How I Built My Photography Portfolio for €0, Without Writing a Single Line of Code Myself

A few months ago, I had a simple dream: a portfolio that actually felt like mine, rather than a template tweaked around the edges with my photos dropped in. Something that reflected how I see photography : minimal, immersive, intentional.

The problem? I'm not a developer. I don't know JavaScript, CSS, ... And yet, today, my portfolio is live, running smoothly, looking exactly how I imagined it. And it cost me exactly €0.

This post is about how AI tools made that possible, and why I think this matters for creators everywhere.

The old dilemma

For years, creators faced the same frustrating choice:

1. Use a template platform (Squarespace, Wix, etc.) : Quick, affordable, but limited. Your site ends up looking like thousands of others.
2. Hire a developer : Custom, beautiful, but expensive. Often out of reach for hobbyists.
3. Learn to code yourself : Powerful, but time-consuming. Most of us would rather be creating.

None of these options felt right to me. I wanted creative control without the financial burden or the steep learning curve.

The vibe coding workflow

In late 2025, I rebuilt my portfolio from scratch using a combination of AI tools, mainly Gemini 3 (Google's latest model) and Qwen Code. No prior coding experience. No tutorials. Just conversations with AI.

I didn't write the code. I directed it. I described what I wanted in plain language, shared inspiration images, and asked for changes until it looked right. The AI generated React components, TypeScript logic, Tailwind styling : all the technical stuff I couldn't have done alone.

The process looked like this:

1. Brainstorming in Google AI Studio : I chatted with Gemini, explaining my vision. Dark mode, immersive galleries and a bento-grid layout.
2. Iterating through prompts : Over a few hours, I sent maybe 10-15 prompts. Each time, the AI adjusted the code based on my feedback.
3. Local refinements : I downloaded the code and used AI assistants (Google Code Assist and Qwen Code in VS Code) to debug, swap in my actual photos, and fine-tune layouts.
4. Deployment : Pushed everything to GitHub (free), deployed via Cloudflare Pages (free hosting). Done.

Total time: under two days. Total cost: €0.

What this means for creators

None of this is an argument against template platforms. Squarespace, Format and Pixieset are excellent tools, reliable and supported, and they remain the right answer for plenty of people. They are just no longer the only answer.

If you're a photographer, illustrator, writer or musician, you can now build something genuinely custom without hiring a developer, host it for free on Cloudflare Pages, Vercel or Netlify, and maintain it yourself with AI assistance. What used to be a technical barrier is now mostly a question of whether you feel like experimenting.

The bigger picture

I think we're at an inflection point. AI isn't replacing professionals, who will always bring depth, security expertise, and polish that AI can't match. But it is opening access.

A hobbyist photographer in a small town can now have a portfolio as unique as their vision. An emerging artist doesn't have to wait until they can afford a custom site. The tools are free and they keep getting better.

For me, building xere.my was more than a technical project. Some of the constraints I had taken for granted for years turned out not to be constraints at all.

Try it yourself

If you're curious, start with a conversation: open Google AI Studio (free) or any AI coding assistant, and describe your dream site in plain words. Then iterate without fear, because you won't break anything. Be specific, share references, and ask for changes as many times as you need.

For deployment, GitHub plus Cloudflare Pages is a powerful free combo, and there are plenty of tutorials online. Every prompt teaches you something along the way, and you'll understand more than you expect.

Final thoughts

My portfolio isn't perfect. I'm still tweaking it, still learning. But it's mine, and every layout and detail reflects how I want to share my photography.

And that feeling? Worth every hour spent prompting an AI at midnight.

If you're a creator who's ever felt boxed in by templates or priced out by developers, I hope this post shows you there's another path now.