Creating a Photography Portfolio to Attract New Clients

 

As creatives, it’s no longer enough to just create amazing images. You need to be able to market yourself as a business, and showcase your professional capabilities in a brand-propelling medium. Your online portfolio or website is frequently a client’s first impression of your work. Our recruiters at Shutterstock Custom scour the web daily in the search for the perfect photographers to shoot custom content for our client. We’re sharing some of the tips that they have from their experience looking through countless photography portfolios on how you can create an amazing online photography portfolio to attract potential clients to your work. Here are a few tips from the Shutterstock Custom recruitment team.

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Show only your best work

You do not need to show all of your work, instead show off your best work. Recruiters don’t have the time to scroll through every single photograph you’ve taken as a photographer. Instead, display your best images to show potential clients a high-level overview of your work.

“Quality vs. Quality”
— Ryan, Shutterstock Custom Portfolio Reviewer

Make it easy to get in touch with you

We see this over and over again, hidden emails or a complex contact sheet that we need to fill out. This isn’t easy for potential clients to get in touch with you when there’s a project on the table. Instead, include your email address where it’s easily visible to potential recruiters or clients so that people can easily copy and paste it and send you work! 

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Categorize your work accurately

“In order to show a recruiter what you’re best at, you need to categorize your albums clearly” says Shutterstock Custom recruiter Al. Our team places your profile in specific categories that you can shoot, so make sure it’s easy to tell what categories you specialize in. 

Keep your website up-to-date

Make your website simple, modern and easy to navigate. This is the first view into your brand, so showing that you are current versus. using an older website is a great first impression for potential clients.

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Include your location

Recruiters may be getting in touch with you for an assignment at a particular location, so include your location and whether or not you have the ability to travel. An About or Contact page is the perfect place to put this information, and clearly shows potential clients where you are available to shoot. 

Link to your social media profiles

Linking to your social media profiles allows recruiters and potential clients to see an up-to-date version of your work. Your website may be out-of-date or in need of an update, however your Instagram should be a good indicator of if you are actively shooting or not. 

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We hope these tips help you create an impactful photography portfolio that attracts new clients. Have any other tips on creating amazing online portfolios you want to share? Comment them below! We can’t wait to see your work! 
 

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- The Shutterstock Custom Contributor Community Team

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