Do I need a perfect brand before I start my website?

No. You mainly need clarity, a simple structure, and a consistent set of images that show what it feels like to work with you. Branding can be refined over time.

What should I prepare before building a photography website?

Prepare brand colours (HEX codes), logo files in web-sized PNG format, 2–3 fonts used consistently, a tightly curated portfolio, and images edited consistently to show your style.

Who should a photographer website be built for?

A photographer website should be built for your ideal client. Be clear about who you want to photograph, where you want to work, and what action you want visitors to take, such as enquiring or booking a call.

How many pages does a photographer website need?

Most photographer websites perform best with a simple structure: Home, Portfolio, About, Services, and Contact. Optional pages include a blog, pricing, or testimonials if they help clients book.

What should a photography homepage include?

A strong homepage clearly explains what kind of photography you offer, who it is for, and how to get in touch. Include a clear headline, a short supporting line, a call to action, a grid of your best work, testimonials, and a final contact prompt.

How many photos should I show on my photography website?

Clarity is more important than volume. A good guideline is 12–20 images on the homepage, 20–40 images in the main portfolio, and a few supporting detail shots. Separate galleries work best for multiple genres.

How should photographers write website copy?

Write clear, human copy that explains what you do, what it is like to work with you, how the process works, and what to do next. Specific, conversational wording builds more trust than polished marketing language.

What makes a good About page for photographers?

An effective About page builds trust rather than telling a full biography. Include a photo of yourself, where you are based, who you work with, what you value in your work, and end with a clear way to get in touch.

What should be included on a photography Services page?

Each service should clearly explain what it is, who it is for, what the client receives, a starting price or guide, and the next steps to enquire or book.

Which website platforms are best for photographers?

Popular photographer-friendly platforms include Squarespace, Showit, WordPress, Pixieset, Wix, and Zenfolio. The best choice is the one that supports your workflow for galleries, contracts, invoices, and delivery.

What basic SEO should photographers include on their website?

Focus on clarity and usefulness. Use descriptive page titles, clear image file names, alt text, natural location references, meta descriptions, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and a well-structured FAQ section.

Should photographers have an email list on their website?

Yes. An email list is a reliable way to stay in touch beyond social media. Add a signup box on your homepage, contact page, or footer, and offer a small incentive such as a helpful guide.

Archipelago — Building a Photographer Website That Books Clients (Without the Overwhelm)

A guest article by brand photographer and strategist Kate Cullen

Having just redone my website for the first time in 5 years, I thought I would share some tips for making it as easy and stress-free as possible! It is a home for your work, and a path for the right clients to find you, trust you, and book you.

If you have been putting it off because it feels technical, or because you think you need a perfect brand before you begin, you don’t. You need clarity, a few pages that make sense to potential clients, and photographs that show what it feels like to work with you.

This is a practical guide to getting it live, and making it work, without becoming a part time web designer or procrastinating for months on end.

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Marigold Presets

Step 1. Make your site on brand

Before you start, gather the following things:

Your brand colours as HEX codes
Your logo and sub logos/graphics in png web-sized formats
Your fonts (2-3 is plenty, use consistently for your Headings and Paragraphs for ease of reading)
Curate your portfolio to only your very best work
Images that work together and are edited consistently to show your style

Step 2. Decide who your website is for and what you want it to do for you

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Eternal Presets

Before you touch a template, it can be helpful to answer these short questions, so you make it clear with your copy and the images from your portfolio you choose:

Who/what do I want to photograph?
Where do I want to work?
What type of client do I want?

Being clear on these questions will be the difference between a pretty website and a useful one.

Your next steps are to ensure the following calls to action are included:

Enquire
Book a call
Join your mailing list
View pricing
Download your portfolio PDF

Pick one primary action for each page and aim towards the goal of that action being completed by a visitor to your website.

Step 3. Keep the page list small

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Chroma Presets

Most photographer websites do better when they are simple. If someone is overwhelmed, they leave. If they can find what they need in under a minute, they enquire.

A strong basic structure includes the following:

Home
Portfolio
About
Services
Contact

Optional pages:

Journal or blog
Pricing or Investment
Client testimonials

Tip: If you are tempted to add more pages, ask whether it helps someone book you.

Step 4. Make your homepage answer these questions fast

When someone lands on your homepage, they are asking themselves:

What kind of photography is this?
Is this for people like me?
Do I like the feel of it?
How do I get in touch?
Is it in my price bracket?

A simple homepage layout you can work with:

One line headline that explains what you do and who it is for
A short supporting line explaining your approach
A clear enquiry or booking button
A grid of your best work
A short About preview with a link to your full About page
3 to 6 testimonials
A final call to action with a contact link

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Light & Legacy Presets

Step 5. Choose photos with intention, not volume

More images do not equal more bookings. Clarity books jobs.

Start with these:

12 to 20 images on your homepage
20 to 40 images in your main portfolio
A handful of supporting detail shots

If you shoot multiple genres, avoid mixing everything together.

Tip: Create separate galleries if you have enough strong work in each.

Step 6. Write copy that sounds human

You do not need fancy wording. You need specific wording.

A simple formula:

What you do
What you are like to work with
What the process looks like
What to do next

If you find writing difficult (and don’t want to hire a copywriter), it can be helpful to dictate into a word doc or voice note and use the transcript as a starting point. It will sound a lot more like you!

Tip: Replace vague lines with concrete, descriptive ones.

Step 7. Your About page is a trust page, not a biography

People need context and confidence.

Include:

A photo of you that fits your brand
Where you are based and where you travel
Who you work with
What you care about in the work
A few friendly personal details

Tip: Put a contact link or form at the end of your About page.

Step 8. Build a simple Services page

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Light & Ember Presets

For each service, include:

What it is
Who it is for
What they receive
A rough starting price or guide
Next steps
Service examples may include:
Half day photography
Full day photography
Wedding packages
Monthly retainer
Film add on
Short form video and B roll
Full videography services

Step 9. Make contact effortless

Your Contact page should be calm and clear. Avoid too many form fields, no-one wants to spend half an hour form filling just to know if you are available for their date.

Good beginner form questions:

Name
Email
Business name and website or wedding/event date and location
What services are you looking to book?
Anything else you want me to know?

*Image by* *Kate Cullen*
Edited with Light & Ochre Presets and Borders Toolset

Step 10. Choose a platform that lets you stay focused on photography

A few photographer friendly options:

Squarespace
Showit
WordPress
Pixieset
Wix
Zenfolio

Tip: Your platform matters less than your clarity, although working with the right platform for your deliverables is helpful, eg how will you send proposals, or contracts and invoices, and deliver galleries or allow print/album ordering.

Step 11. Basic SEO/AIO that actually helps

Make your site clear and readable, and above all helpful.

Do this:

Use page titles that say what you do
Name your image files clearly before uploading
Add alt text to images
Include your location naturally in your text
Write a short meta description for each page
Link to Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Have a good FAQs section (AI search loves this)

Step 12. Add one gentle way to keep in touch

Instagram is not a filing system. Your email list is steadier.

Add a signup box:

On the homepage near the bottom
On the Contact page
In the footer

Give them a reason to sign up such as a short helpful guide.

And finally, test, test, test! Look at your website on desktop, mobile and tablet views to ensure your design works across all platforms and browsers (eg Chrome, Safari, etc).

Then it’s time to announce your shiny new website and get ready for lots of lovely enquiries!

Kate Cullen is a brand photographer based in the Cotswolds, United Kingdom. She specializes in helping countryside businesses.

You can find Kate’s photo work here: katecullen.co.uk
Kate is also a brand strategist on the team at Poetica Lane: poeticalane.com

FAQ: Building a photographer website

No. You mainly need clarity, a simple structure, and a consistent set of images that show what it feels like to work with you. You can refine branding as you go.
Have these ready: brand colours (HEX codes), logo files (PNG, web-sized), 2–3 fonts you’ll use consistently, a tightly curated portfolio, and images edited consistently to reflect your style.
Decide who/what you want to photograph, where you want to work, and what type of client you want. Then build your pages around clear calls to action like Enquire, Book a call, Join the mailing list, View pricing, or Download a portfolio PDF—with one primary action per page.
Keep it small. A strong core is: Home, Portfolio, About, Services, Contact. Optional: Journal/Blog, Pricing/Investment, Testimonials. If a page doesn’t help someone book you, consider cutting it.
Visitors are quickly trying to answer: what kind of photography is this, is it for people like me, do I like the feel, how do I contact you, and is it in my budget. A simple layout: clear headline + short supporting line, one obvious enquiry/booking button, best-work grid, short About preview, 3–6 testimonials, and a final call to action.
More images don’t equal more bookings—clarity does. A good starting point: 12–20 images on the homepage, 20–40 in your main portfolio, plus a handful of supporting detail shots. If you shoot multiple genres, split them into separate galleries when you have enough strong work.
Treat it like a trust page, not a biography. Include: a photo of you that fits the brand, where you’re based (and where you travel), who you work with, what you care about, and a few personal details—then end with a contact link or form.
For each service: what it is, who it’s for, what they receive, a starting price/guide, and next steps. Keep it skimmable, and include examples where relevant.
Make the Contact page calm and simple. Avoid long forms. Good starter fields: name, email, business name + website (or wedding/event date + location), what they want to book, and one open “anything else” field.
Use one that keeps you focused on photography (Squarespace, Showit, WordPress, Pixieset, Wix, Zenfolio). The platform matters less than clarity—but do consider how you’ll handle proposals, contracts/invoices, and gallery delivery/print ordering.
Keep your site readable and genuinely helpful. Use clear page titles, name image files before uploading, add alt text, include your location naturally, write meta descriptions, connect Analytics + Search Console, and include a solid FAQ section (great for AI search too).
It’s one of the simplest ways to stay in touch without relying on social media. Add a signup box on the homepage near the bottom, on the Contact page, and/or in the footer—ideally with a small incentive like a helpful guide.
Test on desktop, mobile, and tablet. Also check common browsers (Chrome, Safari, etc.). Click every button, submit your form, and make sure every page has a clear next step—then announce it and drive people to enquire.