Picture someone with twelve tabs open, a deadline closing in, and one question on their mind: Who should I hire? They land on your portfolio website. You have a few moments to answer.
In the video below, we build a portrait photography portfolio from scratch, showing how to present your work, customize your pages, and make it easier for potential clients to get in touch.
The same principles apply whether you’re a photographer, designer, writer, or another creative professional.
Put your best work first
You’ve built up a collection of work you’re proud of. That doesn’t mean every project belongs on your site.
Think of your portfolio as a greatest-hits album. Pick the projects that stand out and show the work you want more of.
Fewer pieces, chosen with care, say more than a large collection of everything you’ve ever created. Put your newest selected projects first so visitors see the work you’re doing now.
Your work is the star. Your portfolio website is the stage, and a good stage knows when to get out of the way.
Give your work plenty of breathing room, with a clean layout and minimal distractions. Then bring your best visuals: sharp, high-resolution, and consistent from project to project.
Group the work on your gallery or projects page by type, style, or industry so visitors can find what interests them.
If you publish projects as posts, categories and tags can help visitors explore related work.
Share a new project, a lesson you learned the hard way, or the messy middle of how something came together.
Showing your process helps visitors understand how you work. A blog is one way to do that; updating your project pages works, too.
Let your personality come through
People don’t hire portfolios. They hire people.
Your About page is your chance to introduce yourself. Share how you got started, what keeps you curious, and what you’re like to work with.
Add a photo. Write the way you’d talk over coffee — warm, honest, with a little personality showing.
Visitors should feel like they’ve met you before they ever send a message.
Your name is a pretty great domain name. It’s personal, memorable, and easy to pass along when someone says, “You should check out their work.” Keep it short, easy to spell, and easy to say out loud.
Working under a studio name instead? Same rules apply. If you’re still deciding, our domain names course walks through the options.
It’s one thing to say you’re great. It’s another to have someone else say it.
Add testimonials from clients, collaborators, and colleagues. Even better, show what your work did: a shop that grew its sales after your redesign, or a venue that filled its calendar after your photos went up.
Real results, in real words, help people trust your work.
Make “let’s talk” the easiest click on the page
Someone loves your work. They’re ready to reach out.
Add a contact form on a dedicated page, link to it from your menu, and include a clear contact button alongside your work. If you take appointments, let people book a time instead of filling in a form.
The shorter the path from “browsing” to “hello,” the better. And add social media icons so visitors can follow along.
If your work is location-based, name the cities or areas you serve so potential clients know whether you’re available to them.
Preview your portfolio on a phone before publishing. Check that images crop well, text is readable, and visitors can use your contact form without pinching or zooming.
Put it together on WordPress.com
Ready to give your work a home? In this video tutorial, we use the WordPress Agent to build a portrait photography portfolio from a short description, then add the details that make it ours: projects, testimonials, and a clear way to get in touch.
Your first version doesn’t have to be perfect. A portfolio website is never finished — it grows as you do.
