13 Photography Portfolio Examples To Unleash Your Creativity
Curating your photography portfolio can be tricky. You have to sift through all your images, and ensure you select the right frames to showcase to the world. If you get it wrong, it can result in a loss of potential clients and income. I don’t want that for you, so in this piece I’m sharing 13 awesome photography portfolio examples to get you on the right path.
Key Takeaways
Squarespace and FORMAT are great choices for photographers looking to easily build a professional photography portfolio.
Keeping your website simple and clean gives the most power to your photography.
Easy navigation and a solid “About me” are keys to turning visitors into clients.
How to Make a Photography Portfolio
A photography portfolio isn’t your full list of images. It’s a small selection of your best work that convinces potential clients to hire you as a photographer. Essentially your portfolio is a running ad for your skills and talent.
The best place to host your portfolio is on a professional website. There are lots of website builders for photographers out there, all of which can help you set up a professional website without requiring a bunch of design and coding knowledge.
Squarespace
I use Squarespace to host Them Frames, and a lot of photographers below use it for their portfolio as well. It has excellent photography themed templates, is insanely easy to use and has all the tools one needs to grow a large and loyal audience. The features for booking clients and selling products also makes it a go-to choice for those building a photography business.
There are several plans to choose from and you can get a 14-day free trial when you sign up.
FORMAT
For my personal website, I use FORMAT. It’s been a home for my work for the past six years and I love how simple it was for me to get things up and running. It has plenty of features to generate income too, like being able to sell prints and book clients. Again, several photographers below are also using it to host their images.
There’s a plan for every type of photographer, and they’re all good value for money. You can sign up for a free trial to test it for yourself.
Once you’re set on a website builder for your photography, it’s time to select your work. Below are some tips for making the best photography portfolio possible.
Don’t mix genres: It’s much easier to digest your work when there’s consistency through your portfolio.
Trust your gut: Your images will fall into three categories: photos you love, photos others love and photos you and everyone else loves. Knowing which images will tick both boxes is tricky, but trust your instinct and start by showcasing work you’re proud of.
Keep things minimal: You don’t need hundreds of images in your photography portfolio. Most people will look at no more than 10, so aim for that number when selecting your frames.
Limit your galleries: As with images, you don’t need an abundance of galleries. Three to five galleries is a good aim to show your not just a one hit wonder.
Niche down: Really find your niche when selecting your images. Don’t just be a portrait photographer, go deeper and find patterns in your work.
The Best Photography Portfolio Examples
Now that we’ve got the basics covered, let’s check out some photographers and their inspiring photography portfolio websites.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Alessa Grande
Alessa Grande is a nude and nature photographer that aims to help humans fall in love with themselves. Although the nudity plays a key role in her work, it doesn’t feel forced, or there purely for the shock factor. Instead, it’s more of a celebration of humans in their natural form and a way of investigating our relationship with our natural environments.
Her website is very well structured and balanced, making it easy to go from one gallery to the next. Her contact tab particularly stands out as rather than the standard “contact” it actually reads “work with me”. It’s a nice call to action that already plants the seed inside the viewers mine before they’ve reached the contact page.
You can learn more about Grande in this interview.
Photography Portfolio Examples: John Park
John Park tackles a blend of photography genres, and I was drawn to his personal project on anti-depressants. The work left Park in a vulnerable position as he publicly shared his struggles with mental health, including adult ADHD. I’d not seen a project like this before, one that really highlights the prescribed meds people use to manage the experience of life.
As far as photography portfolio examples go, he’s one of the best. The square snapshots of his galleries are a fine way to entice you into seeing more. He sells limited editions creating high quality prints to do so. I’m also a big fan of his FAQs section that educates you about important points like pricing, shipping and refund policy.
Check out this interview he did with Them Frames.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Roman Fox
For me, Roman Fox is one of the best travel and street photographers in the game. He brings the mundane to life and his approach to color science really helps his images stand out. Fox is also a superb photographer on YouTube and one of the go-to options if you want to learn more about technique, editing and gear.
I love the consistent design language in his photography portfolio and how he fits more than one image onto the screen without overcrowding. He has an excellent photography blog too, keeping his topics simple but informative, again providing a top source of education.
You can also read his interview with Them Frames.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Kyler Steele
Kyler Steele’s portfolio is full of large, warm, wooden interiors that blend style and class perfectly. His travel photography is full of action and he’s great at portraying earth’s natural beauty.
His website keeps things simple. Firstly, the dark color palette perfectly compliments his photographic identity - something I talk about in The Photography Website Playbook. I especially like his About Me page that lets me know more about him, his history and what he can offer in terms of services - all key points to booking clients.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Chartnkurt Yaoyuenyong
Chartnkurt Yaoyuenyong’s portfolio is full of soft contrast, slightly hazy images that show off industrial landscapes and everyday life on the streets. The minimalist design removes any distraction from his photographs, which is key because some of them offer a powerful message, especially his work in Iraq.
The website runs very smoothly on mobile, offering a scroll that’s akin to today’s social media - only without unwanted suggestions and ads you don’t care about. Navigation is very smooth and Yaoyuenyong has opted for minimal categories, rather than overwhelming the viewer with too many options.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Bart Pawlik
Bart Pawlik is a professional photographer who has worked with leading brands including RedBull and Google. I’m more drawn to his personal work because that’s where I feel we really learn about who he is: he’s curious about society and how we blend with our natural landscape.
Upon landing on his site, you're met with these beautiful landscapes. This is critical as it makes me want to view more of his work, rather than click onto a different site. Moving through his galleries is a breeze, and I especially welcome the drop down tabs that give the site a nice clean feel.
Photography Portfolio Examples: John Zada
I love the wide-angle perspective that runs through John Zada’s entire portfolio. He’s a storyteller, one who is comfortable highlighting anything from life in the middle-east to the diversity of nature. He’s also got a wonderful iPhone photography gallery and offers clear evidence of the magic you can create with a pocket-sized camera.
The reason Zada offers one of the best photography portfolio examples is because of how he blends different types of content in such a balanced manner. Take his landing screen for example, the balance between images and copy is perfect and it really sets the tone of the rest of the experience you’ll have when visiting his website.
His navigational menu is simple, but effective. Pay close attention to his use of bold and unbolded text as it’s simple formatting choices like this that make it easier for the viewer to register what they’re looking at.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Hemad Nazari
Hemad Nazari has a curious eye for humanity and the world around us. I’m especially drawn to his environmental portraiture as he has a clear talent for bringing the best out of his subjects, photographing them in a way that feels authentic and unforced.
Arrive at his website, you're met with his truly best images. Large, powerful landscapes and environments you don’t see in everyday life. His projects are presented in a neat filing system, given titles that match the contents of his series.
From snow-top mountains to earthly clouds, there’s a lot of white in his frames and the black backdrop of his website really highlights this. I’m partial to a custom logo as well and Nazari’s fine art, fountain pen logo gives his site a real touch of elegance.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Sophie Ellen
Sophie Ellen is an editorial photographer from the UK. I’m drawn to the soft lighting and gentle portraiture within her portfolio, and also, her personal projects as she aims to empower her subjects through the medium of photography.
When you land on her photography page you’re greeted by different galleries. I think this works because it gets straight to the point, rather than having a one-image home page. Another thing I’m a fan of is the “info” button on some of her images. Selecting it presents you with a little more detail about the photo and the person who is in it.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Gunnnar Freyr Gunnarsson
Gunnnar Freyr Gunnarsson is an Icelandic photographer that’s big on adventure. His larger than life frames show you the absolute beauty of our world and I love how he blends in wildlife to add further context to his photographic style.
His website is powerful, with smooth animations as you go from one page to the next. It speaks to professionalism and I like how he mixes imagery with motion to give an overall dynamic feel to his photography portfolio site.
His home page has two logos - Canon and Squarespace - of which he is a photographer for the former and an ambassador for the latter. Having two huge brands front and center of the site qualifies him as an authority and gives the clear message that you’re engaging with a photographer who is respected in his field.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Ivan Weiss
Ivan Weiss is one of my favorite portrait photographers. He blends art with professionalism, offering some of the best headshots I’ve seen in the industry. His use of light, color and posing is what makes him stand out, as he makes even the most uncomfortable of subjects seem like they’ve been in front of a camera for years.
His homepage serves as an education for anyone looking to start a photography business. It’s simple but powerful, here’s why. At the top is a well-sized selection of his work, it grips you. Underneath we’re straight to “Get pricing”, something most potential clients will want to know right away - he’s making it easy for them.
There’s also a video of him in action, helping the viewer connect to him and his professional approach. Blend in the bolded benefits such as “best face forward” and the clear call to action “Book now” and you see why Weiss has built a portrait website that helps him run a successful business.
Be sure to check out my interview with Ivan Weiss.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Dino Kužnik
I fell in love with Dino Kužnik’s photography a few years ago. The beautiful colors, the minimalist framing and the wonderful subjects all gave me a sense of peace and calm. If you’re into photography that’s relaxing, I highly recommend reading about his project OCD paradise in this interview he did with Them Frames.
Kužnik has a background in graphic design, and it shows in his website. His custom logo at the top center of his site gives a unique touch. Everything is organized perfectly, it doesn’t feel cluttered and this makes it easy to browse his different galleries and services.
His store, which is for print sales, is well put together. The soft colors serving as a backdrop to his photography are extremely attractive and make you want to engage with his products. He’s clearly using FORMAT, which is one of the best photography website builders for selling products as it makes the purchasing super smooth for the customer.
Photography Portfolio Examples: Iness Rychlik
Iness Rychlik is a self-portrait photographer from Poland. Now residing in the UK, she’s spent the past seven years documenting the relationship she has with her body, more so, a chronic skin condition. Her artistic view on her challenges shows how photography can really help us understand, accept and ultimately love ourselves.
Her portfolio demonstrates sophisticated restraint through its clean and elegant layout. Her self-portraits - which dominate the screen - command attention without distraction. I’m a big fan of her gallery management, as she divided her works into the years they were made. It really highlights how she has evolved as an artist throughout her journey.
The strength lies in letting her work speak entirely for itself. Her thoughtful "About" section explains her personal connection to her art, using her own body as canvas due to her health concerns. The impressive exhibition history builds credibility without feeling boastful. For emerging photographers, this portfolio proves that the most powerful approach is often the most honest.
You can see more of her work in this interview.
Signing Off
Building your website doesn’t need to be a complex task. As these excellent photography portfolio examples prove, the key is to keep things minimal, navigation easy, and above all, be authentic so people can connect to you.
For those looking to turn visitors into clients, remember to make the journey easy for them. Clearly outline how they can hire you, how much they can expect to pay and what you can give them in return. A clear call to action on your home page, a booking calendar and a solid contact form will certainly help with this.
To get the best results, I again recommend using Squarespace and FORMAT. Their tools do most of the complex work for you, while giving you full control of the final look of your photography portfolio.
Sign up for Squarespace or sign up for FORMAT to get a free trial and test them for yourself.
Did you find this article useful? What’s your biggest challenge to building a portfolio? Which photographers websites inspired you the most? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
FAQs
What should a photography portfolio consist of?
You should use your site to showcase your very best work. It should also be a space for people to learn more about you and for them to easily contact you.
How to create a portfolio for a photographer?
The easiest way is to use a website builder like Squarespace or FORMAT. Then create galleries, an About Me and a contact page.
How many pieces should be in a photography portfolio?
Keep things minimal. Three to five galleries of your best work with no more than 10 images in each. That’s because you should only showcase your very best work in order to grab people’s attention.
Editors note: This article contains a small handful of links which gets Them Frames a small kickback if you use them to make a purchase.
