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It would be nice if your photos could do all the talking for you, but occasionally, you need to use words. The About page on your website and your Instagram profile are just some of the places photographers need to have a bio. A professional photographer bio provides a powerful way to showcase professional experience and convey personality to potential clients.
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A photographer’s bio should be compelling, thoughtful, and clear. Depending on where your bio will be placed, you may need several versions. In this article, we will cover bios for photographers on the main social media platforms, before dissecting website bios in detail.
For professional photographers, perhaps the most important social media in recent times is Instagram, and the first thing users see when they check out someone’s Instagram profile is the bio. Since the bio, in particular, can lead users to follow you, you’ll want to make it effective.
So, what is a good way to write an Instagram bio for photographers?
Below is a photographer’s Instagram bio example that shows all of this in action.
Read our article on Instagram for Photographers for a more thorough breakdown of the platform.
It can be misconstrued as a platform for writers, but Twitter has increasingly become a home for visual content. While the social media mainstay is currently experiencing some turbulent times via rebranding, it’s still used by millions of people worldwide, making it a great avenue to showcase your photography.
You have 160 characters to work with in the Twitter Bio. It’s a marginal gain compared to Instagram, which means that the practices we suggest for Instagram are relevant here, too.
For much more on the ins and outs, our article on Twitter for Photographers has you covered.
Yes. Facebook is still around. While pop culture will have you believe it’s only a place for Boomers and Generation X, the reality is quite different. Parent company Meta reported that the platform had close to 3 billion monthly active users in March 2023, and it’s highly unlikely that all of them belong to those two generations. Either way, the point is that Facebook is still here, and still relevant. Because of that, maintaining a Facebook page for your photography business is always a good idea, and the About section on your page can help you connect with other photographers and potential clients.
Strike a balance of professionalism and personality. While it’s important to convey your expertise and experience, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. A bit of humor or a fun fact about your photography journey can make your About section more engaging and memorable.
Still unsure if Facebook is worth it? Check out our article Expert Advice: Facebook for Photographers, and you may change your mind.
Unlike Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, LinkedIn requires a much more professional tone. You can list your skills, educational qualifications, and work experience on the platform, effectively turning it into your online resume.
Head over to our article on LinkedIn for Photographers to gain insights into the fundamentals of a photographer profile on the platform.
Similar to an emailer, a bio can act as a potential client’s “first impression” of you, meaning it needs to leave them with a sense of who you are, how you work, and why your personality and approach are a natural fit for their commission — and brand as a whole.
You’re probably not sending out your bio in an email blast to the masses, but the “About Me” page on your site is one of the first places clients go when making hiring decisions (aside from your gallery, of course). Your portfolio may be curated to perfection, but it needs to be accompanied by an equally engaging bio to give the client an ideal first impression. As a way to get started, we’ve come up with a few Dos and Don’ts.
Alright, enough negativity. We could come up with more bio “Don’ts,” but let’s shift our focus to some standout bios and “About Me” photographer examples of varying lengths — and what makes each of them work.
Why it Works: Short and Sweet
All photographers write their bios with clients in mind, but Inti St. Clair cuts out the middleman by addressing her clients directly: “Hire her. You’ll have a blast working with her.” Inti also includes a smiling photo of herself, which reinforces how pleasant she is to work with. She is assuaging every client’s biggest fear, that of bringing on a disagreeable and incompetent photographer. Inti’s photographer bio is full of conversation starters as well, a refreshing way for someone to show their personality without falling into the cliche of listing likes and dislikes.
I also want to shout out bullet points. Inti uses them to make the information easier to digest and quicker to scan through, an ideal setup for the busy, perhaps passively attentive creative.
You can use bullet points in your bio — or anywhere you write, for that matter — to highlight information, such as:
Why it Works: Leans into The Humor
Boulder-based Matt Trappe’s photographer bio runs with an old-school aesthetic with its classic design, extending to everything from the photos to the fonts. The text doesn’t beat around the bush, highlighting the different hats he wears in the top-right corner, while the body of the text condenses his professional journey with humor. His target audience includes experienced marketing and creative executives who would easily appreciate his aesthetic choices.
Matt also makes an interesting choice by having his bio appear first thing on the homepage, opting not to hide it in the corners and crevices of websites as some photographers do. It operates as a firm handshake and a 30-second elevator pitch so that potential clients know exactly who he is and what he’s about from the get-go.
Why it Works: A Focus on Identity and Purpose
Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi’s bio effectively communicates her professional journey and personal background. It starts by establishing her focus on exploring the human condition through photography, immediately giving readers a sense of her work’s thematic core. The bio then delves into her international work in conflict and emergency zones, bolstered by a list of reputable media outlets and organizations that have published or showcased her work. This not only highlights her credibility but also provides a context for the stories she captures.
Her accolades are neatly woven into the narrative, further cementing her expertise and recognition in the field. The bio then transitions into a personal narrative, linking her multicultural upbringing and experiences as a refugee to her pursuit of work for humanitarian causes. This personal touch allows readers to understand the motivations behind her work.
Her transition to photography is clearly marked, providing a timeline of her career progression. The mention of her academic qualifications and language skills rounds off the bio, offering a comprehensive view of her capabilities. Through it all, there’s no mistaking the kind of person Diana is, personally and professionally.
Why it Works: Strikes a Balance
Having a healthy mix of personal and professional information in your bio is key, and you can get into both with a longer bio. The goal is to remind clients that you’re human (and a capable one, at that). Matt Odom has a nice balance; he first lists his specialties, his hometown, and how he started out in his career. Matt then gets to the fun stuff, where his personality shines through.
He’s one of a few people in the world to hold an original copy of the 1984 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 first print and a few other books dating back to the late 1800s!
Although Matt uses a third-person perspective, the writing feels very personable, as if his friend is telling us that, “he’s a people person,” or confirming, “yes, he’s a huge Arsenal FC fan.”
Who wouldn’t trust Matt to show up on time, get the job done, and produce timeless images? And perhaps shoot the breeze about the latest Premier League news?
If it’s difficult to keep track of the various guidelines for your professional photographer bio, we have an infographic to simplify things.
Can’t go wrong with a straightforward portrait in your photographer bio, be it of your head, your whole body, or something in between. Lynsey Weatherspoon has the right idea, and the fact that she’s so close to the camera allows us to see her eyes. As viewers, we’re drawn to people’s eyes first, which is why so many advertisements feature close-ups of smiling faces — making eye contact with an individual in a photo adds a layer of personability to the proceedings. You feel like you’re interacting with them, in a sense.
This is a favorite of many photographers who use the bio space to show themselves with family members. Maybe you’re the parent of some adorable young children, like Tiffany Luong, or maybe you’re a proud dog owner like Sean F. Boggs:
Whatever the case, people can’t help but smile when they see you and your loved ones together. It’s a nice window into your personal life and an easy type of image to track down. After all, who doesn’t have a plethora of pictures with their loved ones?
Some photographers want to give off the impression that they live and breathe their craft, and an easy way to convey this message is to get a shot of you on the job. Kris Cheng has quite a few assignments in the outdoors, but you don’t need me to tell you that once you get a look at his bio picture.
Geneva-based Aurélien Bergot introduces himself with a GIF, revealing his workflow in the studio as a product photographer. By doing so, he gives potential clients a sneak peek into future collaborations with him, whether it involves a case of Dior lipstick or not.
Though none of the above lists are exhaustive, they do give a good sense of the various options you can utilize to craft a professional photographer bio. There is no shortage of ways to give off that ideal first impression and, ultimately, your bio should feel right for you. Don’t get tripped up by the rules, but don’t try to copy someone else’s style. Just be you. A grammatically correct, typo-free you — with a nice photo to boot!
Further Reading
99U: How to Write an ‘About Me’ Page That Gets You Hired
Pinterest: Examples of Photographer Bios
Case Studies: Writing a Photographer Bio
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