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2012 to 2025, I have accumulated many online books as a photographer. Today in November 2024, I offer you a comparison of different book creation sites to present your online portfolio.

The sites are usable by both photographers and models. I present the list of all my photographer accounts but some are more updated than others. The photos posted online are different because there are singularities specific to each site. The article is not intended to judge the content (that has aged well) but to re-erect the platforms with a real link to the work of the same photographer. Sort by category or popularity in each country ( France, Spain, Europe, World, England, Germany). Some are completely free, others paying.

Some platforms have new features, such as posting castings, or powerful search engines. Then there are aesthetic criteria, or more or less technical functions.
Here is a comparison of 10 sites to publish your photos and create a portfolio to share online.

Website

https://lightintheeye.com

I'll start with the site where you're reading this article, This is a WordPress who used a photographer WordPress theme ( Pexeto is no longer updated ). The appearance is not very practical, The galleries pass vertically, After as it's a recent WordPress site, You can use the resolution of the photos you want, And even in a modern format like WebP. You can upload your resized photos to web or avif as these are formats supported by most browsers.

Benefits : WordPress, So you have control over everything, SEO, The presentation.
Cons : It's a dedicated site, No Spotlight, No social media features. No follow. And then you have to know about WordPress !

https://www.fabricemeuwissen.com

It is also a dedicated site, I just bought the domain name and redirected to the D platform.’Adobe portfolio. The presentation is more modern, but very little control over plugins like in a WordPress site. But frankly it can be totally enough, and it can be professional quite easily.

Benefits : Very easy to set up and maintain
Cons : it's still a site, and therefore a bit technical and tedious to set up, No social media interactions. Difficulty in creating sidepages, as the price of photographer services.

Artistic social networks

I don't know how to name the category of specialized online books like book.fr , 500px.com , Litmind.com , ModelMayhem, viewbug.com , etc, Some have features to highlight new photos published, which allows you to make yourself known to other members of the platform, but also to discover other artists you can “Follow” to get notifications of new additions. It looks like a classic social network but in a specialized version for photographers, models or other image professions.

Blueclaw.book.fr

Well first of all, This must be my oldest book, and I don't know why I chose a random nickname at the time. The Blue Claw, it must have been a distant time related to Wolverine, I don't even know anymore !

Book.fr is a real institution, The site ( or even the brand ) is very well known in France, and many photographers or models have created at one time or another in their activity a “book.fr”. The site represents all professions and not only photographers and models. You can publish your actor portfolio there, Model, Mannequin, Singer, Musician, Dancer, Photographer, Videographer, Makeup artist, hairdresser, Stylist, Image Creators, Artisan Creator, Authors.

From this point of view, It is one of the most complete and very effective for the French market.

Technically I think Book.fr and https://blueclaw.artfolio.com/ It's the same thing, just a different domain name but the book link on one , redirects to the other.

Benefits : Book.fr reference for online books in France
Cons : An aging platform, it is necessary Resize your photos before publishing them, No casting management

500px.com/fabricemeuwissen

500px.com is a site that allows you to submit your photos to a vote for 24 hours, The photo is submitted to other people who follow you and in the explore. The tags and the category in which you will place your photo allows you to compete in the subcategory ( Landscape Example, nude photo etc ). Obviously sensitive content must absolutely be identified in NSFW which stands for not safe for work = not compatible with office 😉 life . 500px has been bought back I think and the rules have become tougher, because sometimes photos are requalified in NSFW when frankly it didn't deserve it.

Benefits : very fun, Ability to judge your experience through the pulse. Acceptable general level even if the glamorous categories are not in the best taste.
Disadvantages : Not really a structured book, even if the tile view is nice to present your best photos, You'll miss sorting by Pro category.

Purpleport.com/portfolio/fabricemeuwissen

Concerning PurplePort, I admit that I had forgotten it and that I rediscovered it, even if it's far from being my favorite. For me, it was a site rather intended for the German market, and in which the participants are highly sexualized, nude, erotic, etc, moreover, the NSFW and Adult filters are very present, just like in ModelMayhem. These are probably 2 quite popular sites, but which I would only go to if I need to broaden a search in a strange country outside the European Union, not very pro-commercial, but that's just my opinion. Update March 2025, It offers an affiliate option to make developer their popularity.

Kavyar

Kavyar.com It's also not the platform I've used the most, but it has some unique features ! From a content point of view, We are sure of the quality, but much more oriented towards fashion and editorials, You can immediately see the difference in level if you go through the flow. The function I remember, It's the ability to submit photo editorials to magazines. So be careful, we're not talking about Vogue or MarieClaire but webmags with different themes, often on fashion or the nude. These are sometimes paid submissions but if you have never experienced it, Kavyar is THE platform to start with.

Litmind

For me it was the equivalent of book.fr but for the Spanish market. I went back for the article and realized that Litmind is now active in France and other countries as well. Portfolio management features are comprehensive, You can create your own albums, A real network to discover other talents, and also an interface to post your castings ( or reply to it ).

ModelMayhem.com/blueclaw

ModelMayhem is a kind of UFO for me, The interface hasn't changed in 15 years, But its advantage is that it is a global base of photographers and models. I am still contacted quite often because I had put Paris as a geographical base, I just changed it to Toulouse since I'm no longer active. I am regularly solicited by foreign models, ( Ukraine, Italy, Russian, Spanish ), but only because she wants to be paid, when frankly she should invest in their portfolio because some don't really make you want to take pictures of them. I'm not talking about their looks but only about the quality of the photographers they worked with.

ViewBug.com/member/fabricemeuwissen

Benefits : American site, Photo contests with prizes to be won, Fairly simple and active community.
Cons : Not really an online book platform. ( Off-topic !! Julia )

Institutional sites

Here again, The title could be improved , I am thinking especially of the directories of trade unions or institutional representations, There are others but I present to you the ones I joined in 2024. The UPP, The SAIF, The FFPMI

https://metiersdelimage.fr/annuaire/3183/fabrice-meuwissen

This link is my “Fact sheet” of the FFPMI , Of course, you can put your portfolio in it, But the idea is above all to say what you do and to be referenced in the directory. A map allows you to do a geographical search, as there is a reasonable number of claimants in a region, You will be able to have more relevant results because they are still professional photographers. Ideal for a wedding or maternity photographer. Industries where I have never been active.

Benefits : FFPMI quickly ranks your name in search engines, if you start, it can be interesting.
Cons : The FFPMI is more of a directory of professionals than a real online portfolio site, you will only put the most significant work of your activity. It is a paid membership to be renewed every year.

UPP Union of Professional Photographers

Coming soon ( No online file )

SAIF

https://saif.fr/recherche-auteur/?q=meuwissen , You benefit from a presence in the directory of all members, well in my case I was categorized as graphic designer while Photographer is the best description ( even if I'm far from my peak of activity ). Update and feedback to come

Paid private networks

a category that most often concerns models more than photographers, but nevertheless. At least the intention is clear, Restrict the sharing of the author's work. To be paid, in the form of a subscription to have more complete access to photo albums, ( sets ). What the MYM network defines as the’Passion Economy Industry

Mym, OnlyFans, Patreon, UnCove, BackStage, FanVue.

SEO Strategy for Photographers

I haven't checked ( again ) if each of its sites, references your site in follow or nofollow. But some bring you traffic and visibility, I guess it will never hurt your SEO. Creating an online portfolio is almost always possible in the free version. No reason not to do it except for the time it takes. Honestly, I have way too many different sites ( especially for someone who doesn't shoot anymore ! ), but as much as I reduced the premium subscriptions to each one, as much as I don't see any disadvantage in leaving them online, you just have to update them from time to time.

Have I won any contracts? ?

Yes, book.fr for example remains one of the main ones that brought me a few contracts, since the annual subscription is reasonable, You can expect to make a profit.

Have I found any models ?

For the time being, These are powerful directories to make you visible, If you are open to photo collaborations ( basically we ask you to shoot for free, another finer definition of collab would be :

A photo collaboration is the pooling of everyone's resources, for a common goal that benefits everyone

Online Book and Visibility ?

Most platforms offer cumulative statistics since the account was opened, You can go further but I list here the “Performance” of the different online portfolios, while I have never been too active to update, which is essential if you want to improve your popularity.

book.fr :

500px :

Litmind : https:litmind.com/lightintheeye , 459 Followers, 555 Likes

 

Friends and some books

Below, I list some books well done, platform-independent.

Under construction

Conclusion

A very large article, and yet I didn't go into details on each platform. You're probably waiting for me to tell you which is the best platform to publish your portfolio online, But the answer is not so obvious. It depends on your audience ( local example as a photographer of pregnant women in Toulouse ), If you like to travel ( often nude models, or commercial models )

You have corrections on this article, Reviews, Suggestions don't be shy, Contact me