Customers look at your photos before they read a single word of your description. Your portfolio is your storefront. If the photos don't convince them in the first 5 seconds of scrolling, they're not going to read your beautifully crafted description or your carefully priced packages.
Here's what actually matters.
What to Photograph
Finished work in real settings. Not staging, not practice runs. Customers want to see what you delivered at an actual event. A caterer's best photo is a buffet line at a real wedding, not a test plate in your kitchen. A decorator's best photo is the full reception hall setup, not a single flower arrangement on your dining table.
Variety across events. If you've worked 10 Nigerian weddings, don't upload 10 photos from the same one. Show different venues, different setups, different scales. This tells customers you're experienced across different situations, not a one-event wonder.
The details and the big picture. For every wide shot of a full room setup, include a close-up of the details, the centerpiece, the food presentation, the fabric texture, the table setting. Customers want to see both your vision and your craftsmanship.
Happy people when appropriate. A photo of guests gathered around a jollof rice station laughing is more compelling than a sterile shot of the food alone. People at events create emotional context that styled photos don't have. Just make sure you have permission to use photos with identifiable people.
What Not to Upload
Low-resolution or poorly lit images. A dark, blurry photo from across the room with a phone camera does more harm than having no photo at all. If you don't have professional shots from an event, a few well-lit phone photos taken up close are better than distant, grainy ones.
Stock photos or images that aren't your work. Customers will notice. And if they don't notice before reaching out, they'll notice when your actual work doesn't match. This damages trust permanently.
Dozens of nearly identical photos. If you have 8 photos of the same table from slightly different angles, pick the best 2. Repetitive photos pad your portfolio without adding value and make customers stop scrolling early.
Old work that no longer represents your quality. If your skills have improved significantly since your early events, retire those old photos. Your portfolio should show where you are now, not where you were three years ago.
How Many to Upload
More is better up to a point. 5 strong photos is the minimum for a credible profile. 15 to 25 is a solid range that gives customers a real sense of your work without overwhelming them. Beyond 30, make sure every additional photo earns its place.
Your plan has upload limits. Check the portfolio page or the pricing page for your tier's allowance.
Your Cover Photo
Your first portfolio image becomes your cover photo. This is the single image that appears on your vendor card in every search result, category page, and culture page. It needs to be:
Strong enough to stand alone. This photo has to make someone click without any context.
Representative of your primary service. If you're a caterer, show food. If you're a decorator, show a decorated space. Don't use a portrait of yourself unless you're in a service where you are the product (MC, officiant, musician).
High quality. This is non-negotiable. If only one photo in your portfolio is professionally shot, use it as your cover.
Well-composed. Clean background, good lighting, clear subject. Busy or cluttered photos don't work well at card size.
You can change your cover photo anytime by reordering your portfolio. Drag the image you want as your cover to the first position.
Titles and Descriptions
Each portfolio item can have a title and description. Most vendors skip these. Don't.
A title like "Yoruba Traditional Wedding, 300 guests, Hilton Dallas" gives context that makes the photo more meaningful. A description like "Full buffet setup including jollof rice, fried rice, assorted proteins, and small chops station" helps customers understand the scope of what you delivered.
These details also help customers find you more easily and differentiate you from vendors whose portfolios are just untitled images.
One Simple Rule
Before uploading any photo, ask yourself: if a potential customer saw only this one image, would it make them want to see more? If the answer is no, don't upload it. Curate ruthlessly. Five exceptional photos will outperform thirty mediocre ones every time.
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