SmugMug Review
By UK Award Winning Photographer Rebecca Goutorbe
Disclaimer – This review & website contains affiliate links to the products and services SmugMug offer, you won’t pay any more for the products or services they offer but I may get a commission Thank you
SmugMug Review UK
This SmugMug review was updated August 2022. As a Dog Photographer and event photographer I have used SmugMug websites for over 6 years here in the UK. SmugMug offer 4 different plans, I am currently using the SmugMug Pro account for event photography and client shoots. I also use a SmugMug Power plan for my dog breeder website.
Why I use SmugMug
I can give you so many reasons why I use SmugMug here are some of the main reasons
- It is dead easy to use, you don't need any codes to build a website.
- There is unlimited photo storage with all the plans, this is for Jpeg's Gif's PNG and video's.
- The client galleries for photographers are easy to use, simple to set up, save you time and make you money as a photographer.
Photography website
At one point I had three SmugMug websites. One was for event photography, one for my show dogs website and the other was for my dog grooming business. This is because they are so easy to use and make a website with. I think I got addicted to making SmugMug websites as they all looked that good.
Photography portfolio website
I must of tried out every SmugMug theme and photography website template design from SmugMug there is. On the plus side to this I can show you how to use SmugMug and how to build a photography portfolio website it’s so easy.
New for 2022
Step by step guide how to build a photography portfolio website using a SmugMug template
Photo storage
SmugMug’s unlimited photo storage is for
- Jpeg
- Gif
- PNG
- & Video's
This is so brilliant for photographers to store a ton of photos online and just forget about them. But great to know that they are securely stored privately and are there when you need them to download a great backup plan. All you need to do is upload your photo’s to a SmugMug gallery.
SmugMug Source
Raw file storage
NEW Feature July 2021
The photographers platform SmugMug have just got even better than they already are. SmugMug have introduced their new feature available SmugMug Source which is an add on. This allows you to manage your RAW photography assets including
- PSD's Photoshop documents
- PSB's
You only pay for the data you use.
Client galleries for photographers
SmugMug galleries
Using a SmugMug photography website always makes being an event and Fieldsports photographer so much easier. A quick and easy way to get all the images from an event online for everyone to view and purchase.
Pro Account
I use the Pro account from SmugMug so I can add photography packages to the gallery of images which I send out to dog photography clients. This helps to increase sales with the added bonus of being able to offer discounts and money off coupons.
Who is a SmugMug website for?
Anyone can have a SmugMug website, they are designed for professional photographers, and enthusiasts. But anyone who takes photos and wants to display them on a website or create a portfolio for their images would be suited to a SmugMug website.
Securely store photos online
Anyone who wants to sell their photos online, or wants a safe secure place to store an unlimited amount of photos and videos would benefit from a SmugMug website.
What features do SmugMug websites have to offer?
- Photo and video storage
- Raw file cloud storage
- Photo sharing galleries
- Client galleries
- Photography portfolio website templates
Free SmugMug website templates
SmugMug have a number of easy to use website templates with customisation options to choose from with drag and drop blocks which you can add to the page like text, titles, videos, galleries, single photos and more.
Customise SmugMug
You can change the colour of the background, change the style of the text, you can customise a lot, just click the customize button in the top right of your screen and the customiser will open up.
See all SmugMug templates here >
SmugMug Apps
Download the SmugMug app on your device and you can access all your photos, galleries, videos straight from your phone, and download photos.
Upload to SmugMug
You can upload to your SmugMug account from your phone, add to a photo gallery or create a new gallery all from your phone also you can order prints and photo products.
Mobile phone photo app
By having the SmugMug mobile phone app it is so handy when you have client galleries you have sent out. You can access these galleries if you need to straight from your phone without having to wait to get to a desktop it’s brilliant.
SmugMug Pricing 2022
There are 4 plans from SmugMug to choose from
- Basic
- Power
- Portfolio
- Pro Account
Compare the plans Portfolio vs Pro account, or Power vs Portfolio
Included with all the SmugMug plans -
- Unlimited photo uploads
- Full screen galleries
- Your own customisable website
- Easy drag-and-drop photo organisation
- Password-protect folders, galleries, pages
- Order prints from the high quality professional photographic labs
- Allow family and friends to order prints and gifts directly from your site
SmugMug domains
You can’t use your own domain name with the basic plan, but you don’t need to worry about any extra cost for a domain name either or anything else to do with domain names.
Custom domain name SmugMug
To use your own custom domain name you can your upgrade your plan at any time to the power, portfolio or pro account and connect your own domain name.
SmugMug Power Plan
as the list above plus -
- 26+ photography website templates, or design your own (you don't need codes) >>>
- Enable right click to protect your images
- Use a custom domain name >>>
- Optional HTML and CSS customisation
SmugMug Portfolio
as the lists above basic & power plus -
The most popular plan if you want to start selling photos online
- Turnkey storefront and e-commerce-optimised galleries
What does that mean?
Turnkey storefront and e-commerce-optimised galleries means that you don’t have to build an online shop to sell your photo’s
- Just choose what photographic products you would like to sell online from the huge range of different sizes of, wall art and prints. You can sell web files, high res and the original digital images and then there are mugs, mouse mats etc.
- Set your own price for all the products you have chosen
- Choose which galleries you would like to sell photos from, then switch on the shopping cart for that gallery or galleries
- Sell your photos
- Wait for an email from SmugMug which say's Cha-ching! Who loves ya baby that email means you've made a sale, sold a photo and made some money. But SmugMug handle everything, you don't have to order anything or post anything it is all done for you.
- Fulfill orders with top labs
- Sell digital photo and video downloads
- Add custom watermarks to photos
- Set site wide pricing
What does that mean? Set site wide pricing?
Site wide pricing
The price you choose for each of the products will be the same for every gallery you apply the shopping cart too, for example you can’t have one gallery with digital download web files at £20 and another gallery with digital download web files at £40 the price you choose for each product is the same price site wide.
Upgrade SmugMug account
If you want to be able to have lots of different prices and active price lists for the same product you can upgrade to the Pro account where you can create more than one custom price list.
SmugMug Pro
as all the lists above plus-
- Set site wide pricing
- Create custom pricelists and coupons to accommodate every client
- Brand shipped client orders and offer gift-wrapped packaging
- Group galleries under events for clients to choose their favorites and share with friends and family
SmugMug Pro Review
The pro account with SmugMug is for those photographers who need the flexibility to offer money off at the shopping cart, to offer discounts to increase sales and to create custom price lists. Add print, digital packages and photography packages to the galleries. The SmugMug Pro account is the perfect plan to do all of this. It’s the ultimate Professional Photographers website.
FAQ
To share a SmugMug gallery link to Facebook.
Go to organise at the top of your screen.
Find the gallery you would like to share to Facebook.
Click Settings to the gallery read more >
click here >>>
SmugMug Pro is the top account from SmugMug with access to all the SmugMug features.
Yes SmugMug have introduced SmugMug source an add on to your existing SmugMug account. Cloud storage for raw files and PSD’s. Find out more here >>>
In the UK SmugMug use the print lab Loxley Colour from Scotland for prints and photo products. There are three print types available from the UK print lab which are Lustre, Glossy and Metallic available in every size you could possibly need.
In the US ezprints, bayphoto & whcc
You can try SmugMug free for 14 days and you don’t need to enter credit card details either to try it free. But no there is not a free version of SmugMug.
SmugMug is a photo sharing platform in the USA who also own Flickr. We can use SmugMug here in the UK and other countries can too.
You get paid your profits once a month from SmugMug. If you are in the UK you are paid via Paypal.
To change your cover photo in SmugMug, go to the top right corner of your SmugMug website.
Click on the square or profile photo.
Next you need
– Edit my profile
– About me
Here is where you can change your cover photo, profile photo and the email address for the contact form.
You don’t need to create a contact form for your SmugMug website, there is one already made for you. To change the photo on the form or the email address go to Edit My Profile and the settings can be changed there. For more information and a step by step guide click here >>>
A SmugMug gallery is the same as a client gallery. But with SmugMug you can either store, share or sell your photography from a SmugMug gallery.
You keep 85% of the markup price for the prints, digital downloads, wall art and keep sakes. The price you charge for each item is your choice.
Have a question about SmugMug?
Email me I will try and answer your question and also add it to the FAQ
How to set up SmugMug for beginners
A step by step guide for beginners to set up a SmugMug photo website
