Lots of us use our social media as a portfolio for our photos. It’s a two-birds, one-stone approach because many photographers find new clients through social media. However, the time will come when you need control over what’s seen of your portfolio. That’s when a portfolio website comes in.
Social media has its benefits, but you have very little control over who sees your images and how they are presented. Crop ratios and backgrounds are out of your control, as is the algorithm. Having an SEO-optimized, designed-for-photos website to show off your best work is critical to set yourself apart from the crowd and present yourself as a professional.
Getting the most from building a SlickPic Portfolio Website
We’re going to take a dive into SlickPic Portfolio Websites to see how you can set up your photography website to work for you. When you use SlickPic to create your website, you are using the power of the Organizer to draw your photos from. Because you can do client delivery galleries and website in the same place, using the same system, you can create your website in a flash.
More importantly, you can keep your portfolio updated in an instant. Your portfolio is only as good as your worst photo. Review it with every client job delivered, and add those new hero shots to your website with a couple of clicks (no re-uploading required).
Choosing theme and color scheme for your Portfolio Website
When you first create a new Portfolio Website in the SlickPic Website Builder (after logging in, go to Website > Create New Website) you’ll be prompted to choose a theme for the site. Some are Bespoke-only, and all are designed to put your photos first.
You can’t change the theme after you create the site, so use the Preview button to check each option out. They all have a beautiful magazine feel and all excel at simplicity!
Even though you can’t change themes for your site down the track, you can switch from light to dark versions of the site with just a click inside the Website Builder:
Website > Manage > Edit Website > Site Settings > Color scheme
Choose from White, Light Gray, Dark Gray, or Black and your site will instantly switch to the new scheme. (Don’t forget to include an inverted logo for dark themes in the same Site Settings panel.)
Simplicity is key with building your SlickPic Portfolio Website
SlickPic Website Builder is designed to make it quick and easy to get your website up and running. SlickPic’s team of designers intentionally builds the themes to work for you as a photographer, so editing the provided sections and blocks is the easiest way to make sure your site is as beautiful as intended.
That being said, the Website Builder has the power to create all kinds of sections on your pages. You can show off whatever you need to: Team members, pricing packages, and more. Click the + button when editing a page and chose your content block.
Each block is designed to fit in with your chosen theme. You have the power to change formatting like font, colours and line heights – however, you need to be cautious! If you are not experienced in design, trust the theme, and don’t fiddle with these settings. This is not just because you risk your site looking amateurish. Rather, all of the blocks have been designed to be mobile-friendly and readable on all devices. You risk breaking this without knowing. Unless you know how to prevent that, and check your changes on all devices, stick to what the designers have built for you.
Remember, visitors are there to see your photographs. Let the design do the work for you and put your photographs at the forefront.
How to undo changes you’ve made to your SlickPic Portfolio Website
If you do make a change on your site that you need to undo: Don’t worry! Inside the Website Builder there is a full history of Page Revisions so you can undo changes from your session:
Website Builder > History (circle back icon)
And if that isn’t enough to solve the problem, don’t panic. There’s an even deeper level of history you can revert changes with:
Dashboard > Website > Manage > Other > Website History Snapshots
Here, you can go back to any iteration of your website with one click.
Do I really need a Portfolio Website for my photos?
When you’re starting out on your photography journey, social media is likely to be the place you start. It differs from a portfolio in some key ways. Firstly, you will probably post on social media regularly to build a following and get yourself seen by potential clients. The quantity of photos you post for this is not the quantity that you want to showcase for your professional portfolio. At most, your best 20 images should be in your portfolio. This means that your portfolio is built over time and updated as new stunning images knock old ones out of the top-twenty. It’s very hard to show this on your Instagram profile!
Secondly, you might use social media to post previews for clients: Galleries that showcase some of the best images from their photoshoot. Your portfolio, in contrast, will have photos from the full range of your client work – not just one gallery.
Finally, when you meet a new client and they want to see your work, leading them to your branded space with your most beautiful photos does a lot more for your brand than risking the distraction minefield of Instagram or Facebook, where every second on the app is designed to get potential clients to click away from you. Give your photos the space to breathe on your own Portfolio Website and take back that most precious resource: Your client’s undivided attention.
Try SlickPic yourself with a special discount for Photofocus readers.
