How To Grow Your Portrait Photography Business

Hey there, portrait photographers! Do you want to grow your portrait photography business?

I’m Sara, the photographer and designer behind Sara Martin Designs, and I see you. While wedding photographers often get the spotlight when it comes to marketing tools and resources, I know that portrait photographers — the ones capturing families, newborns, high school seniors and milestones — have their own set of challenges and goals. I know because I’m a portrait photography myself.

The economy has hurt us portrait photographers the past couple years. In addition to looking to book more sessions, I’m sure you want to stand out in your local market, build a brand that feels like you, and create a client experience that keeps people coming back year after year.

In this post, I’m sharing five ways you can grow your portrait photography business, along with some of my favorite tools and templates (designed specifically for portrait photographers!) to help you get there faster and with less stress. Let’s dive in!

1) Build a Website That Attracts Your Ideal Clients

Your website is often the first impression a potential client gets — and when it comes to portrait photography, it needs to do more than just look pretty.

It should:

• Show off the variety of work you do (whether that’s families, newborns, high school seniors, or all of the above)
• Reflect your unique style and personality so clients can feel a connection before they even reach out
• Make it easy for someone to book a session, get in touch, or learn more about your process
• Show your prices

The truth is, most photographers settle for generic website templates (or worse, templates made for wedding photographers) that don’t quite fit their portrait business. That’s why I created Showit website templates specifically designed for portrait photographers.

My latest templates are built to help you stand out, show off your beautiful galleries, and guide visitors toward booking with confidence. They’re easy to customize, even if you’re not a designer, and they’ll give your business a polished, professional presence online.

Want to check them out? Click here to see my Showit website templates.

2) Elevate Your Brand with Cohesive Visuals

Your brand is so much more than just a logo — it’s the overall look, feel, and personality that people associate with your business. A polished, cohesive brand builds trust, helps you stand out, and makes you more memorable to clients who may come back year after year or refer you to friends.

For portrait photographers, this means having a logo that reflects your style, business cards and marketing materials that feel consistent, and a brand presence that carries through your website, social media, and client communications.

I offer easy-to-customize branding kits, logo designs, and Canva business templates designed specifically for photographers like you. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refresh your current look, these tools will help you create a professional brand that feels like you and resonates with your ideal clients.

You can browse my collection of branding kits and templates here.

3) Streamline Your Client Process

A smooth, organized client experience can make all the difference in whether someone books with you again—or refers you to others. As a portrait photographer, your sessions often involve families, kids, or newborns, so your clients are already juggling quite a lot. Making the process as easy and professional as possible helps build trust and keeps things running smoothly on your end too.

This starts with clear communication and helpful resources that set expectations from the very beginning. Things like:

• A session guide that walks clients through what to expect, how to prepare, and what to wear
• A professional contract to protect both you and your client
• A clean, easy-to-read price list that outlines your services and packages

I’ve created a collection of customizable Canva templates for all of these — session guides, pricing sheets, contracts, and more — so you can deliver a polished experience without spending hours designing from scratch.

Take a look at the client experience tools I’ve designed for portrait photographers here.

4) Stay Active on Social Media with Strategic Content

Social media can be one of the best (and most affordable) ways to grow your portrait photography business, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by it. The key is to show up consistently with content that speaks to your ideal clients.

You don’t need to post every single day or dance on camera — but you do want to share work that highlights your style, personality, and the experience you offer. A few ideas for portrait photographers include:

• Sharing sneak peeks from recent sessions
• Posting client testimonials or behind-the-scenes moments
• Giving tips for preparing for a session or choosing outfits
• Showing a bit of your personal side so potential clients can connect with you

A great way to save time is by batching your posts in advance and reusing content across platforms. Remember, consistency matters more than perfection, and over time, an active, intentional presence on social media can help attract new leads and keep past clients engaged. The best thing that has worked for me is my first idea of consistently sharing sneak peeks after a session. My clients love seeing them and it’s easy to do. My business has been successful because of social media.

5) Invest in Tools That Save You Time and Stress

Running a portrait photography business means you’re wearing a lot of hats — photographer, editor, marketer, business owner, customer service rep. One of the best ways to grow without burning out is by investing in tools and resources that help you work smarter, not harder.

This could mean upgrading your website to a template designed for your niche, using pre-made contracts and guides instead of creating everything from scratch, or setting up systems to keep your client process organized and consistent.

That’s exactly why I design all of my templates — to give portrait photographers like you ready-made tools that save time, elevate your brand, and help you focus on what you do best: creating beautiful images for your clients.

If you’re ready to take some of the stress off your plate and give your business a boost, you can explore all my website templates, branding kits, and business resources here.

Final Thoughts: You’ve Got This

Growing a portrait photography business takes time, intention, and the right tools — but you don’t have to do it all alone. With resources designed specifically for portrait photographers, you can build a strong brand, streamline your workflow, and attract the kinds of clients you actually want to work with.

If you’re ready to level up your business, I’d love to help. You’ll find Showit website templates, branding kits, client experience tools, and more — all created with portrait photographers in mind.

Want to save 50% on your first template or resource? Just sign up for my email list, and I’ll send the coupon straight to your inbox. It’s my way of saying welcome — and giving you a head start toward a more polished, profitable photography business.

Have questions or not sure where to start? Reach out anytime — I’m always happy to help you find the best fit for your business.