Every good photography page, whether it’s your portfolio, website or social media pages, needs a well-written biography. It’s a crucial part of your personal branding. When people read your bio, they’re trying to figure out whether they would feel comfortable working with or being photographed by you; so it is important to let your personality shine! Here are a few tips for writing a good bio from start to finish.

Introduce yourself

Start by telling your clients who you are, where you’re based and your specialities. Writing from a third-person perspective keeps it casual while avoiding noun overuse where the speaker often refers to themself as “I”. Answer all the important questions: who you are, your professional background, where you are located, what you’ve achieved and how you can help potential clients.

Saleeha Idrees Bamjee photographer biography

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Now add some meat

But not too much! A good bio is typically around 150-200 words and uses plain language that’s broken up into short sentences and paragraphs. Don’t resort to using fancy words. Instead, share your personal motto, a quote that drives your inspiration, or a short paragraph about your life philosophy. Share more about the creator behind the stunning photos on your site. 

Instead of text, you could also do a video as it inherently communicates your body language, taking some stress out of crafting beautiful copy for your bio. But, you may still need text for other platforms. Pay attention to your tone of voice, and be enthusiastic and confident, clients love working with photographers they can trust.

You may want to include specific qualifications, awards or accomplishments but keep it relatable. Chances are good that your clients won’t be familiar with these, so rather opt for the more well-known publications, awards and people you have photographed. This adds value to the information without sounding like you’re bragging.

If you’ve been in the industry for a while, ask your loyal clients whether they would be happy to write a recommendation for you. Including their testimonial adds credibility to what you do. This reassures potential clients that if people have trusted you in the past, they can too.

Justice Mukheli photographer biography

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Get a professional headshot

A picture is worth a thousand words. It supports everything you have written about who you are in a nutshell and shows people the face of the company which makes you more relatable.

Don’t keep them hanging

End with a call to action, like a “Contact Us” button and links to your social media pages. You could also be more specific and include your email address and phone number.

Inge Prins Photography biography

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Laureen Pitout Photography About Me example

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Some technicalities

Remember to proofread your text for spelling errors and typos. Photography is and should be run like a business, so it’s important to portray a professional image. People are quick to notice typos, and once they spot them, may quickly lose trust in you as a professional.

Finally, remember that a good bio without SEO may never get viewed! The more textual content you put on your photography website, the higher your website is likely to rank in search engine results. Use a strong, familiar keyword such as “About Me” together with your name and what you do, for example, Anna Smith | Lifestyle & Wedding Photographer | About Me

Clients will likely find photographers at every single price point, so it’s important to justify your pricing with a good biography and portfolio. Setting realistic expectations from the start helps your business grow as you develop your skills.

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