As a freelance designer/filmmaker just starting out, I’ve been researching a lot of online portfolios to study best practices for creating my own portfolio site. Along the way, I’ve discovered that many of the portfolios for artists, photographers, and illustrators are incredibly beautiful on their own. While most of these artists create these sites to show off their work for commercial reasons, visiting their sites has the same appeal to me as gallery-hopping despite not having the intention to buy.
Like a gallery, each of these sites is crafted to sell the work or gained future commissioned work. That means that like a gallery, each site tries its best to create a beautiful environment for the work it is promoting. The result can be an amazing introduction to an artist that might have escaped your radar, or better yet access to some excellent art even if you aren’t living in a major city.
A great place to get started on your search is Smashing Magazine, an online designer’s magazine that regularly showcases portfolio websites. The post 35 Beautiful Photography Websites is a good collection to start with, but warning: you may find yourself browsing a little too long!
