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Photographer Michel Porro takes absolutely stunning portraits that span a wide variety of genres. From musicians to actors to corporate professionals, the imagery is crisp, clean, and beautiful. We found that his website design also evokes these same elements – and couldn’t wait to feature it this week.

Read on to see what he had to say about his website’s creation, and don’t forget to check out all his photos at www.michelporro.com.

Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of your website in three words?

MP: Light (bright and not “heavy”), Modern, Clean.

Q: How do you choose the photos that you display on your homepage?

MP: We like to display a mix of different portrait situations in the homepage slideshow. The competition for attention is intense. Millions of visuals speak to our imagination – a good picture becomes the message. We remember only the most engaging and remarkable images. The homepage is the prime chance to deliver an “elevator pitch” in just a few seconds. It is the portal and “switch” to invite the visitor into the realm of the photographer’s creative vision. liveBooks stands out because its technical and creative developers really understand the power and value of this initial impact.

Q: How often do you update your website?

MP: Not often to be honest. Four times per year and then only slight additions. I believe in stability. There is no use to constantly change. It really is about the display of a constant quality of the body of work and once the train is rolling, no need to adapt too often.

Q: What is your favorite feature that liveBooks offers?

MP: The full screen view. This is awesome.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to someone designing their website?

MP: This really is the most important question. The website is an invitation inside the heart of the business of the entrepreneur. The site is often a one-off chance to introduce the business. The presentation has to be convincing and inspiring at the same time. There have to be two winners; the business owner and the customer. Only then will there be a fruitful cooperation between the two.

Therefore, the design and the construction of the website have to be fully in line with the philosophy of the business. The business owner has to be well aware of his/her strengths and his/her medium to long term goals and purpose in professional and personal life. This really is key. A photographer, for example, needs to be able to define his/her goals and pinpoint why it is that he/she has chosen this profession (other than paying the bills and being creative, etc.)

The design and the look and feel of a website is the result from this internal investigation and discussion. It will be much easier to work with a designer of the website if the photographer has a more clear vision and knows why he/she has actually chosen this profession. They will then be able to more specifically choose a targeted client base and the style that supports reaching out to this market segment.

Usually a younger photographer hasn’t really worked this all out. Some experienced pro’s neither, for that matter. Still, I encourage both photographers and the designers of their websites to really think and talk about the underlying purpose in an early stage of their career. I believe the involvement in this process by designers can be upped a bit. Designers are trained to design and not so much to have a serious discussion about the purpose of their client’s life. I understand that. Still, these discussions will help both the designer and the client to create the best possible product that will help the client reach their goals.

It can be easily implemented in the web design process by simply asking a few questions. Where would you like to be in 18 months from now? Name three clients that you’d love to have in your portfolio in six month’s time. What kind of photography would you like to do if money was not an issue? Or, do you love photography so much that you would still do it even if you weren’t getting paid for it? These questions make the client ponder about their real purpose in professional and personal life. I believe the designer has a shared responsibility to start these discussions in order to be able to best help the client.

Have a website you’d like us to feature? Email us at social@livebooks.com!