Top Tips for Your Author Website Photos
Good photos can make a surprisingly big difference to an author website.
If you’re investing in a professional website, there’s a strong chance it makes sense to invest in professional photography, too.
You don’t necessarily need a huge, elaborate photoshoot. But having a small collection of really good photos of you — rather than relying on that one decent headshot from five years ago — gives your website designer so much more to work with.
Here’s what I’d think about before you book your photographer.
Some of my clients arrange a mini session, where they come away with two or three good “headshot” photos.
Other clients — especially those with nonfiction titles, who also have a consulting or speaking business — invest in a longer shoot, sometimes called a brand photoshoot.
The point isn't to create a library of hundreds of photos. It's to give you a useful little bank of images that you can use in lots of different places.
What to tell your author website photographer
A good photographer should take a strong interest in, and ask you about:
How you plan to use the photos
The overall vibe of how you want to come across (serious? friendly? creative? quirky? expert? relatable?)
Any specific requests from your website designer
Here are my top tips for what to tell your photographer, and things for you to think about, ahead of time:
If possible, prioritize landscape orientation over portrait — this tends to work better for impactful web pages.
Ask for plenty of empty space, especially with you off-center looking into that space (I can then crop the image in different ways for different purposes)
Definitely aim for at least one appealing headshot, that can be cropped to a square
If there is a chance that any photos will be edited so that you appear “isolated” on a blank background, be sure your photographer gets your whole body in at least one shot. Cropped limbs look very strange when isolated!
Light backgrounds are typically more versatile than dark, unless your author brand is dark and moody (for example, you write thrillers or want a very dramatic vibe on your website)
If you have any inkling of your book cover colors, don't wear anything that clashes! But you don't need to match perfectly, either
If you are already a published author, a few photos of you holding or next to your other title(s) is a great idea
Ask your photographer for full resolution file size, and check that your website designer will resize as needed, depending on use.
As well as your website, you may also be using one or more of these photos on your book cover, social media profiles, speaker sheet, and when another site or event features you as a guest.
Just for fun: a peek at some of the shortlisted images from my own brand photoshoot with Kristina Rust.
More inspiration
For additional inspiration, take a look at:
This earlier blog post from me, What Photos Do You Need on Your Author Website?
This Pinterest board with several "bookish" pics that my photographer, Kristina Rust, found:
I also admired the work in this blog post by photographer Abby Grace, which features several bookish pics and plenty of lifestyle feel
My clients Lisa Ramelow and Karyn Kedar got very pleasing results from professional photography
And there are several examples of strong author website photography in my round-up of Best Squarespace Author Websites
The good news is that you don’t need dozens of photos. A handful of really useful images can go a surprisingly long way — especially if your photographer gives you a mixture of orientations, crops and settings.
Next steps
If you’re planning a new author website with me, please involve me before your photoshoot if you can! Based on our discussion during your Author Website Clarity Call, I’ll be happy to give you specific guidance about what would work particularly well for your site.
Learn more about working with me, and then inquire here.
Popular resources for a powerful author website
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