Russ Jackson is an extremely talented photographer with a successful North London studio, specialising in newborn photography. Russ wanted to create a unique brand identity which would really appeal to his target audience, but also a website that would meet all the needs of his rapidly expanding business. The website needed to reflect his new brand architecture; with Newborn, Portrait, Maternity and Academy divisions – each linked, but holding a slightly different appeal to different clients. It also needed to provide a smooth enquiry system, host a range of easily customisable galleries and allow visitors to view an ever growing range of international workshops – then book and pay for their placements, while ensuring stock limits where not exceeded.
Squarespace was the perfect platform to host such a website; it is highly customisable and really lends itself to websites with strong visuals. With such incredible photography to draw on, the goal was really to ensure the design and layouts drew all the attention to the imagery with minimum distraction. We decided that a visitor to the homepage should be shown only relevant information as soon as possible – and so a series of hero banners illustrate the four sections of the website. After scrolling past the about section, the visitor is then given a choice as to which section they require. This ensures they are taken straight to a section where all the images they see will be relevant to them, and the descriptive text and FAQs should resonant with each category of visitor in a way that simply couldn’t be achieve with a free-for-all mixture of galleries.
It was important that the website followed the look and feel set by the branding; establishing Russ as a leader in his industry and conveying a sense of the elegance and natural style which has made his photography so popular.
Case Study
Opportunity
For photographers, a website is more than a portfolio — it’s the stage where credibility, artistry, and enquiry all converge. Russ Jackson needed a digital presence that could showcase high-end photography with elegance while remaining practical for client outreach and ongoing updates.
Objectives (Business + User)
- Present photography in a way that feels immersive and premium.
- Ensure visitors can quickly navigate to key genres and recent work.
- Make contact and booking pathways clear and unobtrusive.
- Deliver a CMS that allows seamless content updates without design compromise.
UX Insight & Strategy
Audiences browsing photography websites are highly visual, skimming imagery before reading. The UX was structured to foreground large-format visuals, supported by concise text, with a narrative that introduces Russ’s style, presents selected galleries, and maintains an easy path to enquiry at every point.
Design System & Content
- UI & Typography: Minimal, understated type allows the photography to remain the hero.
- Palette: A restrained black-and-white framework with subtle accents supports contrast and drama without competing with the images.
- Imagery: Full-bleed and grid-based layouts showcase both single striking shots and curated collections.
- Components: Custom gallery modules, enquiry forms, and project navigation create a smooth user journey across devices.
Interaction & Performance
- Motion: Gentle fade and slide effects provide polish while letting the work take centre stage.
- Performance: Optimised image handling ensures fast load times without compromising quality.
- CMS: WordPress implementation allows the photographer to add new galleries and blog posts with ease.
Competitive Edge Now
The site delivers a gallery experience that feels immersive and refined — a step above template-based photographer websites. Clear pathways to contact reduce friction for potential clients, while the crafted layouts communicate professionalism at a glance.
What This Enables
Russ Jackson’s online presence is now positioned to attract discerning clients, showcase evolving work with minimal effort, and build a reputation for quality through a digital portfolio that mirrors the artistry of his photography.
I specialise in branding, logo and web design for photographers – see some other projects I’ve worked on in the Photography industry here.