Rewrite your photography portfolio's About page so it actually books inquiries
Most photographer About pages are forgettable. The fix isn't more words — it's a tighter brief and AI to scaffold what makes you choosable.
A potential client landed on your portfolio. They saw 8 photos. They liked them. They clicked About. What they read in the next 30 seconds determines whether they fill out your contact form or close the tab. The “About” pages on most photographer websites are accidentally optimized to make people close the tab.
What About pages typically get wrong
Three failure modes:
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Bio that reads like a résumé. “Originally from…, I’ve been a photographer for 8 years…” — the chronological autobiography that answers no question the client is actually asking.
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Mission statement filler. “I believe every couple deserves to be photographed authentically.” Means nothing. Every photographer says this.
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Self-portrait + 3 paragraphs of vague feelings. Looks pretty, reads forgettable, doesn’t differentiate.
The fix is a brief that asks: “what would a stranger need to know to choose me, not just like me?”
What the page actually needs
Five tight sections:
- A hook line — what you’re known for, in one sentence
- Who you’re for — explicit
- Who you’re NOT for — also explicit (this is the magic)
- Process snapshot — what working with you actually looks like
- A real human paragraph — not a résumé, a window
Total page: under 500 words. Plus a real photo of you that’s not overproduced.
The portfolio About page prompt
The “Probably not the right fit if…” section is the secret
Most photographers won’t write this section. They think it’ll cost them clients. The opposite is true: explicitly disqualifying yourself from the wrong clients makes the right clients trust you immediately more.
A real example that works:
Probably not the right fit if you’re planning a 250+ guest wedding with three reception venues. I work best with smaller, slower days where I can actually be present, not just covering ground. Same goes for shot lists — I’ll honor your must-have moments, but if you’ve built a 4-page list of poses, you’ll be happier with a more directed photographer.
That paragraph repels 5 inquiries you didn’t want and locks in 5 you did. Net result: better clients, less awkward consults.
What photo to use
NOT a self-portrait taken by you with a tripod and remote. NOT one of your most-stylized shots from a session.
What works: a real photo of you working — in the field, behind the camera, with a real expression. Slightly less posed than you’re comfortable with. Looks like a person, not a brand.
If you don’t have a great one, hire a peer photographer for an hour next month. $200-400 for usable About-page photos for the next 2-3 years is a good trade.
Where to link the page
Internal links matter:
- Portfolio page → small “About me” link near each gallery
- Contact form → small “If you haven’t yet, you might want to read about how I work first” with link to About
- Instagram bio → second link slot (after contact)
The About page should be the second-most visited page on your site, after portfolio. If it isn’t, your nav is hiding it.
What to expect
Photographers who rewrite their About this way:
- Inquiry-to-booking conversion rates roughly double — fewer inquiries, but qualified ones
- Discovery calls go faster because the page did the early-stage work
- Word-of-mouth referrals improve because past clients can articulate what makes you different (you wrote it for them on the page)
The deeper insight: most photographer About pages try to be liked. The ones that book try to be chosen. Those are different jobs, and they require different writing. AI helps because it removes the default-mediocre filler. Your judgment makes the page actually specific to you.