// charlottecumming.com

Alongside my work as a web designer, I’m also a professional photographer. I migrated my portfolio from WordPress to Framer, using it as an opportunity to redesign the site to better reflect my visual style, how I work, and what a well-structured Framer build can do.

To save myself time, I decided to use an existing template - 'cyberpunk-inspired' Future Folio by @designbypaul (Paul Lapkin) - as a foundation. I customised it, mainly to adapt the structure and CMS architecture to suit my requirements.

The bold aesthetic of the original template translated well to photography, aligning with my monochrome brand style and subtle use of electric blue. I wanted a website design that led with my work, and let the images do the talking.

As both the photographer and the web designer, I had a clear brief for my own site: to create a portfolio that leads with the work, reflects my visual style, and positions me as a professional across multiple specialisms - interiors, events, food & drink, people, products, and my own creative projects. A site that feels considered, but not over-designed.

The structure is intentionally minimal - designed to guide people through the work without friction, while still building trust and context where it matters.

A visually led homepage that immediately communicates the breadth and quality of the work

A filterable, CMS-powered project gallery organised by category - with the CMS fully reconfigured to suit my own content structure and project types - so clients/prospects in hospitality, events, or brand photography can find relevant work instantly

Individual project pages for key shoots, providing deeper context and showcasing work at full impact

A clear, direct contact pathway to convert visitors into enquiries via my contact page and 'Get in touch' badge on each page

An embedded Instagram feed to keep the site feeling current and connected to ongoing work

The site also includes a dedicated Awards & Exhibitions section - an important credibility signal. Featuring my selection for the Just Women exhibition by ImageNation (New York 2024 and Paris 2023) and a winning entry in a Life Framer competition, it gives potential clients context beyond the portfolio itself and positions my work within a wider professional and artistic context.

To further reinforce this, I reworked the design to include a Select Clients section - a simple but effective way to show the brands I’ve worked with at a glance.

Rather than over-explaining, this acts as a quick credibility signal, helping potential clients immediately understand the level and type of work I’m trusted to deliver.

A key part of the build was restructuring the CMS to support how the work is explored, not just how it’s displayed.

The original template wasn’t designed for the breadth of categories and projects I needed, so I reworked the CMS architecture to create a CMS system that worked for me, provided flexibility and meant I can scale over time.

This allows:

Projects to be organised clearly across multiple photography categories Users to browse work intuitively without hitting dead ends or repetition Each project to live within its own CMS-driven page, giving space to explore the work in more detail.

The result is a site that feels simple to navigate on the surface, but is underpinned by a structure that makes it easy to expand, update, and maintain over time.

The result is a portfolio that feels aligned with how I actually work:

Clean, visual-first, and easy to navigate

Strong focus on imagery, with minimal distraction

Built on a flexible CMS to support ongoing updates

Designed to position me across multiple photography specialisms

It’s a simple site on the surface - but intentionally so. Every decision is about making the work feel clear, confident, and easy to engage with.