This is your Photography Website 911!

Keep a terrible website up and your career is on fire. Let me explain...

I'll tell you first you need a website and there's no way around that. You're not a professional if you don't have a website. You don't exactly subscribe to my Substack because you're hoping for something gentle, do you?

I'd like to say recently I finished my photography website, but that's a lie, I'm still working on it and ready to start over once again. In the process of starting over many times and taking down my old website, previously was square space… I realized a handful of mistakes which I think would make your life and business, much more successful.

Please watch the full video, but as always, my notes are going to have additional commentary which is going to help you out.

So let's go down the list of mistakes that I made…

• The biggest mistake was not backing up my photography website. For over a decade I've kept a few pictures on my desktop, a few on Google Drive, a few on this drive and a few on that drive now this drive won't start and that drive can't be found. you are worth it, don't be a cheap ass and just spend $150 and make sure you get a new hard drive every couple of years. You should always add your favorite photos from your recent photo shoot to that drive so you always have one place where all your images l… Or at least on your website.
  

• The thing you wanna do before you take down your old website it to actually screen record. It's the easiest thing to do, screen record via quick time and go through every single gallery and slowly scroll up and down the page. This lets you remember what was on each gallery and how you organized those images.

  

  The 287th version of my home page - smh…

• When you're making your website, do not put every good image up. Only put up images that will attract the attention of the type of clients you want. Assuming you want only cosmetic type of images, you don't need to show me fashion.
  
  Maybe your fashion full body photographs are beautiful, but it's not going to help you get booked for cosmetics. I don't need to see your documentary because again it's not cosmetics. Show them the jobs you want to be hired for.
  

• Every website should end with two options. The first would be access to another gallery you picked out for them.
  
  The second option would be a link to your contact page. Do not leave them alone at the end of a very long hallway and expect them to make a decision. You'll thank me later!
  

• Speaking of contact page, did you know the contact page recently got married? Yes, the contact page and about page joined together as one. You have to watch the full YouTube video linked on this page to tell you exactly how to design that page. It's important that you do it this way, please, take note.
  

• Your clients are wonderful people, but they don't give a damn why you picked up a camera. They don't care, please don't entertain them that way. They absolutely do not give a damn why you like photography or video.
  
  They won't say it so I'll do it for you. They only care about the positive impact you will have on their life if they hire you. Again, please watch the YouTube video to show you an exact plan for your contact/about pages.
  

  
  

• I almost lost the cover Vanity Fair because my contact page was down for my website under construction. That's a huge opportunity that could have gone to someone else and it was intended for me. Vanity Fair could not get a hold of me and when they tried to reach me via Instagram, Instagram decided to hold a message in a different thread… The request folder. Why am I letting Instagram be my secretary? What a joke!
  
  You should have two pages up when your website is under construction. The first page is a coming soon page. This allows them to realize more work will be coming soon and they should expect links to intermittently work and not work. Basically, you're telling them not to judge you. The second page should be your contact/about page.
  

• And then why did you join the Substack because I'm going to give bonuses and this is a bonus you should be considering. Heres your bonus non-youtube video tip to help you win.