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What are the best photography website designs?

Female photographer in front of waterfall - Iceland thinking of the best photography website designs

Designing a website for a photography business can be an exciting process; there are so many options in terms of layout, design and types of content that you could include. 

Building the right website for your business can be difficult, and with so many options you may fall into some bad web design habits, such as creating an overcrowded website. However, at Go SiteBuilder our ready made templates are designed to guide you every step of the way to help you create a professional and stylish website.

In a creative industry such as photography, showing creativity and flair in your web design is incredibly important. Without a well-conceived web design visitors may be discouraged from using your services or browsing through your work. Creating a website that displays your photographs beautifully and gives the visitors all the relevant information is vital. 

Key aspects to consider:

Web design can be confusing and overwhelming, especially if this is the first website you have designed. When designing a website, there are some key elements which you must think about before designing your website. The best photography businesses carefully consider these key components when designing their websites:

  • Web design – does your web design really reflect your business and your aesthetic?
  • Layout – is your website easy to use and navigate?
  • Portraying your business model – does your website show what kind of photography you offer?
  • Showing your work – what type of gallery layout do you want? For more inspiration read our blog on how to create a photo gallery.

For more information on what to include in your website check out our blog on what features you should include in your photography website. Below we are going to give some examples of the best examples of photography websites in different styles to help you design the best website for your business. 

Landscape Photography Website: Colin Prior Photography

Source: Colin Prior

This website is a stunning example of how great web design can show your photographs in their best light. The large header photograph is part of a slideshow that changes between equally beautiful landscape pictures. The layout is simple yet effective, with a clean minimalist aesthetic allowing the photographs to shine. 

Portrait Photography: Joe McNally

Source: Joe McNally Photography

This photography website clearly shows the type of photography that the company specialises in. There is a range of photographs on the homepage, immediately exposing visitors to the photographers style. The sidebar menu shows the various styles of photography that they specialise in. Although this layout may not be an option with many website builders, there are more simple ways to achieve the same look. For example using a collection of photographs in a gallery on your homepage will give a similar effect. 

Fashion Photography: The Fashion Camera

Source: The Fashion Camera

This fashion photographer has taken a slightly different approach to her website, by focusing on her personal connection to her work. This creates a connection between the visitor and the website owner. Certainly not a strategy every business may want to use but for this type of photography using your point of view can be useful. The muted colours and font create a stylish website with an effective design and layout. 

Art/Concept Photography: Shaw and Shaw

Source: Shaw and Shaw Photography

Shaw and Shaw’s photography website is a great example of how colours and unique design can elevate a website. This is particularly effective in this photography style of art or concept work, where aesthetic is so important. The multicolored menu draws the eye but doesn’t detract from the photograph above. The website mostly operates on a slideshow with a page of information at the end. Although not the most informative, the unique elements of this website make it memorable and successful. 

Wedding Photography: Holly Rose Weddings

wedding photography site homepage with married couple

Source: Holly Rose Weddings

The design for this wedding photography website is very effective. The colour scheme is muted and the design is minimalist. These soft design decisions create a beautiful wedding website which ties in with the photo shoot chosen as the header. The menu is simple and easy to navigate as a header menu. 

If you’re ready to build an amazing website for your photography business, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. With a wide range of features, including multiple gallery options our simple website builder design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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How can a photographer make money online?

Amazed woman looking at a Go Sitebuilder photography website on a smart phone which is making money online

You’ve taken the perfect shot. The lighting is good, the angles are on point and the image has captured everything you wanted it to. But where do you display such a stunning photograph online? As a professional photographer, there is endless demand for your work online: businesses, bloggers, and social media influencers all rely on professional photographers to advertise their content. 

Considering that 75% of shoppers rely on product photographs when shopping on an e-commerce store, your work can be high in demand amongst those who sell products online. But how do you get yourself out there, and make money online?

Build your portfolio  

Before you start putting together your portfolio, it’s important to ask yourself what your style is. By working out what kind of photography you enjoy, you can build your image in a way that’s individual and unique to you. Perhaps you have a certain way of editing your photos, or enjoy taking pictures of certain things: whatever you decide, it is important to remain consistent so that the person who views your portfolio can get a good idea as to what kind of professional photographer you are. 

When building your portfolio, don’t just throw together a bunch of images and let the viewer decide for themselves which ones are the best. By crafting your portfolio so that you only include your very best pieces of work, you are proving to the viewer that your photographs are worth investing in. 

Even the order you put your images in can be crucial – Brian Dilg, the head of the New York Film Academy, advised that the first image must be the best one out of all your photographs. 

Have a beautiful site design

Just as an artist tries to make their exhibition as aesthetic as possible, you want to display your images in a way that is visually appealing. As your aim as a professional photographer is to make money online and become more visible, people will be more likely to purchase your images for e-commerce purposes if you have a stunning website design. 

Luckily, to create a beautiful site design you don’t need to be an expert in coding: website builders such as Go Sitebuilder offer a huge range of ready to go website designs, enabling you to display your photographs in a way that is attractive to anyone who visits your site. 

According to the Stanford Web Credibility Research, the credibility of a company is 75% based on their website design – by displaying your images in an appealing way, you are not only able to show off your skills as a photographer, but you’re also telling them that you’re a professional who takes their work seriously, meaning they are more likely to want to invest in your work.

Tell a story 

Whilst a picture might be worth a thousand words, actually telling your personal story, or giving the visitor some information behind a certain photograph helps build a relationship between the site visitor and yourself. The best way to do this is by writing blogs: by writing about your inspiration behind a certain image, you can convey your passion for photography, telling the site visitor that you would be completely committed to delivering them the highest quality photos. 

Blogging is also an invaluable tool for SEO – if you want to increase your visibility on the internet, then including relevant keywords within your blog that are highly searched for means that Google is more likely to index your site, ranking you highly on its search engines. This means that you’re much more likely to see a higher traffic flow to your site and, by repeatedly blogging, Google knows to reindex your site, so that you’re much more likely to stay at a high position. 

Utilise social media 

Overlooking the importance of social media is a huge mistake: it is a free way to market your photography, once you’ve built up a good following. Considering that most social media users log into their accounts at least once a day, creating a strong social media platform is a fantastic way to not only draw in existing fans of your work, but to also reach out to new potential customers. 

By having a strong social media following, you’re showing that you are not only a professional photographer, but that your work is also popular, meaning you’re high in demand. This is an attractive prospect, especially for someone who wants to use your photography for e-commerce purposes, meaning that you’re much more likely to make money online. 

As you’ll want to focus on shooting the best photographs you can, you won’t want to spend endless hours building your own website from scratch. This is why Go Sitebuilder is one of the best website builders for those who don’t have endless hours of time on their hands: we offer ready to go sites that can be crafted to suit your own image. Our free 14-day trial means you can try Go Sitebuilder today, so that you can build your own site completely hassle-free! 

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What kind of photography is most in demand?

Photographer taking photographs of a model to upload to Go Sitebuilder

Being a professional freelance photographer is the dream for many people. You can turn your hobby into a profession without being tied to an office or a specific industry. If you’ve been thinking about ways to supplement your income with photography or even start up your own freelance photography business, you need to see what photography services are most in demand. 

Family and portrait photography

This could be one of the most common forms of freelance photography. Before you start, think of a niche to help you stand out from the crowd; are you a lighting whiz that specialises in more posed, professional-looking photos, or do you have the people skills to make people laugh and feel at ease for more candid images? Capitalise on your skills and you’ll find yourself getting busy very quickly!

 As this type of photography is very area-based, you will rely heavily on word of mouth to build clients, so make sure that your clients leave your photoshoot having had a positive experience. 

Event photography

You might just be thinking of wedding photography, but freelance photographers are often hired to cover a plethora of different events, including birthdays, christenings, corporate meals and charity events. 

The hardest thing with event photography is working out a price for your work; a beginner wedding photographer could charge around £1000, for example, whereas an experienced one is likely to charge a minimum of £5000. Remember events are often poorly managed, overrun and you might have to deal with the occasional stressed-out event organiser, so make sure it is worth your time. 

Headshots

Corporate headshots can be a very lucrative job once you’ve broken into the market and have a couple of high-quality examples in your portfolio. And it can be fun; many companies are moving away from the stiff, suited-up pained smile and are going for more dynamic images. You’ll need to be adaptable, easy-going and a good people person to make sure your clients feel comfortable in front of the camera. Once they’ve had one good experience with you, businesses are more likely to hire you for more gigs such as events, meetings and team photos!

Taking professional acting headshots is another niche that can make you some money; you can charge upwards of £400 for a session. This is a good option if you are skilled at lighting and like the artistic side of portraiture, but make sure you have some decent experience and are confident in this style; they’re likely to have high standards!

School photography

If you like to be busy, why not approach the schools in your area and offer to do photography for them? Most schools aim to have pictures taken not only of individual students, but also of year groups, sports teams and the whole school once a year. This could end up being thousands of images per school, and another good way of getting income from your photography. 

This will require a lot of planning, and it’s a good idea to hire an assistant if you’re going to be taking photos for a large school.

Product photography

If someone has a fantastic product, they’re going to need a beautiful photo of it to make sure it sells. Product photography is a huge part of digital marketing, and could be a great way to make money. Do you know anybody that is just starting out with a new product? Offer to take their photos for a small charge, and use their images in your portfolio; once you’ve got examples of your work, people are much more likely to hire you for their own products. 

Social media photography

Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites, and it relies almost entirely on beautiful images. Around 71% of businesses use Instagram to promote their company, which means you can capitalise on this by offering to take photos for them. You can contact local businesses and offer “social media packages” where you edit the photos and crop them to the perfect size for Instagram or Facebook. They can then use these photos for advertising on social media sites, which is an important part of any business.

Real Estate photography

If you like nosing around other people’s houses and you’ve got a wide-angle lens, then real estate photography is a great option. Try approaching your local estate agent and compare their amateur photography with some examples of your own well lit, perfectly composed interior photos. When looking for a house to buy or rent, the images are hands down the most important part for house hunters and will be the deciding factor as to whether they get in contact with the estate agent or not. 

There are many ways that you can turn your photography hobby into a profitable business, you just need to decide which route to take. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to make a website to show off your skills! Our website builder gives you beautiful ready made web designs with one-click image galleries so that you can highlight your best work at the touch of a button – read our blog on how to create the best photography website for some more ideas. Try our 14-day free trial today and see where your photography skills can get you.

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What features do you want in your photography website

You might think that creating an effective and unique photography website is difficult when there is so much competition. But if you find a simple website builder with ready-made professional templates, you will only need a short time to showcase your business and work in the best light. There are some key elements that you should consider including into your website to make sure it stands out, and we’ve outlined some of them here. 

Key Information

Having up-to-date information regarding your business is key in gaining new customers and expanding your business. Without core information visitors to your website will find getting to know your brand and services difficult and may decide to go elsewhere. There are a few pieces of information you should include, and when building your website, make sure that they are easy to find!

Type of Photography: visitors to your website may be looking for a specific type of photography, for example, wedding photography. By advertising what kind of photographic services you can provide potential customers can instantly see whether your business would be right for them. When providing this information ensure to include photographs of your work. If you’re not sure which is right for you, have a look at this list of professional photography genres to give you some inspiration.

About You: in a customer facing job such as photography new customers will often want to know about you and your experience in the field. This should not be a long essay about your life. Keep this section short and informative, if you are comfortable maybe add a photograph of you working. 

Contact Details: in order to turn visitors into customers having contact details is incredibly important; according to Ko Marketing, 44% of visitors will leave your site if there are no contact details. These should be displayed clearly on your website and you must ensure you check the email you provide regularly for potential clients. Generally you should include an email address, phone number and work address (if applicable). 

Range of Services: providing information on the range of services you offer allows visitors to your website to discover more about your business without having to call. This may be more applicable to photographers who offer many different kinds of photography. If this is the case arranging your website by type of photography can be effective. For example, one section on wedding photography, one on commercial, one for industrial etc. 

If you specialise in one type of photography you may have a narrower range of services. Therefore, the way you present your services will affect your business. You may choose to arrange service by time, for example a day session or half day. Alternatively, you may arrange by the number of prints ordered, for example offering a photoshoot for an hour with 30 prints included. These types of offers can help bring more customers to your business. 

A Page Showing Your Portfolio

A photography website without a gallery or portfolio will not gain any new customers. Without a portfolio visitors to your website cannot see the best aspects of your work. A portfolio page should be organised by category if your work spans multiple photographic disciplines. Images in your portfolio must be high quality and edited professionally. Consider including captions to your photographs, describing the scene or the service that links to the image. Some photography websites also watermark their photographs so that they cannot be stolen and used by other people. 

Reviews and Testimonials

Another key aspect you may consider for your photography website are reviews and testimonials. These can help legitimise your work and show visitors the standard that you are working at. Be sure to include reviews that mention a range of skills such as:

  • Your attitude on the job
  • The satisfaction of the customer 
  • Communication 
  • Quality of photographs 
  • Quality of prints/photo books you produce 

These kinds of reviews will show you in a highly positive light and allow you to showcase your skills to new visitors. Reviews and testimonials can also show the variety of events you have worked at or the different types of jobs you undertake. 

Simple Design and Layout

A major pitfall of many websites is overcomplicating the design, which leads to a messy crowded website. Good website design should be aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Ensure your photographs are well spaced in the website and text is clear and concise. Often a neutral colour scheme or accents of colour are the best way to create a photography website as they do not distract from the images.  

If you are looking for a good website builder for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder! Our simple design means you can have a professional looking website up and running in minutes. With built-in features such as image galleries, a professional photography website is quick and easy to design. Try our 14-day free trial today.

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How do I build a strong photography portfolio?

Female photographer building an image gallery on her website with a laptop

Building a photography portfolio isn’t just building a website to upload all of your favourite pictures and hoping that people will engage with them. There are many different approaches to exhibiting your photos in a way that will highlight the quality of your work, and we have put together a list of top tips so that your photography website will stand out from the crowd and showcase your skill. 

Take more photos

Get out there! The more photos you take, the more experience you get shooting different subjects and in different environments, which will help you develop your skill and creativity – check out these top tips on taking more interesting photos if you’re struggling for inspiration. If you’re just starting out in the photography business, you might need to take cheap or unpaid gigs to start with. Use your friends as models, shoot events for charity or ask to be a second shooter to professional photographers – but make sure you can use the event photos for your own portfolio! One tip – don’t shortchange yourself for too long. You may think you’re inexperienced, but offering free or extremely reduced rates devalues both your work and the profession at large. 

By putting yourself out there and trying new things, it will be easier for you to create your own style, which is a crucial element in designing your portfolio.

Think about your target audience

What are you making a photography portfolio for? Is it to get a job, start your own photography business, or just to exhibit your work in one place? This is key to understanding your audience, as you want to show them images that they want to see. If you are trying to get into wedding photography, for example, you don’t want to upload your pictures of scenery or floral close-ups, no matter how beautiful they are. Upload images that your audience will want to pay you to create. 

Select your featured images

This is never going to be easy, and it might take a long time – that’s ok. In a photography portfolio, you are only as good as your worst image, so this is a crucial step to wow your audience. 

Your website builder should have an image gallery to embed onto the site, but think of your featured image gallery as a sneak peek into your work, so don’t upload hundreds of pictures. Instead, choose a handful of photos that represent you as an artist. Great photography portfolios have varied images, but they are all in one style – this is what will set you apart. Don’t make it look like you are copying loads of different artists! Keeping all your photos within your personal style creates a strong visual identity and will help your clients remember your work and decide if you are the artist they’re looking for. 

Layout

Do some research on other photography portfolio websites. A clean, simple homepage is best as it makes your photos the main attraction. Don’t crowd the page either, make sure you leave some negative space between the images so that they stand out. If you are trying to showcase your versatility, put your photos in different categories – mixing newborn photos with late-night event photography can be jarring for a viewer. 

The order you put your images may seem arbitrary, but it is a critical decision! On a basic level, you want your first and last images to be some of your best, as these are what the viewer will remember most, but ideally you want to think about the order more deeply. You can order them according to mood, composition, colour or movement, but you want them to flow and tell a story. You want your visitors to be moved by your images, as this will make sure they don’t forget your work. 

Keep it simple

This is a delicate balance. You don’t want to fill your photography website with unnecessary elements or crowd your photos with a wall of text. However, you want your viewers to have an emotional connection with your images. Include a short caption describing the photo and where it was taken for each image, but if you have a short sentence-long story behind the photo that adds to the image, post that as well.

You are not alone!

As a photographer, it’s easy to stare at your photos so long you can’t work out if they’re good or if you just have a personal connection with them. Ask for feedback as much as you can, from friends, family, professional photographers or even someone you trust in your target market. Ask them how your photos make them feel, and whether they have questions about them they want to be answered. 

Beautiful images, beautiful website

If you’re still looking for a website builder to showcase your photos, then Go Sitebuilder is a great option! With beautiful themes preloaded onto the website builder and image gallery plugins just a click away, you can have a professional photography portfolio website up and running in minutes. Try our 14-day free trial today to see how you can make your photos stand out against the competition.

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How to make a successful wedding photography website

How to make a successful wedding photography website

If you are a wedding photographer, your most important tool – apart from your camera – is your website. This is where potential clients come to see your previous work, decide if you are right for them and check out your prices. The success of your business could depend on it.

We’ve written this guide to help you make sure your website stands out from the crowd and brings you more clients, more visibility, and more revenue!

Assess the competition 

Before you start anything, have a look at what others in your industry are doing. In fact, while you do your research, make a list of wedding photographers that you think are leading in the market. What are they doing well, and most importantly – what do you think they could improve on? If there is anything you think their website is missing, make sure to make a note of it so you include it in yours. 

Looking at the competition will help you read the market and identify any gaps that you could fill. Develop your niche – if everyone looks like they’re doing the same thing, highlight what you do differently, whether that’s elopements, large ceremonies or destination weddings. 

Build your brand

Once you’ve decided on your niche, then you can work on your branding. This includes your name, logo, colour palette and typography; if you develop them together then they will look more harmonious on the website. You don’t need to hire a graphic designer to make a logo either, as free online tools like Makr and Looka can help you make your own. 

To help you do this, write notes on the service you provide, your target audience and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This will help you direct your creativity and make sure that your website accurately reflects you and your brand. 

Showcase your talents

This is one of the most important parts of your website, if not the most important. The gallery of photos that you choose to showcase are going to be the deciding factor as to whether a potential client contacts you. Choose the pictures that best reflect your brand and your USP, making sure that they are both inclusive and diverse. 

Another consideration is the speed your photos load at – a slow-loading site is a sure-fire way to put visitors off, but you also want to avoid having low-quality pictures in your gallery. Make sure the web host you use is fast and efficient to be able to find a happy medium. 

Tell your story

As a photographer, you are the individual, the company and the brand. Clients are looking to work with someone that they would be happy to have at their wedding, so your story is a tool you can use to make you stand out against the competition. 

Be approachable, relatable and engaging, involving elements of your life that might make it more likely for you to forge a connection with your potential clients. At a loss? Ask your friends and family for qualities they think make you unique and incorporate this into your story. 

Gather testimonials

Another intrinsic part of your website that will help you get conversions are testimonials from previous clients. Although they are difficult to obtain when your business is young, they are essential to developing client trust. 

After each wedding, make sure you contact your clients and ask for a testimonial – if they liked your services then they will be happy to write a glowing review! This is the clients’ big day, and a stamp of approval from previous clients will show them that you won’t let them down. 

Create a clear website navigation

This might seem daunting, but you just need to look at your website as if you were a potential customer. The first page needs to show off your photography and your brand, and have the information most relevant for your client – what type of weddings do you specialise in and where are you based?

Other crucial elements to include are a clear navigation menu that in one click can lead them to your previous work, testimonials, pricing, and contact details.

Start a blog

Blogging is a powerful marketing tool for everyone trying to expand their business. By including keywords relevant to your business, Google will rank your website higher in its search engine, making it easier for people to find you. 

You can use the blog in various ways, either sharing client stories, posting industry-related news, or sharing top tips or guides for a seamless wedding experience. This will place you as a leader in your industry, and help potential clients relate to you as an individual.  Be prepared to update your blog regularly though, as this will help with Google rankings and make your website look relevant and up to date. 

Are you ready to make your own wedding photography website? At Go Sitebuilder you can build a website with minimum hassle. Our pre-designed sections help you drag and drop your logos and pictures where you want them, and there are image galleries ready to showcase your wedding photography! Try our 14-day free trial today and see just how amazing your website could look.

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How difficult is it to build a stock photo website?

Female photographer sat in front of her laptop holding her camera uploading her new photos to her Go Sitebuilder website

What is stock photography?

As a beginner, building a stock photo website may seem like a daunting prospect. Yet it is not as difficult as it seems. Stock photography is essentially commercially sold photography. As the demand for photography is so varied, your potential client list is limitless. This guide will show you that you don’t need to be a professional to build a stock photo website. You can be successful without any prior knowledge of the stock photo market by following these tips!

How to make your stock market website unique

Ok, so whilst anyone can build a stock photography website, you still must be offering valuable content. Don’t publish any old stock photo: make sure the image is well lit and clear so that people want to purchase your image. Also, it is important to make sure your photos are of high resolution, meaning it is probably a bad idea to advertise images taken on a mobile phone. Ensuring your images are from a high quality camera means your website will be taken seriously by potential clients – here are some stock photography tips that might come in handy!. Finally, don’t be afraid to be bold with your images – eye catching, statement pieces are much more likely to stand out and become a marketable item. 

How to make money from your stock photo website

The two main types of stock photography which you want to focus on are Macrostock photography and Microstock photography. As the latter suggests, you won’t be making big bucks with this type of photography – you earn a small sum of money per every image downloaded. However, given how easy it is for anyone to download a photo, you are pretty much guaranteed an income this way, especially if the image goes viral. In contrast, Macrostock photography gives you the opportunity to license and sell exclusive images to clients for a much higher price, although it may take some time before you have a solid client base.

What next?

A great way to start building your stock photo website would be to use Go Sitebuilder. Our online website builder is one of the best ways to begin your stock photography website business: it is easy to use and has all the necessary knowledge to help you build a successful website. Why not give it a go – our 14-day free trial means you have nothing to lose! 

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How do I make a photography website?

gositebuilder

Having a website is an important tool for any photographer, whether you’re new to the business or an established brand. But, how do you go about creating a photography website where your images can do all the talking?

Identify your goals

Before you start designing your photography website, think about what you want it to achieve. Are you hoping to sell your images, gain local custom, acquire a new job in the industry or simply raise your profile? The goals of your website will dictate how you design it, what styles you should focus on and what content you should create.

Categorise your images

Your photos will be your selling points, so it goes without saying that these should take centre stage on your website. But think carefully about how you organise and display them. If you snap a wide range of images, create separate pages within your site to differentiate genres, such as landscape photography, portraits, weddings etc., rather than lumping them all together.

Display your style

How you display your photos will have an impact on the kind of impression you create, so pay attention to this aspect. Choose simple, plain backgrounds that won’t clash with your images. Horizontal images are best displayed as thumbnails, while it may be easier to scroll down vertical images. Here at Go Sitebuilder, we offer a wide range of pre-designed sections, slideshows and galleries that can be used to display your images beautifully. Play around with different templates to find a display that suits your style and images the most. It is also very important for you to optimise your site so that it can be easily viewed on different devices – this can be done instantly with Go Sitebuilder.

Choose quality over quantity

While it’s important to include your portfolio of images on your website, don’t go overboard. Opt for quality over quantity and only include the best examples that showcase your work. By only including a small number of images, this ensures they won’t slow your website’s speed down, and it will help to whet the appetite of your potential clients. You might even wish to include some brief explanatory text with each image to help set the scene and tone.

It’s also a good idea to add features to your site that enable viewers to like or share your images, to help increase awareness of your brand. You might also want to include links to your social media pages, such as Instagram so that people can view more of your work.

Make sure your images are copyright protected, however, and can’t be downloaded for free, if you intend to sell them.

Tell your story

Although your photos are the main focus of your website, don’t forget to include information about yourself on your homepage. This should be a brief introduction of who you are, how you work, your photography style and any other relevant information that helps to achieve your goals and sell your brand. Include your photo to personalise your site and your contact details.

Making a website is an exciting experience where you get to showcase your work in unique ways. Here at Go Sitebuilder, we make that process easy. Try our editor out for 14 days – absolutely free!