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7 Stunning Fashion and Beauty Photography Portfolios to Inspire You
“When will my reflection show who I am inside?” If you have ever tried to build your own photography website, you can relate to Mulan’s struggle. Except that instead of reflections, we’re talking about online portfolios. To overcome this challenge, you will have to spend so many hours developing your style and building an outstanding portfolio. No one knows your work as well as you do. So why is it so difficult to put together a website that reflects everything that your work is?
Sure, an image is worth a thousand words. But even if let your photos do all the talking, you still have to figure out a way to display them. It only takes a few minutes of web browsing to realize how unique every photographer’s website is. And because every shutterbug puts so much effort into creating the perfect site, we believe the best way to learn how to do yours is looking at what others are doing.
This is why we have put together a list of outstanding fashion and beauty portfolios that will definitely inspire you. And don’t worry, the lessons to be learned from these talented Wix users are useful to any shutterbug regardless of their genre and style.
It all starts with a captivating homepage. Paolo gets the attention of his visitors from the very second they reach his site with a full-screen monochromatic video. The pixelated texture of the clip and the slow movements of the model transmit just how unique and personal Paolo’s work is. From an artistic perspective, this video is a powerful representation of his photo’s delicacy.
Stepping into his portfolio, viewers encounter a beautiful grid display, which also occupies the entirety of the page. In here, Paolo offers a compilation of his most recent work on different projects. Variable column heights break the potential monotony of a full-screen gallery, as images are adapted to the frame size and format rather than the other way around. Paolo’s extraordinary use of the Wix Pro Gallery is, simply, the perfect example of how “less is more”.
A beautiful and colorful portrait occupies Kees’ homepage. The model’s face captures the attention of the viewer, while the site’s menu and social media links take the background as they sit on the top of the page. This makes for the perfect description of his work. As no matter what is going on in the photo, one cannot help but focus on the models’ facial expressions.
This is the main trait of his portfolio, the one that ties all his projects together. Unlike other photographers, Kees does not have a clearly marked photography style. Instead, he completely adjusts his work to the demands of each photoshoot. This adaptation is clearly visible on his main gallery, where he showcases a selection of his projects in a single grid.
His chameleonic skills go one step further, as the full scope of each project is displayed in a different page using a unique set-up. Just like his work, Kees’ portfolio excels in meeting the needs of every situation. As a great philosopher once said: “Be water, my friend.”
If we have to describe Aditya’s work in a single word, it would be “dynamic”. Supposing we had a few more words to use, they would be “colorful images were the model is the sole star”. If we had no words at all, we would let his beautiful homepage do all the talking. An autoplay one-photo gallery of diverse examples of his work sits on the center of a white page. Above it, a menu to his full portfolio. Below, the links to his social media channel. And one clear message expressed without words: this is all about my work.
This homepage style is maintained across the rest of the portfolio, with a single column gallery on the center of a white page. Except now it’s up to viewers to do their own browsing. Rather than breaking down his portfolio into diverse project galleries, Aditya showcases a few images from diverse photoshoots on the same gallery. This adds up to the vivid nature of both his work and the rest of the site. After all, isn’t life all about seeing the bigger picture?
Marion Ida, the photographer behind DIE IDA, brings her unique view of the world to both her work and her portfolio. Her homepage is headed by two black and white photos of herself with a brief introduction to her work. Below, a two-column gallery surrounded by white space offers a look into a variety of shots and projects. The combination of these two opposite elements perfectly reflects how Marion’s creative mind fits within the fashion industry’s marked organization.
The “About Me” page is where her personality truly shines. Using the same header as in the homepage, here she focuses on her own story and inspiration sources. Being able to read about her experiences and motivations makes it easier for visitors to connect with Marion and her work. This is especially important for professionals who shoot people for a living (in a legal and photographic way), as potential clients are likely to decide who to hire based on a combination of how much they like someone’s work and character. Introducing yourself is the first step towards many successful professional opportunities.
This duo’s work is unique in so many ways, and they have built a portfolio that perfectly captures it. One of the main characteristics that make Kavin and Tryn’s work so special is the way their subjects interact with their surroundings. Wide shots in landscape format make up most of their fashion work. In a world of close-up portraits, Kavin and Tryn are an anomaly.
Breaking with the general rule and general interaction: these are the two main qualities that link their work and website. How exactly? With a one-page site that starts with an “About Us” section and includes five different genres. This interesting composition allows visitors to seamlessly browse the duo’s entire portfolio while still seeing each genre as its own. If there’s anything that Kavin and Tryn’s portfolio should teach you is to not be afraid to take some risks while designing your own, as something beautiful can come from it.
A single full-screen monochromatic close-up represents the daring nature of Carlos’ work on his homepage. It’s also an amazing representation of how comfortable models feel while working with him. This is actually one of the main challenges of portrait photography, as photographers must build a connection with their subjects in order to achieve this result.
On his portfolio, Carlos uses dynamic galleries to showcase most of his work. Images are shown based on their style rather than by project. This results in homogeneous displays where each subject brings a unique character. Editorial photoshoots are the one exception to an otherwise consistent structure. These are showcased with a gallery of galleries – a photography version of Inception, so to speak. For every one of these projects, Carlos displays both single images and final prints. The lesson to be taken from this outstanding portfolio is quite straightforward: Dare to be bold.
A single static image on a white page. That’s how Carmen welcomes visitors to her website. This simple display is a great representation of her work, where the subject is always the star. In most of her photos, Carmen uses colorful makeup and props to make the models stand out. In others, she achieves this effect with strong contrasts and repetitive compositions. Either way, the final result makes it very hard for viewers to look away.
Carmen’s portfolio is all about balance, both on her photos and her website. Bright colors with traditional framing. Bold poses with flat backgrounds. Structured galleries with images that break the order. A powerful display of energy in an otherwise neutral environment. Ever heard of the yin and yang? Keep it in mind when building your portfolio and good things will come your way.
Transform Your Life By Transforming Your Habits – Darius Foroux
Where you are in your life is a result of your habits. Will Durant (not Aristotle) said it best:
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
I think that’s also true for the opposite of excellence. Mediocrity is a result of mediocre habits.
That means we can go from mediocrity to excellence by changing our habits.
But how do you do that? Before we get into that, I want to clarify my statement: Habits change your life, but they do not guarantee success.
Because that’s what “the habits of millionaires” type of articles and books tell us. We get it, Elon Musk sleeps 2 hours a day and eats Cheerios for dinner—or something like that.
But what the writers of those type of moronic articles hide from you, the reader, is that correlation doesn’t mean causation.
Waking up early, working hard, and taking cold showers do not cause success. No one illustrates that point better than Nassim Taleb, who wrote this in Fooled By Randomness:
“Hard work, showing up on time, wearing a clean (preferably white) shirt, using deodorant, and some such conventional things contribute to success—they are certainly necessary but may be insufficient as they do not cause success.”
So when I talk about habits, I don’t talk about outcomes. I talk about changing our actual behavior so that it improves the quality of our lives.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s my four-step process for making life-changing habits stick.
Step 1: Decide what habits are worth it
Look, I can talk to you about the habits that have changed my life habits all day long, but that’s not helpful. The reason is that only YOU can decide what a good habit is.
Deciding if a habit is worth it to you is critical to forming new habits. Too often we hear about something, and we think: “I should do that!”
Really? Should I wake up an hour earlier? Should I take cold showers? Should I eat like a cave person? Should I run every day?
Maybe waking up early is actually helpful to you. I don’t know. When I wake up early, I behave like a grumpy old man who hates people—that deteriorates the quality of my life.
Hence, I don’t wake up very early (7 AM or earlier) no matter how many people tell me it will make me successful.
Just ask yourself this:
“Will habit x improve the quality of my life?”
The reason you want to ask yourself that question is that we all need a reason to change. We need something that’s bigger than superficial reasons.
“I want to read one book a week,” you might say. Why? So you can do what? What’s your vision? What are your goals?
For example, I read two books a week because I’m a teacher/trainer. I need to learn every single day so I can do my job better. I do strength training because I want to be a useful person. I do many chores around my house and the office. I want to make and fix things. I need to be in good shape to lift heavy things or do strenuous tasks.
That’s my why. What’s yours? Answer that. And then, adopt habits that bring you closer to the things you want in life.
Step 2: Focus on one habit at a time
I wrote about how I successfully formed a daily exercise habit. It was something I tried to do for years.
There were many reasons I failed, one of them is that I always tried to form a million habits at the same time.
I don’t know why, but sometimes I get on this whole self-improvement spree. I feel like reading more, writing more, working more, living better, eating healthier, you name it.
It’s best to hold back the enthusiasm if you’re the same. In general, when you do too many things at the same time, you end up with chaos.
And you always end up right back where you started. Sounds familiar?
One of the reasons we try to do so many things at the same time is that we overestimate ourselves. We think we can achieve a lot in a short period. That’s false.
We can achieve A LOT over a long period. That’s true.
So focus on one thing at a time. Stack one habit on top of the other, one by one (just like in this post’s image, at the top).
Step 3: Set the bar very low
We often want to do big things, without understanding it. Starting a business or building a career requires effort. In fact, everything in life that’s remotely valuable requires a lot of work to achieve.
So before we do something big, let’s start small. Similarly, before you change the world, change yourself first. Leo Tolstoy, the author of War and Peace, put it best:
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
Focus on small things. Build a strong foundation. Without it, we can never achieve anything meaningful.
• Want to run daily? Start by walking.
• Want to write a book? Write once sentence.
• Want to start a business? Get one client.
• Want to read two books a week? Read one page a day.
• Want to save for your retirement? Don’t buy another shirt you’re only going to wear once.
• Etc.
Big things follow by themselves.
Step 4: Use checklists
I forget everything. A few years ago, I started a daily reading habit. I messed up very often in the beginning.
I would read for five or six days straight, and then all of a sudden, I would completely forget about it.
It’s like the desire for reading more just vanished from my head.
You want to do something. You do it. And then you forget about it. Shit happens, right?
No, that’s weak. Don’t let yourself off the hook like that.
We must use checklists to remind ourselves of what we’re trying to achieve. Remember: We form habits to transform our lives—to make things BETTER.
Check off your habits daily. One day, you’ll be surprised by how much your life changed by such, seemingly, small habits. At least, that’s what happened to me and the thousands of other people who focus on their habits. And I’m sure it will happen to you too.
Want to get my personal habits checklist?
Register for my free webinar, Small Habits. During this live 50-minute training, I teach how to make a BIG life transformation by focusing on small habits—just like I did. I’m also giving away my personal habits checklist that I use every day. Register by clicking below.
— Read on dariusforoux.com/transform-your-habits/
100 Stylish Summer Sunglasses
From Designer Bottle Glasses to Double-Framed Sunnies
There is nothing quite as lovely as a bright summer day, and these amazing summer sunglasses will have you looking out your window and either hoping for some sunshine or enjoying the current weather.
Regardless of what the weather is like now, you can rest assured that the sun will come out to play soon, and that is more than enough motivation to enjoy browsing these summer sunglasses and get inspired to get a little creative with your eyewear this year.
Whether you want to experiment with human hair-rimmed sunglasses, or you want to pick up a retro pair of cat-eye shades, these summer sunglasses will make you want to ditch your old pair of aviators and get wild.
What Is a Social Media Influencer and How to Become One
An influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. Social media influencers have access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach. Since the rise of social media, influencers have become a major trend. These are ‘ordinary’ people who have earned a substantial following due to their expertise and transparency. They are being used more and more by companies to grab the attention of millennials as this group is less receptive to traditional marketing techniques. Brands purposely seek out influencers who create content that subtly pushes a product or service. The partnership between the brand and influencer is mutually beneficial. The company successfully reaches their target audience while the influencer is paid and continues to grow their following.
Now, trying to become a social media influencer is an even more onerous venture. You have some work to do before you’ll be able to get 9.2 million views on a video of you reading mean comments about your dog like the aforementioned Miss Marbles or even the 11 million views on how to make “galaxy slime” from DIY channel, Threadbanger. The road to those number of views is a long one, but it’s not impossible to be an influencer in your industry with the right approach.
By following the steps below, you’ll be on your way to growing your following, attracting the attention of brands and successfully becoming a social media influencer.
01. Find your topic (and get obsessed)
The first thing you want to do is find the subject that you’ll be covering across your social channels. The more specific, the better, as there will be less competition. However, try not to choose a subject that is too niche, as you may end up tweeting yourself into a corner. Find something that you’re genuinely interested in that has a following of its own and dive into it. It can be a passion from childhood, a hobby in which you’ve developed outstanding skills, or your professional expertise: the important factor is to be passionate about what you’re going to talk about. Bringing the passion has two major benefits: first, you won’t get bored, and it will tell in your videos, tweets or other outlets. Secondly, passion is a strong engine for quality: the more adamant you are about your topic, the more convincing you are.
Once you know what you’re going to cover, consume everything about the subject you possibly can. Stay on top of your chosen topic by following related news and blogs as much as you’re able to. If there’s something new in the industry, you want to know about it and you want to be able to give your two cents on your social channels. Assess your perspective by getting the story from many outlets and see how your opinion or view differs. Highlighting this difference allows you to stand out and provide valuable information to your audience.
02. Make a plan
Once you’ve chosen a topic and are well seasoned in the subject, it’s time to strategize. This includes making a plan with your content strategy and answering questions like: what is your persona? Your message? The tone that resonates with your target audience? This is also the time to get all of your ducks in a row to organize how and when you will produce, edit, and publish your content. Making a schedule at least a month into the future will allow you to easily maneuver choppy waters if you run into hiccups at the beginning of your journey. Do your research on what’s the acceptable number of times to post per day on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Dig even further to find out what days and times are most popular (for your audience) to post as well. Knowing these things ahead of time will help you define your schedule going forward.
03. Get social
If you really go all-in to become a social media influencer, you will need to find the networks that fit within your industry and target audience. It may be best to start with one or two major channels (like YouTube and Instagram) in the beginning. The idea is to stay consistent, so it’s important to not take on more than you can bear. Still, it’s recommended to sign up to all networks in order to secure your user handle. For each network that you sign up for, write up a solid biography with relevant links to your other social channels or website so your audience can easily find you. It should feel like you are EVERYWHERE. Keep the same tone and description across all the platforms that you open. Also, when signing up to social networks be sure to go for the “business” account if available. These types of accounts provide much better metrics to track your posts and allow you to create paid promotions when you’re ready.
04. Remember: content is king
Hope you like creating content, because that’s really what being a social media influencer is all about, and it will be around 90% of what you’re doing. Here are some key factors to keep in mind when planning your content:
Consistently produce content: Social media moves fast and if you think you can go a week or two without posting and expect the same following when you return, you might want to reassess your goals. Your content should also remain fresh and relevant. This means identifying trends you see on social media with others in your industry and responding accordingly with content of your own. It will likely take some time, but you’ll need to find a balance of trending content and content that is uniquely yours to share on your channel. Keeping up with trends is one thing, but your biggest challenge may actually be to know the trends before they are labeled as “trends”.
Mind your hashtags: Hashtags (represented by the symbol #) allow you to further your reach to people also following that hashtag – they’re essentially a universal language that allow you to pop up in places you might not, normally. Researching trending and relevant hashtags is important, which will require you to do some digging within posts that cover your chosen subject. Hashtags on both Twitter and Instagram are very much worth your time to get right, but surprisingly, they don’t matter on Facebook and YouTube for the success of your posts. Also, note that depending on the network you’re posting to, the number of hashtags is also important. Curious to know more about this magical symbol and its power? Find out more in this complete guide on everything you need to know about hashtags.
Experiment with all types of formats: It’s 2018 and social networks have considerably evolved, coming up with new revolutionary ways to post your content. Instagram is no longer just for photos but also for posting Stories – which are photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours but have amazing exposure potential. Another example: almost all social networks have some sort of “live” option that will stream what you’re doing in real-time (something you should be taking advantage of). The “live” craze looks like it won’t be stopping anytime soon and for good reason. Influencers can use live streams to give their audience a glimpse of what goes on “behind the scenes,” which can help build trust between them and their customers. For a budding social media influencer like yourself, a live video can show your followers a more personal, off the cuff presentation.
Even if hosting live streams or other less traditional posting methods don’t become your primary method, a social media influencer should be well rehearsed with the tools they are given. Meaning, you should at least know what they do and how to use them. Knowing the tools of the social media landscape is what sets you apart from an everyday user and an influencer.
05. Build your community
An important part of building a following is engaging with them. There are a couple of ways to do this, for example: responding every time someone comments on one of your posts is simple but shows your audience that you’re a “real person.” You’ll also want to invite your audience to engage with you and let them know that you would like to hear from them by telling them to leave a comment or ask a question.
Going back to the “live” way of doing things, it provides an opportunity for your audience to reach out to you in the most direct way possible. Host a Q&A or even ask your audience for advice on something to let them know they are being heard. If you’re producing video content, end a video by posing a question and start your next video with some of the answers you received. A community heard is a community that feels loved.
06. Don’t buy your followers
Hey, you know what’s a terrible idea? Buying your followers, that’s what! The road to whatever success you’re seeking is likely a long one, but buying followers to give the illusion that people like what you’re doing not only sets you up for failure, but it’s also just lame. Don’t do it, as it will only hurt you in the long run. It’s important to stay open and honest with your following. Even if that means starting small, it will only be a matter of time till your following grows and blossoms into a loyal and trusting community.
07. Network IRL (In real life)
A long time ago, there was this old-fashioned concept where people would gather in the same location and talk to each other face to face. On purpose! In fact, if you look for them, you can still find these “analog” social gatherings. Attending networking events is a great way to get to know others in your industry, which could help spawn a future collaboration.
08. Further your reach with a stunning website
Just because you’re aiming to be an influencer in social media doesn’t mean your presence should stop there. Having a website or blog (or a website with a blog) gives you yet another place for people to find you. Having a blog dedicated to the happenings in your industry will only further solidify your place as an influencer. Plus, you can easily share your blog posts to your social channels. Creating a website is easier than ever thanks to all the available ready-made templates
If you have unique content shared across multiple social channels, your website can be a great place to showcase it all together. For example, take food blogger and Instagram influencer, Jeremy Jacobowitz from Brunch Boys – his website is home to his blog posts, YouTube feed, links to his social media and press coverage. Now that’s the way to do it!
Rhett & Link
09. Get active on forums
If there’s a dedicated forum(s) to the industry or subject you cover, make your presence known there. Not only can you help share your knowledge (and links to your social channels), you may end up learning a thing or two from other industry experts while you’re at it. While being active on other forums is great don’t let that stop you from creating your own. You can keep the conversation going by adding Wix Forum to your website.
10. Collaborate with other influencers and brands
While your primary focus, in the beginning, should be to create and release great content and slowly but surely bud out your community, you will eventually want to look into collaborating with others. Whether it’s another influencer in the same (or different) industry, or a business looking to tackle your target audience’s demographics, partnering up can be a fun and mutually beneficial endeavor. If you already have an idea of who you’d like to collaborate with, be sure that they align with your values and have a similar following (you want to appeal to their audience and vice versa).
Before jumping off the deep end, be sure you’ve waded the water first. Follow them on their social channels and engage accordingly. Be tactful and not tacky. Don’t come off as super “extra” to your potential collab partner. You’re trying to show genuine interest and respect, so don’t go overboard with comments and emojis. Pitch them with a proper email or DM. Be upfront, state your intentions, show enthusiasm, and be as personable as possible.
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