Website for a photographer: how to get shoot requests

A client chooses a photographer with their eyes: by portfolio, price and how the shoot will go. A website should show the work at its best and lead to a request. Below is what I build into such a project.

Why does a photographer need a website if the portfolio is already on social networks?

Social networks are a good channel, and there is no need to give them up. But there the work is mixed up in a feed, and prices and terms get lost between posts. Your own website handles other tasks:

Portfolio by genre. The client sees only weddings or only portraits, not a general feed.

Answers without messaging. Packages, prices and shoot terms are gathered on pages.

Requests with details. The form collects the genre, format and location of the shoot before you message the client.

Your own style. The website presents the work the way you intended, not in the shared design of a feed.

How do you build a portfolio so the client sees their genre?

A client is not looking for "a photographer in general" but for someone who shoots exactly their kind of event. So I split the portfolio by genre:

Genres: weddings, portraits, family and children shoots, product photography, events - whatever you shoot.

Photo series, not separate shots: the whole story of a shoot shows what the client will get.

The best on the home page: a small selection that sets your style.

Only your own work: no shots by others and no images from the internet.

Client photos go into the portfolio only with their permission.

How do you show photos on a website so the page doesn't lag?

The portfolio is the heaviest block of a photographer website. If the gallery is heavy, the client may close the page without seeing your best work. What I do:

Compression without visible loss: photos look sharp but weigh less.

A version for the screen: a phone gets its own version of the photo, not a huge original.

Lazy loading as you scroll: the page opens without waiting for the whole gallery.

Why this matters - see the article Why Your Website Loads Slowly and What to Do.

What packages and prices should a photographer show?

Without a price the client has nothing to compare, and they write with a question rather than a request. What I put in the price block:

Packages: what is included - the shoot format, the number of edited photos, travel.

Price: exact or "from", with an explanation of what it depends on.

Extra services: prints, a photo book, a makeup artist, if you offer them.

Terms: prepayment, moving the shoot, how the photos are delivered.

More on when to show the price and when not to - see the article Prices on your website: show them or hide them.

How do you describe how a shoot goes?

A client with no shoot experience needs to understand what to expect. A clear description of the process answers these questions:

Preparation: what to wear, what to bring, how to choose a location.

The shoot itself: where it takes place, who else takes part, how you help with posing.

After the shoot: how you select and edit the shots, in what form the client receives them.

Reviews: genuine, with client permission, no invented ratings.

How do you accept shoot requests?

With a short form: genre, format, location and contact. You can clarify the rest in messages or by phone. I place the "Book a shoot" button on the home page, in the portfolio and in the price block.

The request arrives in a work chat with a note of which page it came from. Which fields to keep and which to remove - see the article Website enquiry form: which fields you need and which get in the way. If you would rather accept requests in a chat, see the article Booking bot for clients: salon, clinic, service center.

How does a photographer work for their own city?

A client looks for a photographer in their own city, so the website is worth building around the city and genres: a "Wedding photographer" page with your work and prices answers the search query more precisely than a general page. How to do this - see the article Local SEO: how to rank in your own city. If your clients speak Uzbek, it is worth making a version in Uzbek too: more in the article Does Your Site Need an Uzbek Version.

What are the prices for a photographer website?

The price depends on the scope, not on the industry:

Landing page - from $190. A photographer with a narrow specialization: portfolio, packages, reviews and a request form.

Multipage website - from $490. Portfolio by genre, service pages, a shoot description, reviews and request forms.

Complex project - on request. Private galleries for clients, payment on the website, online shoot booking.

I fix the price before the start for the agreed scope. How a landing page differs from a multipage website in terms of tasks - see the article Landing page or multipage website: what your business needs.

If you want a website like this - write to me, and I will send a proposal tailored to your genres.