There are countless options for showing galleries to clients online. Whether it’s a service like Smugmug, Photoshelter, Zenfolio, Pixieset, Shootproof, or something else.

The best option happens is not a straight forward answer.

But even so, we can keep this short because the answer is quite simple.

The best is the one that works best for your needs.

If you have a website with Squarespace then maybe pairing it with a service like Shootproof is worth your consideration.

If you have a website with Pixieset then, of course, using their features is the most obvious choice.

But then some of the services are only client galleries and not websites, and not blogs.

On the flipside, some of the services are only websites and not galleries or blogs.

To top it off, some of the services are only websites with galleries and no blogs.

Showing Galleries in WordPress

If you’re running a WordPress website, then you have the perfect choice available to you. NextGEN Gallery is the most popular gallery plugin for WordPress.

For those reading this and using ShowIt for your website, you have a WordPress blog connected to your site. That means you have access to NextGEN Gallery as well.

Not only does NextGEN Gallery give you the ability to manage and display your photos, and seamlessly integrate your workflow with Lightroom. But with NextGEN Pro you can also proof and sell your photos.

Fortunately, those using the Photocrati theme have access to NextGEN Gallery and NextGEN Pro.

We recommend the Pro Mosaic or Pro Tiled Galleries as beautiful options for galleries to your clients.

When all is said and done, create a list of your situation, requirements and budget in order to determine the best option for you and your photography business.

Fortunately, there are simple strategies you can use to put your best foot forward when displaying your work online. From file optimization to image protection, taking a careful and strategic approach to your content can elevate your photography site to the next level.

In this post, we’ll explain how presenting your images well can improve your photography business. Then we’ll provide you with three essential tips for doing so. Let’s jump in!

How Properly Presenting Your Images Online Can Benefit Your Photography Business

You could have the most stunning images in the world. However, for existing and potential customers to truly appreciate your craft and skill level, it’s essential to display your work in an appropriate manner.

The way you present your photos online impacts how easy it is for leads to view them, as well as your site’s overall performance and security. Failing to take proper steps when adding images to your site could even leave them open to theft.

Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task for many photographers. After all, while you might be passionate and skilled in photography, that’s not the same as being a web designer.

However, you don’t need to be an expert in this field to increase the aesthetics, performance, and security of your images online. Plus, there are plenty of inexpensive tools you can use to simplify the process.

3 Essential Tips for Presenting Your Images on the Internet

Even if you have little experience with web development, there are simple techniques you can use to display your photos professionally online. Here are three essential tips you can use for presenting your images.

1. Choose the Ideal Dimensions for Your Images

The size of your images can greatly influence their presentation on your website. It can also affect your site’s speed, which we’ll discuss in more detail later.

The ideal sizes for your images hinge upon a number of factors, including the type of hosting you’re using. For example, if your site is on a shared plan, a large number of huge files can hurt your loading times. However, if you have a dedicated server, this likely won’t be a concern.

As a general rule of thumb, ideal display sizes for your images according to the type of hosting you use are:

• Shared: 1,000 px
• Cloud: 1,400 px
• VPS: 1,600 px
• Dedicated: 2,200

When it comes to resizing your images, you have a few options.  You can do it before or after you upload them to WordPress.  There are also a variety of tools for tackling this process.

One of the most efficient is a plugin that can resize your images automatically, such as NextGEN Gallery:

You can download this version of the plugin for free from the WordPress Plugin Directory. To access the automatic resizing options, navigate to Gallery > Other Options > Image Options.

2. Optimize the File Sizes of Your Images Before Uploading Them to WordPress

The larger your image file sizes, the more disk space they take up. Additionally, visitors’ browsers and your server will have to work harder to load bigger photos.

There are a variety of ways to optimize your images for the web. Two of the most popular and effective methods are compressing images and using lazy loading. Both of these tasks can be achieved using a plugin such as WP Smush, Imagify or ShortPixel:

They let you automatically condense images’ file sizes. Some include a lazy load feature so that the photos on your webpages will only render once a visitor scrolls down to them.

This ensures that not all the files on the page are loading at one time. Since that can slow down your site and hurt both your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and User Experience (UX), this is a key technique for presenting your images online.

3. Use a Plugin With Image Protection Features

One of the advantages of running an online photography business is the expansive reach available to you. You have the ability to sell more photographs to a wider range of audiences across the world.

On the other hand, it’s not without its disadvantages. One of the biggest drawbacks of presenting your work on the internet is the risk of image theft.

Safeguarding and protecting your intellectual property and creative work is a priority. This is why we recommend activating image protection features for the content you include on your WordPress site.

One way to do this is to use the NextGEN Pro plugin:

This is the premium version of NextGEN Gallery, which we mentioned earlier. After you install and activate the plugin, you can find the image protection features under Gallery > Other Options > Image Protection:

When you activate the image protection features, you can disable right-click on your images. This means visitors to your site won’t be able to illegally download and save your photos to share them without authorization. You can also use NextGEN Pro to create and add watermarks to your visual content.

Conclusion

One of the easiest yet worst mistakes you can make with your photography site is overlooking the importance of image presentation. While your photos themselves may be beautiful, perhaps just as critical to the success of your site is how they’re optimized and displayed.

In this post, we provided you with three essential tips you can use for presenting your images on the internet:

1. Choose the ideal dimensions for your images.
2. Optimize the file sizes of your images before uploading them to your WordPress site.
3. Use a plugin that has image protection features.

Do you have any questions about presenting your images online? Let us know in the comments section below!

When done correctly, captions can help you engage visitors and make them want to keep clicking through your galleries. You can use them to enhance your images by adding context and providing new information. Plus, you can approach them with as much creativity as you wish.

In this post, we’ll discuss why quality captions matter. Then we’ll provide you with three tips you can use to write them. Let’s get started!

Why Image Captions Matter for Your Photography Website

Some photographers make the mistake of assuming captions are irrelevant. You may even be guilty of skipping this part of the process of publishing images on your site, or of adding just a few words without much thought. After all, it’s the photo you want people to notice.

However, captions can be an effective way to provide your site’s visitors with more context. You can share new information they may not pick up just from looking at the image itself.

There are many different ways to put captions to work on your site. You can tell a story about what is taking place in the image or provide background details about the photo’s subject(s). You can also use them to emphasize a certain mood or emotion.

In addition to the images on your photography site, this is also the case for your social media posts. Writing quality captions for Instagram and other platforms can help show followers and other users why your content is valuable and encourage them to check out your work.

3 Tips for Writing Quality Image Captions for Your Photography Site

You don’t need to be a professional writer to craft text to accompany your photos effectively. Here are three tips you can use for creating quality image captions for your photography site.

1. Match the Caption With the Tone of the Image

When writing your captions, it’s helpful to make sure the tone aligns with that of the image. For example, if you have a serious photograph, it doesn’t make much sense to use funny, light-hearted text alongside it.

You likely want your photographs to elicit a specific mood. Captions present an opportunity to emphasize further and evoke that emotion. Doing so can have a more meaningful impact and enable an image to resonate with people in ways it otherwise wouldn’t.

Humans of New York effectively accomplishing this by using quotes from the project’s subjects as captions for their corresponding images:

Similarly, if you’re struggling to come up with your text, you might consider using a famous quote that appropriately matches the tone and context of your image.

2. Avoid Making Assumptions or Using Judgemental Language

When writing your captions, it’s vital to try to avoid making assumptions or using judgemental language. The goal isn’t to impose your opinion on the viewer. For example, it’s not the best idea to describe the mood of a photo’s subject if you don’t know what they were feeling at the time.

Let’s say you have a photograph of a man sitting alone on a bench. A strong caption could be something like, “Man sits alone on a Central Park bench during a crisp, October morning.”

On the other hand, “Lonely man sits alone feeling sad” assumes the subject is experiencing negative emotions. In reality, he may be perfectly content spending the morning in the park by himself.

To avoid assumptions and judgment in your captions, focus only on facts and objective, accurate information. Aim for conversational language, as if you were talking to a friend.

Also, your captions need to be correct in terms of spelling, punctuation, and fact-checking. Otherwise, you compromise your credibility.

3. Ensure Your Captions Are Adding Value to Your Images

Captions can and should be used to provide new information, rather than repeating what’s already known. For example, if you have an image of a mountain, so there’s no need to caption it “mountain.”

What your audience might not know, however, is which mountain is in the photo. You could give some context by including the landform’s name, its location, and the date the photograph was taken.

Additionally, people typically view an image first, then read the caption. Therefore, you can eliminate words that state the obvious, such as “is shown” or “captured,” as both are implied.

An excellent example of this is the following image and caption by photographer Adam Dooley:

At first glance, it’s obvious this is an image of a city skyline over water. Many might even recognize it as Chicago. Dooley, however, uses the caption to add more value by incorporating descriptive details, including that the photo was taken in March and that it was cold outside.

He also points out the loose pieces of ice that helped create stunning reflections. This simple note adds contextual detail and background that allows viewers connect to the image and feel like they were there in the moment.

If the image is of people, another strategy would be to use the caption to identify who they are. Perhaps there’s something in the image you want to make sure viewers notice, like Dooley’s ice. In this case, you can use the text to draw their attention to that specific detail.

Conclusion

As a photographer, you no doubt, have a knack for creating stunning images to share on your photography website. However, to give your visitors the best viewing experience possible, it’s wise to craft captions to accompany each piece.

In this article, we discussed three tips you can use to write quality captions for the images on your photography site:

1. Match the caption with the tone of the picture.
2. Avoid making assumptions or using judgemental language.
3. Ensure your captions are adding value to your images.

Do you have any questions about writing image captions? Let us know in the comments section below!

Choosing the right image galleries can maximize the effect of your portfolio and influence how visitors perceive both your work and your brand. Strategically selecting displays that work best with your website isn’t a complicated task; it just requires considering a few essential elements.

In this article, we’ll discuss a few types of image galleries and how different displays impact your site. Then we’ll explain three key factors to consider when choosing a gallery style for your photography website. Let’s get started!

How Image Gallery Displays Impact Your Photography Site

The displays you choose for your photography site have an enormous effect on its overall aesthetic. In addition to your portfolio’s appearance, they also influence its User Experience (UX). Galleries that are difficult to navigate or have confusing layouts may reflect poorly on your brand.

It’s a good idea to be selective with the images and galleries you include on your site. While you may have hundreds of photos to showcase, too many images and galleries on a site can be overwhelming. They can also slow your loading times down.

Additionally, having a variety of displays to choose from is helpful. Not all pages serve the same purpose, so being able to use the best gallery for each comes in handy. For example, you may want to use a slideshow on your homepage, but a masonry grid for your portfolio.

Some image gallery types you might consider include:

• Slideshows or sliders: Automatically scroll through a selection of images in a single viewer.
• Filmstrip or manual scroll: Similar to a slideshow, except visitors can scroll through the images themselves by clicking on navigation arrows.
• Blogstyle: Single images placed one after the other down the page.
• Thumbnail: Small images in a grid used for previewing, which can be expanded to examine each photo in detail.
• Masonry tiles or grids: Individual images arranged to fill the page in an organized manner.

Each has its pros and cons, and can either help visitors view your images more easily or make them difficult to decipher.

How to Decide Which Type of Image Gallery to Use on Your Photography Site (3 Key Factors)

To help you decide which type of image gallery to use on your photography site, there are a few key factors to consider. Let’s take a look at three major ones.

1. Select Galleries That Take Up the Right Amount of Page Space

Maximizing and structuring the space on your web pages is essential. Too many images or galleries can make your site look cluttered and messy. An appropriate amount of white space can go a long way to enhance your website’s design:

Another consideration is how much text and other content will be on the page along with your image gallery. If your goal is to get visitors to click through your photos, you don’t want unnecessary elements distracting them or negatively impacting the display.

For parts of your site that already have a significant amount of content – such as your Home or About pages – space-saving sliders or filmstrip galleries can keep them from becoming overwhelming. However, if you want all the attention on your photos, you might use a grid or blogstyle display.

2. Choose Displays That Work for Your Images’ Sizes and Orientations

Another important factor to consider is your images’ sizes and orientations. Some galleries are better suited to certain layouts than others. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to use a slideshow for vertically oriented portraits. They’re better suited to horizontal images.

If you’re like most photographers, though, you likely have a mixture of sizes and orientations throughout your portfolio. Masonry tiles are an effective solution since they adapt to fit each photo into an uneven grid:

This is a popular, versatile display. It makes it easy to present a wide range of images in a way that is clean, rather than cluttered.

Keep in mind that not everyone who visits your site will be doing so from a computer. Therefore, it’s a good idea to use responsive galleries to ensure your images display neatly on any device.

3. Consider Your Photography Niche and Its Standards

The type of photography you specialize in can influence which type of image gallery works best for your site, too. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, you’ll probably want a thumbnail gallery so clients can view all the photos for their big day at once.

On the other hand, if your niche is travel photography, you might want a blogstyle gallery. This enables visitors to focus on one image at a time, and can also lend a narrative feel to your photos.

If you sell stock photos, you’ll likely want a gallery that includes a shopping cart button for easy purchasing:

For this, we recommend NextGEN Pro. It’s one of the most popular WordPress plugins for photographers and comes with multiple galleries as well as e-commerce extensions. Fortunately for Photocrati customers, NextGEN Pro is included!

Conclusion

Image galleries present you with the opportunity to display your photos in the most stunning way possible. However, choosing the ones that fit the style and purpose of your website is crucial.

As we discussed in this article, three key factors in choosing an image gallery for your website are:

1. Selecting galleries that take up the right amount of page space.
2. Choosing displays that work for your images’ sizes and orientations.
3. Considering your photography niche and its standards.

Do you have any questions about choosing an image gallery for your photography website? Let us know in the comments section below!

Here are some tips for beginners, which can be a helpful reminder for including every step for creating a functional website with high-grade aesthetics and other elements that provide an excellent user experience.

Think About Your Main Focus

Before you start your website, you should think about the categories you would like to post. There will be a lot of differences regarding your website layout, logo design, and domain name based on your focus.

Some of the main categories are wedding photos, portraits, landscapes, birthdays, urban photography, etc. To avoid making a mistake with your website’s appearance, decide what you will focus on before you start building a website.

Select a Good URL and reliable Hosting Provider

You should choose a catchy, easy to remember URL. Another essential element for URL selection is that it should make it clear to people what you are about right away. Also, the keywords you use will affect SEO and your domain name must be easy to pronounce and type.

Before you select the cheapest hosting, it’s necessary to determine which type of hosting you need. Web hosting providers, like Siteground, may offer a lot of additional services along with hosting to make website owners’ life a bit easier. For example, Siteground offers a site builder along with premium features to help you create your website. They offer a lot of benefits for WordPress users including automatic updates, advanced caching, and reliable support. They also offer developer options which can come in handy when you are creating a new website.

Choose Suitable Logo Design

The logo is another crucial element of your business. Logo design should be simple and minimalistic, but at the same time, it must be original and topical. Moreover, your logo is the face of your brand, so everyone should be able to recognize your work based on your logo.

To achieve the best results, consider starting a contest. That way, many designers will respond to your demands and provide you with many different solutions according to your needs. Remember that less is more, so choose a minimalistic, classy logo design.

Imagine Your Layout

A good layout template can improve the transparency of your photos, which will enhance the visitor’s experience. Every accessible and transparent solution, but original at the same time, will make your website seem more professional.

You should pick a layout template based on your web design and categories you decided to choose. You can find some excellent solutions at WordPress. You can choose between minimalistic, simple layouts, and something more dynamic with lots of photo galleries.

Show Your Best Work Samples

Select your best work and try to arrange it so that you can achieve a balance. You should arrange photos by tones, that way visitors can feel the vibe of your work. The harmonious nuances of each gallery will convince visitors that your website is professional and that you’ve put a lot of effort into achieving perfection.

Everything you decide to post must fit into your website’s theme. Also, you can use free images from the internet, but only if you follow the rules, so you can find good placeholders or something that matches the tone you were going for.

What Do Your Usual Clients Want to See?

As with any other business, you should adapt your website content to your clients’ needs. The goal is to gain more visitors and convert them into clients, so you must find out what kind of content your visitors want to see on your website.  

After you establish what your usual clients want to see the most on your website, you can conclude that the majority will like the same stuff.

Consider including a blog

Adding a well-curated blog to your website from the start will increase the number of visits, as blogs are a great way to showcase your newest experience and work. Also, blog posts are suitable for sharing through social media, so you’ll have the opportunity to gain more visitors this way as well.  

Also, if you allow your visitors to comment on your posts, you’ll get more precise feedback on your work because all critics, both positive and negative, are welcome.

If you aren’t much of a writer yourself, you can always hire someone to write articles for you. Be careful while searching for content writers because a good content writer must be skilled and original. Besides, an experienced content writer must know the basics of SEO and WordPress.

Detailed overview

A good website must contain information concerning contact and pricing. If you are using social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, you should add links to your profiles so that visitors can scroll through your posts every time they log on.

Besides social media where visitors can contact you via direct messages, you must highlight your phone number and email address as well. Consider using a built-in website email form, so that everyone can contact you directly from your website instead of having to sign in to their personal email accounts.

Practice has shown that people like to see all the information right away, so pricing should be included in your website. Instead of contacting you to get quotes, visitors like to see the price and everything concerning the services you offer right on the home page, so they can decide whether to engage you or not within seconds.

A detailed overview of the pricing and services you provide will convince people that you are trustworthy and that they shouldn’t be worried about any hidden costs. People like to get to know their service providers, so a short biography should be included on your website as well.

SEO and Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential. SEO is the most complicated part of running a website, but when done correctly, it will give excellent long-term results. If you want to see your content on the first page of the SERPs, you must optimize your website. Fortunately, there are lots of great tools you can use to tackle SEO and get the information you need to increase your rankings.

Another critical piece for success is marketing. After you create a website, you must make some advertising plans for the future. There are lots of advertising methods, but the most significant are recommendations. Marketing will be the last thing you have to worry about, as long as your visitors are satisfied.

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Marco Mijatovic is a blogger and WordPress enthusiast. He’s one of the guys behind FirstSiteGuide.com so make sure to check out his other work, including in-depth guides and posts where he features latest blogging insights.

The rule of thumb for print portfolios is to keep the book at no more than 20 photographs.

So the same rule of thumb should be used for online portfolios.

If you offer wedding photography, then you like also provide engagement photography and possibly family portraits. If that’s your situation, then you should have three portfolios. Each of which has 20 photographs inside of them.

By limiting your portfolio(s) to 20 or less, you’re showing your absolute best work to potential clients.

Sharing only your absolute best will have more selling power than sharing dozens upon dozens.

Think about this advice as you modify or build your photography website this year. Simplify and share your best.

But what about the rest?

If you’re wondering what to do with the rest of the photographs you want to share, that’s what your blog is for. Every picture has a story. Write about it and publish it in a blog post.