelling
The goal of any type of photography is telling a story–you’re capturing the emotion and personality behind everyone you photograph! Your portfolio can help tell their story as well as yours.
To use storytelling throughout your photography portfolio, I recommend using these steps:
- Define Your Narrative – First, decide what overall narrative you’re hoping to communicate. For wedding photographers, that might be love and joy.
- Group Images From The Same Session – Instead of mixing photos from different sessions, I recommend grouping photos from the same session to build a narrative. You can provide an edited version of a gallery to show the full experience from beginning to end.
- Focus on Emotion – As you’re selecting posed or candid photos, focus on the photos where you can feel the emotion of your subjects.
- Add Context – If you have space in your portfolio, it doesn’t hurt to add short captions for some photos or brief descriptions of the sessions. By doing so, you can narrate the experience to further tell the story.
Online Portfolio Must-Haves
A well-crafted portfolio showcases your style, professionalism, and what makes you the photographer to book. But what exactly should go into it? Let’s break down the must-haves for an online portfolio that actually converts.
- Clean, Professional Design – Stick with a design that’s easy to navigate and doesn’t feel cluttered. These days, it’s easy to use a portfolio template through your website provider, like Squarespace, so you don’t have to worry about designing it yourself.
- A Clear and Compelling About Page – Always start with a brief about page to provide your photo, bio, and details about your niche and client experience.
- A Curated Selection of Your Work – As I mentioned above, your portfolio should showcase a selection of your best work, not everything you’ve ever done.
- Good Usability and Tech – Just like any other part of your website, your online portfolio needs to be easy to use, both on desktop and mobile. You can also make sure your portfolio is suitable for SEO by including image descriptions and properly titling your pages.
- Client Testimonials – A nice, extra touch in your portfolio is some client testimonials to further show what it’s like to work with you.
- A Simple, Clear CTA (Call to Action) to Book With You – Your ultimate goal is to use your photography portfolio to book more clients, so make it easy with a clear and simple button or link to your booking page or form.
Now that you know what makes a great portfolio, it’s time to put these tips into action! Whether you’re building from scratch or refreshing your current one, these essentials will help you attract and book more of your dream clients.
How to Get Portfolio-Worthy Shots (Even If You’re Just Starting)
If you’ve been a photographer for a while, the best way to refine your portfolio is to make it a habit. After every session, favorite the photos that you think will look best in your portfolio, then set aside the time to place them and edit further. It’s a little extra work, but you’ll thank yourself (and me) later!
If you’re brand new, there are still plenty of ways you can figure out how to build a photography portfolio. One of the easiest ways is to start offering free sessions to your family and friends. You can also work with other local business owners like makeup artists or event planners to offer free sessions to their clients, which is a great way for them to boost their value as well.
Another great option is to invest in styled shoots. Especially if you’re a wedding photographer, you can have a stage couple come in hair and makeup as well as wedding outfits. Styled shoots are a great way to get a variety of photos with much less pressure, giving you a bit more time and flexibility.
How to Write a Bio That Converts Visitors into Clients
Writing a compelling photography bio is crucial for making a strong first impression. It should tell your story, showcase your style, and connect with potential clients.
Start with an intro about your photography style, niche, and the value that you provide your clients. Think about why you went into photography in the first place and what you love about working with your clients.
From there, you can go into your background and experience to tell the story about how you became a photographer. Diving into your personal details is a great way to create a connection with potential clients, especially since they’ll be working with you so directly. You can also mention any notable projects or accolades.
Outside of your photography experience, you can even include more about your hobbies and personal life to help your clients connect to who you are as a person.
Overall, use your bio to show how you’re personable and relatable to clients while explaining why they should work with you.
How to Build a Photography Portfolio and Keep It Fresh
It’s so easy for us to update our portfolios once a year and then forget about them. But, making it a big task is how it becomes more and more daunting.
Instead, incorporate your portfolio as part of your consistent business tasks. Just like you need to consistently update your website and social platforms, the same goes for your portfolio. Once you make it a habit to select and refine photos, your portfolio will work harder for you to attract more clients!
Get More Resources for Your Photography Business
Your portfolio isn’t just a collection of pretty photos—it’s your ticket to booking more of the right clients. Keep it curated, keep it strategic, and most importantly, keep it you!
Need an extra boost? Dive into my photographer resources or let’s chat through mentoring to refine your portfolio and take your business to the next level.
