Recently, I revamped my website for a submission to a photography competition. It was like a closet clean-out, but for my online portfolio. With advice from my photography mentor and my photography teacher, I created a great new and refreshing website. Here are some things that can help you show off your best work and overall help you market yourself as an artist, photography, model, etc. in the best way possible.
1. Keep it Minimal
One thing my teacher and my mentor told me was to keep your website compact. Yes, you may have a lot of work you want to show, but that can be shown on Instagram. Your website should be your very best work. Additionally, if you are submitting this to competitions, you want to show the judges that you can be picky and you do know your best work. My teacher explained that also, usually, the judges are older and not used to the sensory overload that our generation has because of Instagram. Having too much on your website can make judges feel rushed when trying to look at your work. Like how work is presented on blank walls in art galleries, your work is best showcased on a plain background.
2. Don’t Repeat
I personally had an issue with this. I set up my website with a few different pages: Home, Portraiture, and Series/Conceptual. I made the mistake of putting a few of my conceptual pieces both in portraiture, home, and on my series/conceptual page. This makes the website seem a bit repetitive. Don’t repeat your work on different pages.
3. About Me/Artist Statement
For your “About Me” or “Artist Statement”, I learned a lot from websites, my teacher, and just anything good advice I have heard from people. Don’t say “I love capturing the beauty” or “I am unique.” These are cliches that don’t actually describe you as an artist. I ended up going with what my art actually means to me and why I make it. You have to just keep writing your thoughts to figure out why you want to make art and what you want to say about that art. These can be hard. You know, we are artists, not writers for a reason! However, your biography is an important staple for people to get to know you and your work better, so putting in the extra effort to make it authentic is essential.
You can see William Koning's online portfolio here.
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