Written by: Maria Tzili
@maria.tzili.photography | mariatzili.com
At a networking event last week, I noticed something interesting. Not a single potential client asked for my website. Everyone asked for my Instagram.
There was a time when the portfolio website was the final destination. It was where photographers and creatives in general sent people when they wanted to be taken seriously. A website felt official. It had a homepage, an about page, a contact form, carefully selected images, and perhaps a few words about process. It was polished, controlled, and complete. But that may also be the problem. A traditional portfolio is often a little too complete. It is a room that has already been tidied before the guest arrives. Everything is selected, edited and arranged. It shows what we want people to see, but not always how we think, how we work, or what we are doing now. In fast-moving creative industries, that can make a website feel strangely static, even when the work itself is strong. In a world where you are always supposed to develop and evolve, how can you even come up with a final, complete outcome?
Social media galleries, especially Instagram, have changed what people expect from a portfolio. Clients no longer just want to see polished final images; they want signs of life. They want to know whether you are active, current, consistent, and someone they could comfortably work with. For photographers, this matters because Instagram can show more than finished work: it can reveal the mood of a shoot, the behind-the-scenes process, the way you direct people, the clients who trust you, and the rhythm of your practice. It turns the portfolio from a finished book into an ongoing conversation. They are replacing them because they answer a different question.
A website says: “This is what I have done.”
A social gallery says: “This is who I am becoming.”
That difference matters. For many clients, especially those booking creative services, trust is built through repetition. They may not contact you the first time they see your work. They may watch your stories, notice your tone, see how you respond to people, look at recent posts, and slowly form a sense of familiarity. By the time they send a message, they may feel they already know you.
Of course, there are risks. Social media rewards speed, frequency and visibility, not always depth or quality, and it can make creative work feel like a constant performance for the algorithm. There is also the issue of ownership: a website belongs to you, while a social profile sits on rented land. So perhaps Instagram is not fully replacing the traditional portfolio, but changing its role. Instagram is often the first impression, while the website becomes the place for reassurance, clarity, booking details and a more curated archive. The modern portfolio may need both: a social gallery that feels alive, and a website that feels stable. The portfolio is not dead; it has simply learned to scroll.
Maria Tzili is a London-based photographer and arts educator specialising in documentary-style family photography. Her work explores how to capture meaningful memories in an effortless way, valuing the experience of the shoot just as much as the final images.
