Do It Yourself: How These Photographers Found Success Through Their Websites
Would you like to reach more people with your photographs? Using inspiring websites by professional photographers, we explain how to do it.
Put Your Photographs Center Stage
Photographers capture unique moments, moods, and emotions in their images. But how do they bring their best photographs to the attention of a wider audience? Many successful photographers showcase their work on their own websites, giving them a permanent exhibition online. Wedding photographer Alina Atzler, for example, built her own wedding photography website with the Jimdo website builder.
Her secret is to put her photographs center stage and omit clutter and extras, such as too many menu options. The result is a calm website with a clear structure.
Organize Your Photographs into Albums
If you photograph for different target audiences, categorizing your portfolio is especially useful. German photographer Ella Don has a wide range of interests. She works for many different companies, but also photographs weddings and cities around the world. She divided her portfolio into several albums.
Inka Koravi of Inkalude also presents her photographs by theme. This keeps her website organized and helps visitors find their way immediately.
Show Only the Best of the Best
Photographer Igor Trepscenok has taken thousands upon thousands of photographs, yet he displays only a few on his website: the images that best represent his work as a photographer. Igor also keeps his site’s appearance simple and natural.
His secret is to use plenty of white space between photographs, allowing them to speak for themselves. This strengthens their atmosphere and turns his website into a calm, minimalist work of art.
Your Unique Style
Your personality and unique style are your greatest strengths because they distinguish you from other photographers. Choose photographs for your site that clearly show what makes your work unique.
‘No awkward posing, no forced grins—just the two of you and the people who matter to you’ is the motto of Dutch wedding photographer Huib Vintges. His open, documentary style is immediately recognizable on his website.
Dark designs are not very common on photography websites, but they work perfectly for night photographer Meduana. The dark background makes the photographs stand out even more.
Keep Your Image Files Manageable
Large, sharp photographs look fantastic on a website. The drawback is that a website becomes extremely slow if the image files are too large. Fortunately, you do not need to upload print-quality photographs to your website.
For the web, a resolution of 72 or 86 dpi is sufficient.
Most websites are 1280x1024 pixels wide, so there is no need to upload photographs at 4608x3072. By resizing your photographs, you can show your best work without sacrificing quality or slowing down your website.
Harness the Power of Social Media
Social media had already become indispensable for photographers. They used it to stay in constant contact with clients, friends, and followers. A photography website provided an excellent starting point for giving interested visitors a look at their work.
For wedding photographer Alina, social media was one of the secrets behind her website’s success: she placed a link to her website on each social media channel so visitors could explore her work and learn more about her.
Conversely, you can add Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest buttons to your site so visitors can follow your social media channels with one click. Alina’s and Inka’s sites show how subtle buttons can draw visitors’ attention to your social profiles.
Start at the Beginning
It is a familiar situation: you have ambitious plans, but taking the first step is another matter entirely. Many photographers want their own site but simply lack the time or knowledge to build one. Website builders such as Jimdo offered those photographers a way to create a professional website themselves in just a few minutes.
Find a website package that suits you perfectly: whether you are a beginner or an entrepreneur running a large business, Jimdo offers an appropriate solution for creating your own homepage.
