FREE ON EVERY PLAN
Build a photography website from the galleries you already use.
Choose a starter template, add your photos, and make the pages fit your work. ShootCal Websites connects your portfolio to the same galleries you send to clients. The builder, slider headers, and all six looks are free on every plan.
Free on every plan!
Every ShootCal Galleries studio can use the website builder. Free accounts have a main page plus a Contact page with the ShootCal booking calendar. Plus and Pro include Home, Weddings, Engagements, Families, and Contact, plus one extra page you can name yourself—six pages total.
Your gallery photos
Choose the work you want on your website.
Upload a photo gallery in ShootCal Galleries, then select to place it on a page. Gallery blocks use those existing photos, so you don't have to upload another copy. Visitors can open the full gallery to browse, choose favorites, download, or order prints, depending on the settings you've enabled.
A separate choice for your website
Website galleries is the set you choose for the builder. Marking a gallery doesn't publish it. Place it on a page and publish the site when you're ready to show it.
Public and Link only galleries
Both can be used on your website. If you publish a Link only gallery there, anyone visiting the site can see its photos and open the gallery. It stays unlisted elsewhere. Password-protected galleries can't be added.
Instagram links now; a full feed is coming
The Contact block can link to your Instagram profile. A social feed block is still being prepared for general release soon that will highlight your recent Instagram photos.
Editing
Start with a look, then make it your own.
Choose Glass, Editorial, or Aperture, each in a light or dark version. Add your logo, choose your fonts and colors, then open a page to edit its text and move the blocks. The same blocks and looks are available to every studio. Free includes a main page and Contact. Plus and Pro include six pages and let you connect your own domain.
Slider headersNew
Show two to six photos at the top of any page. Choose each photo's focus point and description, then set the heading and buttons. Visitors can use the arrows or swipe between photos on a phone.
Multiple pages to work with
Free starts with Home and Contact. Plus and Pro include the five starter pages plus one extra page for About, Newborn, Seniors, or anything else you photograph. Rename pages, change their addresses, reorder the menu, or hide them until you need them.
Publish when the draft is ready
Your edits save to a private draft. Publish puts them on the site. Unpublish takes the site offline while keeping the draft and its history.
Preview an earlier version
The builder autosaves after a pause. Save a checkpoint before a bigger change, then use History to preview an earlier version and restore it as a draft.
Built with SEO in mind
Pages are optimized for SEO and search results, with readable page content, mobile-friendly layouts, and a title and description you can customize for each page.
Booking
Let visitors check dates before they write.
Once your ShootCal booking page is set up, add it to your website. Visitors can choose a session type and see your availability. The Contact form sends inquiries to your account email, so you can reply from the inbox you already use.
Your own domain
Use your own website and gallery addresses.
On Plus and Pro, you can connect www.yourstudio.com to your website and galleries.yourstudio.com to client galleries. Hosting and secure connections are included for both.
Your website address
Use your www address for your portfolio, service pages, and contact information.
Your gallery address
Keep client gallery, download, and print-store links under your galleries address.
ShootCal links still work
Connecting a custom domain keeps your existing ShootCal addresses working, including links you have already sent to clients.
See three photography websites built with ShootCal
Take a look through Seaside Studio, Marsh & Magnolia, and my Ryan Smith Photography gallery site. Each uses a different look. Marsh & Magnolia uses slider headers for its portfolio pages and a regular header on Contact.
Seaside and Marsh & Magnolia are fictional example studios. My site shows how I use the builder alongside my client galleries. Open a gallery card to try the photo viewer too.
ShootCal Websites
What does beta mean here?
You can build and publish a website now, with autosave and revision history. The builder is still being improved as photographers use it and send feedback.
Is it really free?
Yes. New Free websites include a main page and Contact. Plus and Pro include six pages and a custom domain. Existing Free websites keep their five-page allowance.
Do I have to upload my photos again?
Gallery blocks use photos from the galleries you select for your website. Slider Header, Hero, and About photos use the website's separate image library, where you upload photos for those blocks.
Can I show my Instagram feed on the site?
An Instagram feed block is being prepared for general release. For now, the Contact block can link to your Instagram profile, and you can link to individual posts from a Text block.
What happens to my galleries page?
It keeps its own address. Your website and gallery portfolio are separate pages, so publishing a website doesn't replace the gallery links you've already shared.
Can I take the website down?
Yes. Unpublish takes the website offline and redirects visitors to your gallery portfolio. Your draft and retained history stay saved for later.
How much can I change?
Choose any of the six looks and change the text, photos, blocks, fonts, colors, corners, shadows, and logo. Add a Slider Header to any page. You can also rename, reorder, hide, restore, and change the addresses of the pages included in your plan.
Is it a replacement for a full custom website?
It works well for a photography portfolio with service pages, galleries, availability, and a contact form. It doesn't currently include a blog, a general online shop, or custom page templates. Those needs may call for a larger website platform.
Can I use my own domain?
Yes, on Plus and Pro. Connect www.yourstudio.com for the website and galleries.yourstudio.com for client galleries. Each is set up separately, and your existing ShootCal addresses keep working.