Tumblr Themes for Photographers
1. Slides Theme
CATEGORY FAVORITE: Ever since my hippest new client pointed it out, I’ve been noticing that full-picture web designs and blog layouts are a HUGE trend right now. Full picture themes are especially popular for many of our favorite hipster-friendly websites and brands; for an example check out Urban Outfitters. The Slides Theme is ideal for BIG photos! It will cost you $49, but if you’re an awesome photographer (or love sharing awesome photography) my guess is you’ll get your money’s worth. What’s the coolest feature of this Tumblr theme? When you scroll down to a new picture, you can add awesome large quotes in white font that appear when you move your mouse. AWESOME! Download the Slides theme | Price $49
2. VINTAGE PORTFOLIO THEME THEME
If Coco Chanel had taken photos, she would have used the Vintage Portfolio Tumblr theme! The Vintage Portfolio theme is different than the other 19 in this blog post because the design is based on a square rather than on a feed or columns. Category boxes are placed beneath the photos so you can quickly click to see the author’s photo collections. I also love that the “About” section is in the footer and that there is a clearly marked category section in the footer as well. Another big perk of the Vintage Portfolio theme is that there’s less clutter and less distractions from your beautiful photography! While this theme may take a few more seconds to load than others, I think it is ideal for the professional or aspiring photographer who has a largely high res image based Tumblr. In a world where we read non-stop (all day long), I can see these photo-based themes being huge on Tumblr in 2012. Download the Vintage Portfolio Theme | Price $49
3. PHOTOPHOLIO THEME
The Photopholio theme is the ideal Tumblr theme to show of your photography portoflio! The background is dark in order to make the colors in your photos pop. The homepage layout is a clean grid of photos which also serves as a category menu. By hovering your mouse over the photos, you will see the category name and can click through for that photo collection/album. Social sharing buttons live in the footer to reduce clutter. Rather than a sidebar, there is an About and Services header section beneath the photo grid which makes you look professional, creative and cool all at the same time! Download the Photopholio Theme | Price $49
Modern & Clean Tumblr Themes
4. HUE
CATEGORY FAVORITE: Of the 20 featured Tumblr themes in this post, the Hue Tumblr theme is my personal favorite. It is clean, modern and BRIGHT. The font is super mod, the social sharing buttons make me smile because they are circles and there is a post-it note looking box in the upper left hand corner. This theme is a premium theme that will cost you $49 but, in my opinion, is well worth the money. It is available in 3 color schemes: “techy 2012” blue and orange (is it just me or is blue & orange the sweet spot for tech startups these days??), modern sorority girl pink and green along with a cream scheme. This theme makes me want to dust off my Tumblr! Download the Hue Theme | Price $49
5. SUBWAY
I’d love to meet the person behind this uber creative theme called Subway. This theme somehow manages to make public transportation signage cool. It reminds me of what subways look like…in movies. I love it. Download the Subway Theme | FREE
6. PALLADIUM
The Palladium Tumblr theme is perfect for all those who love the visual of an organized blog and are true to the Tumblr tradition! This theme features a grey background, a clean (all caps) font for headers and what looks like Courrier New font for body text. Download the Palladium Theme | FREE
7. CHEERFUL GIRL
If Ms. Career Girl had a free Tumblr theme (which she most definitely does… somewhere…) she’d have the “Cheerful Girl” theme. It’s mod, simple, clean and – of course- pink & black. This theme is one of my favorites listed because it isn’t cluttered. I think many of us love Tumblr because it’s not information overload, this theme accomplishes chic and simple at the same time. Download the Cheerful Girl Theme | FREE
8. HIPSTER
This theme is called Hipster. It’s all in a name isn’t it? My favorite visual part of this theme is the oversized search bar that is outlined in black. Perhaps they also took inspiration from the Urban Outfitters website? Regardless if you call yourself a hipster, this theme is clean and easy to follow with a white background and more traditional WordPress-type layout complete with a left sidebar. Download the Hipster Theme | FREE
Tumblr Themes for Readers & Writers
9. SPACE TRAVELER
CATEGORY FAVORITE: Space Traveler is a great theme for traditional writers whose content is more writing-focused than Tumblrs who focus on posting pictures, videos and quotes. This premium theme is easy on the eyes with a blue background and has a simple (and familiar) navigation menu at the top of the page. Download the Space Traveler Theme| Price $49
10. READING
The Reading Tumblr theme is one of the most unique listed here in that the layout looks like a book (a real, print book- remember those?!). The page is split in half and the “cover” of your book is on the right hand side of the page and content is on the left side. The contrast that this theme brings is every creative writers dream – elements of design done well with just as much focus on content. Perfect. Download the Reading Theme | FREE
11. BOOK SHELF
The Book Shelf Tumblr theme has organization and a very “offline” feel with its wood coloring. The theme is setup look a bookshelf and is ideal for someone who uses their Tumblr to share what they are reading, book reviews, author spotlights, etc. This layout may not be ideal for long written posts though as the font is white and the background is a light wood color which could make paragraphs of text tough to read. Download the Book Shelf Theme | FREE
12. STARDOM
“Lights, camera, action”….if you use your Tumblr to review movies, TV shows and broadway shows the Stardom Tumblr theme is a great choice for you! The classic theater red background with curtains makes it a great layout for those who are writing posts. My only suggestion for improvement is that the font color is a bit light. If there is an option to darken that color, I’d do it! Download the Stardom Theme | FREE
Themes for Pinterest Lovers
13. Etcetera Theme
CATEGORY FAVORITE: The Etcetera Tumblr theme is the perfect fit for someone who loves to scrapbook, craft, document memories and note inspiration. This is definitely one of my favorite themes because of its “proud-to-be-the-girl-next-door” charm. Download the Etcetera Theme | Price $19
14. RUBBER CEMENT
The Rubber Cement Tumblr theme brings me back to the days of being in elementary school: doing art projects, doodling and writing in notebooks. This free Tumblr theme is great for the Tumblr hobbyist or Dabbler who wants to share the latest inspiration in something outside of Pinterest! Download the Rubber Cement Theme | FREE
15. DAINTY FRESH
Dear lovers of Etsy, Anthropologie and anything “vintage shabby chic:” the “Dainty Fresh Tumblr Theme” Tumblr theme is for you! This free theme is one column with cute black tabs that mark the dates of your post. The background of this Tumblr theme is a soft, vintage grey and pink rose print. I see the Dainty Fresh theme as a great extension for Pinterest addicts who want to write just a bit more about the pictures and style that inspires them. Download the Dainty Fresh Theme | FREE
16. MARS
With a clean black background, the Mars Tumblr theme is ideal for the person who wants to take their Pinterest to the next level with a Tumblr account that allows for more content than just pictures. The Mars theme costs $49 and has 3 layout options. I prefer the “Column” layout shown here which has 3 columns. Content/pictures are contained to squares which makes it easy to digest pictures, quotes, videos and inspiration despite the non-traditional 3 columns format. This theme is best for the person who posts mostly photos, not necessarily the person who likes quotes and text. Download the Mars Theme | Price $49
Black & White Tumblr Themes
17. Toscana
CATEGORY FAVORITE: The Toscana theme has a cool and slightly edgy feel about it. It almost looks like a newspaper of the future with its centered logo and clean navigation menu. I love that the font is a dark grey instead of black, and that the post titles are oversized with all caps. This theme also features a thin right hand sidebar which gives it qualities of a WordPress site for the traditionalist in you. Download the Toscana Theme | FREE
18. Solaris Theme
I’m a huge fan of anything black and white, which is why the clean Solaris Tumblr theme is one of my favs in this post. I love the font of the header because it makes you ask: is it vintage or is it futuristic? This pull between the 80’s and the future is one I just love when it comes to design. If you’re not a fan of too much white space, just flip a switch and get Solaris in “dark mode.” I also want to point out the awesome icons for pictures, videos and quotes – love! Download the Solaris Theme | Price $9
19. Contrast
Another fabulous black and white Tumblr theme – this time with a pop of color! The Contrast Tumblr theme is free and has a left hand sidebar for contact info, your Twitter feed and more. This theme actually looks like more of a WordPress theme in my opinion, which may be ideal for the blogger who wants the simplicity of Tumblr but the look and feel of WordPress. Download the Contrast Theme | Price $49
20. Noir
Do you swoon over the style of the 1940’s and 50’s? Then you will love “Noir,” a premium Tumblr theme ($49) that screams Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Old Hollywood Glam! Posts float freely above what looks like a blown up black and white photo. Dates, comments and the frame of each post is in white which looks really cool. In addition, the font on the Noir theme looks like a typewriter, which is a great throw-back to the good old days while still being a 2012 Tumblr theme! Download the Noir Theme | Price $49 What new Tumblr needs have you seen that you like? Let us know in the comments.
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