How photographers can use frame mockups

If you don’t know, I also run a photography business where I focus on maternity photography. When I updated my photography website, I added a picture of a gallery wall (made with the help of a frame mockup). I did it mostly because I had access to the mockup rather than having a real strategy behind it. 
But, this picture has had a surprisingly big impact on my clients…

This blog post contains affiliate links.
But please note that I never, ever give any advice or recommendati anything that I don’t use myself and believe that others might love as much as I do.
The links are for no extra cost to you.

Blog post updated January 2024

What do your photography clients really want?

You might have heard the famous quote by Seth Godin.

“People don’t buy paint, they buy painted walls”

What it means is that your clients aren’t buying photographs.
They are buying the result.

– A framed photo that is hanging on their wall!

An image full of impact

This has become very clear to me since I added this picture here above on my sales page. Cause the majority of my clients have, in one way or another, mentioned this picture to me. 

In our email conversations, they sent me screenshots of this picture from my website, telling me they dream about a wall like that. 

During our sessions, they mentioned that they can’t wait to create a gallery wall like the one on the picture they have seen on my website.

I have also received an email where a client has shown their result, thanking me for this particular picture cause it was so easy for them to create their wall after looking at it.

Where to find these kinds of mockups

I have three places where you can find mockups, including frames for your work.

Haute Stock

As I mentioned, I added the mockup on my website just because I already had access to it, and it was via my HauteStock membership. There are plenty of frame mockups in their library (now also including the Frama collection from Moyo mentioned below)
The membership includes Canva templates for literally everything: Reel templates, marketing guides, stock videos, and graphic illustrations.

You get 15% off any of their subscription plans using my link below!
Have a closer look here.

Example of a frame mockup from HauteStock

Moyo Studios

This is my other favorite when it comes to stock photos and mockups. I mainly use their tech mockups to showcase my designs. But they have a whole collection named Frama just for frames here. 

The most fantastic part about Moyo Studios is that their mockups come both as jpg files and PSD files with Smart Layers. If you have never worked with Smart Layers in Photoshop before, it means that you place your photo in a layer, and then it is perfectly placed into the frame. Instruction on how to do that is included in the purchase, and it’s very easy. You can also see how easy it is in the video at the end of this post.

Using the code DESIGNSBYJOSEPHINE, you will get 15% off any of the collections at Moyo Studios.

Example of Mockup from the Frame collection from MoyoStudio.

Canva

What can you not do in Canva? Of course, you can find a few mockup pictures for frames here. 

Just search for “mockup frame” in the Elements section and you will get some good results. You can filter your search to only show the free images (if you are a pro user you got more options).

My recommendation

But I would actually suggest any of the first two options above, just simply because you get what you pay for. 

Both solutions will cost you around $30. I won’t say it’s not much money, cause it’s still a decent amount and I know myself how it is to be on a budget. 

But it is a quite small amount compared to what you will get for it. You have images that will give you a more professional and exclusive approach.

And as you get several pictures in the same style it will make it easy for you to show up with consistency and to use several of the images together. 

Plus that you support other small business owners, just like yourself. 

The reason why I love both HauteStock and Moyo Studios so much is that their mockups really look authentic. 

There are so many options for mockups out there that give a bit of an “unreal” feeling. You can say that it’s a mockup because it has a digital look. I’m sure you know what I mean.

But the mockups these both services provide are sophisticated, with an environment that is clean, bright, and modern and that speaks to females. 

I believe that the majority of our clients (no matter if it’s wedding, family, or senior photography) are women. As they are the ones that are booking sessions with us.
And these pictures help to communicate directly to them as they show what it is they desire as the end result.

Not only on my website

In my photography business, I send my clients a printing guide when I deliver my galleries. In there, I tell them how they can in the best way possible print their images. This guide is now full of mockup pictures. 

Please note that I do not create new mockups with those specific clients’ pictures, I use earlier galleries just for inspiration. 

But if you are selling products, I believe this can be a great way to send inspiration to your clients including their pictures.

One last note

I’m a bit shocked at how big a difference this single picture has made. But I have a theory and that is that we as photographers easily can create a picture of the end result in our minds.

We are creatives, it comes easy for us. Most of our clients aren’t and need some help to see and imagine what they actually are buying. 

Because people don’t buy a photography session, they buy a gallery wall

Below is a video where I show how it is to work with the three different mockups I  mention in this post. From Canva into Photoshop.

read more…

• Read about SEO for Photographers here.
• Learn how to add Image Titles and Alt-Text on your website here. 
• Want to know what 6 things you need on your contact page, read here.