What you need to start a photography website
A photography website needs three things: a domain name (the web address people type), hosting (the server that stores your files), and a builder tool to arrange your photos and text. You do not need to write code. Most photographers use a website builder — software that lets you drag photos into templates, set prices, and publish without touching HTML or CSS.
The choice between builders matters because they differ in how much control you get, what they cost, and how straightforward they are to use. Some builders are free but limited. Others cost money but let you sell prints or take bookings. The right one depends on whether you want a straightforward portfolio, an online shop, or a booking system for clients.
Key Takeaways
- Website builders like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com let you create a photography site without writing code, using drag-and-drop templates designed for image-heavy layouts.
- A domain name costs $10 to $15 per year and is separate from hosting; many builders include a free domain for the first year if you pay for a plan.
- Free builders (Wix, Weebly) work for portfolios but add their branding to your site and limit storage; paid plans ($10 to $40 per month) remove ads and give you more space for photos.
- If you want to sell prints or take payments for sessions, choose a builder with built-in e-commerce like Squarespace, Shopify, or WooCommerce on WordPress.
- Mobile responsiveness is built into modern builders, so your site automatically looks good on phones and tablets without extra work.
Choosing between free and paid builders
Free builders like Wix, Weebly, and Google Sites let you publish a portfolio at no cost. They include templates, hosting, and a subdomain (a web address like yourname.wix.com). The trade-off is that free plans display the builder's ads on your site, limit how many photos you can upload, and do not include e-commerce tools for selling anything.
Paid plans start around $10 to $15 per month for basic portfolios and go up to $40 or more if you need a shop, booking calendar, or email marketing. Squarespace, for example, charges $16 per month for a portfolio plan and $33 for a business plan with e-commerce. Shopify, built for selling, starts at $29 per month. The paid plans remove the builder's branding, give you more storage, and let you use your own domain name instead of a subdomain.
For most photographers starting out, a paid plan at $15 to $25 per month is worth the cost because it removes ads, includes a real domain, and gives you room to grow. If you are testing whether you want a website at all, start free and upgrade later.
Setting up your domain and hosting
Your domain is your web address — something like photographybyalice.com. Hosting is the server that stores your site's files. Most website builders bundle hosting into their plans, so you do not buy them separately. When you sign up for Squarespace or Wix, hosting is included.
Domain names cost $10 to $15 per year. Many builders include a free domain for the first year when you pay for a plan, then charge the standard rate after that. You can also buy a domain from a registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy and point it to your builder's hosting — this takes a few minutes of copying and pasting DNS settings, but the builder's help documentation walks you through it.
Choose a domain that is short, straightforward to spell, and includes your name or photography style. Avoid numbers and hyphens unless they are part of your actual name. Once you buy a domain, it is yours to renew each year; if you stop paying, someone else can buy it.
Uploading and organizing your photos
Website builders let you upload photos directly from your computer or phone. Most have a media library where you organize images into folders by category — weddings, portraits, landscapes, and so on. The builder then displays these photos in galleries on your pages.
Before uploading, resize your photos to web size. A photo that is 4000 pixels wide will slow down your site and waste storage. Use free tools like Pixlr or Photoshop to resize to 1200 to 2000 pixels wide, which looks sharp on screens but loads fast. Save as JPEG to keep file size small.
Most builders let you add captions, alt text (descriptions for screen readers), and metadata to each photo. Alt text helps both accessibility and search engines understand what is in your images. A caption might be the location or client name; alt text should describe what someone sees — "bride and groom exchanging vows in garden" rather than "wedding photo 47".
Choosing a template and layout
Website builders come with templates designed for photography. These templates have gallery layouts, about pages, contact forms, and pricing tables already built in. You pick a template, then swap in your own photos and text.
Look for a template that matches your style and the type of photography you do. A wedding photographer might choose a template with full-screen image galleries and a booking form. A product photographer might want a grid layout with detailed descriptions. Most builders let you preview templates before you commit, and you can change templates later without losing your content.
Keep your layout straightforward. Too many fonts, colors, or animations distract from your photos. Use one or two fonts, a consistent color scheme, and plenty of white space. Your photos should be the star.
Adding essential pages and information
A photography website needs at least four pages: Home, Gallery (or Portfolio), About, and Contact. Some photographers also add a Services page (listing what they offer and prices), a Blog (for tips or behind-the-scenes posts), or a Shop (if selling prints or digital files).
Your Home page should have a striking image or slideshow, a headline that says what you do, and a button linking to your gallery or contact form. The About page tells your story — how long you have been shooting, what you specialize in, and why clients should hire you. Keep it to two or three paragraphs; people want to see your work, not read a biography.
The Contact page should have a form that sends messages to your email, plus your phone number and social media links if you want inquiries that way. Most builders include a contact form tool; you just add your email address and the form works automatically.
Setting up payments and bookings (if you sell or take sessions)
If you want to sell prints, digital files, or session bookings, your builder needs e-commerce tools. Squarespace, Shopify, and WordPress with WooCommerce all handle this. Wix and Weebly have e-commerce on paid plans, but it is more limited.
For selling prints, you can use a print-on-demand service like Printful or Printfulfillment, which integrates with your site. You upload your photos, set a markup, and the service prints and ships orders to customers. You never handle inventory.
For session bookings, use a calendar tool like Calendly (free) or Acuity Scheduling ($15 per month) and embed it on your Contact page. Clients pick a date and time, pay a deposit, and you get a notification. Some builders like Squarespace have booking tools built in.
Making your site visible in search results
Search engine optimization (SEO) means making your site show up when someone searches "photographer near me" or "wedding photographer in [your city]". You do not need to be an informed, but a few basics help.
Use your city name and photography type in your page titles and descriptions. For example, your Home page title might be "Wedding and Portrait Photography in Portland, Oregon" instead of just "Photography". Add that same phrase to your About page and a few gallery captions. Builders let you edit these titles and descriptions in settings for each page.
Write alt text for every photo (a description of what is in the image). This helps search engines and people using screen readers. Link to your site from your social media profiles and Google Business Profile if you have one. The more places your site is linked from, the higher it ranks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my own domain or can I use a free subdomain?
A subdomain like yourname.wix.com is free but looks less professional and is harder to remember. A real domain like yourname.com costs $10 to $15 per year and is worth it if you are serious about photography. Many builders include the first year free with a paid plan.
How much storage do I need for my photos?
Most paid plans include 50 to 100 GB of storage, which is enough for hundreds of high-quality photos. If you shoot a lot of weddings or events, you might need more; Squarespace's highest plan includes unlimited storage. Start with a standard plan and upgrade if you run out of space.
Can I move my site to a different builder later?
Moving is possible but tedious — you have to read your photos and text, then re-upload them to the new builder. Your domain can move with you if you own it separately. To avoid this hassle, spend time choosing the right builder the first time.
What if I want to add a blog to my photography site?
Most builders include a blog tool. You write posts, add photos, and they appear on a Blog page with dates. Blogs help with search rankings and let you share tips or behind-the-scenes stories. WordPress is the strongest for blogging if that becomes important to you later.
How do I know if my site is mobile-friendly?
All modern builders make sites mobile-friendly automatically — they adjust layouts for phones and tablets. Test your site on your phone by visiting it in a browser. If photos look good and buttons are straightforward to tap, you are fine. Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool also checks this for free.