I didn’t rebuild this website because I suddenly had loads of free time. I rebuilt it because I was bored of my old one.
The previous version of my site did the basics, but it never really felt like me. It looked more like a default template than something with a personality. Every time I opened it, I had that feeling of, “Yeah, it works… but I don’t love it.” So instead of trying to patch it for the hundredth time, I decided to start treating the website itself as a project.
What was wrong with the old site
A few things kept annoying me:
- It felt generic – like it could’ve belonged to anyone with a camera.
- The layout was a bit all over the place – no consistent style from page to page.
- Some parts were hard to update, so I didn’t add new work as often as I wanted.
- It didn’t really show the direction I’m moving in (like emergency services / blue light photography).
Basically, it showed my photos, but it didn’t show my brain.
The new direction: simple, dark, and focused
I knew I wanted the new version to feel more like a proper brand:
- A clean dark theme that puts the focus on the work.
- Simple navigation with clear sections (Home, Portfolios, Projects, etc.).
- Consistent cards and grids instead of random layouts on each page.
- A place to write about what I’m doing, not just dump images.
That’s where the new design came from: a sticky dark navbar, soft borders, rounded corners, and those clean grids that now run across the site.
Building the portfolio hub without relying on images
One of the biggest changes was the Portfolios page. Originally, it was a wall of random stock images standing in for categories like Cars, Portraits, Street, Nature, etc. It looked nice enough, but it didn’t represent my actual work, and I didn’t always have images ready for every category.
So I changed direction:
- Instead of fake images, I built minimal, image-free cards.
- Each card has a title, a subtle gradient background, and an icon.
- Everything is consistent: same size, same spacing, same hover effect.
It instantly made the page feel more professional — and it means I don’t have to scramble for filler photos just to make a page look “full.”
Organising my work into real portfolios
From there, I focused on the individual portfolio pages for example:
- Car Photography
- Portraits
- Blue Light / Emergency Services
- And more planned for the future.
Each portfolio uses a simple, responsive grid so the images sit nicely on any screen.
I removed as much noise as possible: just images, breathing room, and a bit of text where it makes sense.
I also made sure all the images live in clean folders like
./img/portraits/
or
./img/street/,
so updating the galleries is just a case of dropping new files in and adjusting the HTML.
Turning “Projects” into a blog
I didn’t just want a gallery site. I wanted somewhere I could talk about what I’m working on — even if I don’t have finished images to show yet. That’s why I turned the Projects page into more of a blog:
- A main column with project posts (like this one).
- A small sidebar with info, categories and future ideas.
- Each post has a date, short description, and room to expand later.
It’s low pressure: I don’t have to write essays, but I can drop quick updates about shoots, experiments, edits and changes to the site itself.
What I learned rebuilding this
- Design for how you actually work, not how you wish you worked.
- You don’t need images on every page to look like a serious photographer.
- Consistency (spacing, card style, typography) makes everything feel more professional.
- Having a blog-style area makes it easier to share progress, not just final results.
Most importantly: I’m not bored of this version. For the first time, the site feels like something I want to keep improving, instead of something I avoid because it feels outdated. It’s not “finished” — but now it finally feels like MixedLenz, not just another template.