🥯 | Nobody's reading your About page (here's why)


Hello Reader,

Your About page isn't a résumé. It's the moment a stranger decides whether they like you — and whether they trust you enough to hand over their money and show up in front of your camera. Most photographers treat it like a bio submission for a college application: chronological, credential-heavy, and completely forgettable.

If someone lands on your About page and leaves without feeling anything, that's not a writing problem. It's a connection problem.

The single most important element on your About page is your opening line. Not your name. Not how long you've been shooting. The first sentence needs to stop the scroll — something that speaks directly to how your ideal client feels right now, or says something unexpected enough to make them want to keep reading. "I've been a photographer for 12 years" is not that line. "You deserve to feel confident in front of a camera, not terrified" is closer.

After the hook, give them emotional context.

Why do you do this work? What do you actually care about? This doesn't mean oversharing — it means being specific enough to be real. Clients aren't just hiring a camera operator. They're hiring someone they'll spend an hour with in a vulnerable moment. They want to know there's a human being on the other side of the lens who gets it. One honest paragraph about your why does more selling than a list of awards ever will.

Then establish your authority or relatability — ideally both. This is where credentials, experience, or your specialty can live, but keep it brief and frame it around the client's benefit. Not "I studied at XYZ and have shot 300 sessions" but "I specialize in helping business owners who hate being photographed walk away with images they actually want to use." See the difference? One is about you. The other is about them.

Finally, look at the photo you're using. A blurry candid, a heavily filtered selfie, or a stiff headshot from 2016 quietly undermines everything your words are trying to build.

Your About page photo should feel intentional — warm, approachable, and consistent with the experience you're selling. If your brand is polished and high-end, your photo should match. If your brand is relaxed and real, the same rule applies. The goal is simple: by the time someone finishes reading your About page, they should think, "I like this person." That feeling is what books sessions.

Have a great one!

Doug Mattice

Photographer • Educator • Business Strategist

"Helping Photographers Build a Business That Pays Consistently"

​www.dougmattice.com​


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Doug Mattice

The Business Bagel: Daily Strategies To help Portrait & Branding Photographers Book Premium Clients

I help professional photographers replace guesswork with clarity, confidence, and a business that pays consistently. I envision a future where photographers run profitable businesses that support the life they want, with clear direction, and dependable income.

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