Photography websites are unique because the content itself is inherently visual. Every photo brings its own colors, mood, and visual weight. Your site palette must not compete with this. The best photography sites use essentially no color in their UI.
The Near-Monochrome Approach
Most successful photography portfolios use a palette of just three or four tones: a background (pure white, off-white, or near-black), a text color (the opposite extreme), and maybe one muted gray for secondary elements. That is the entire palette. No brand colors, no accent colors, no colored navigation.
Dark vs. Light Background
Dark backgrounds (near-black) make photographs feel like they are displayed in a gallery: the images glow against the dark surround. Light backgrounds feel more like a magazine or editorial layout: clean, airy, and modern. The choice depends on the photographer's style and the type of work being shown.
The Exception: One Accent
If you want any brand personality in the UI, limit it to one subtle accent: a colored hover state on navigation links, a small logo mark, or a thin colored line as a divider. This accent should be low-saturation and used sparingly. It whispers your brand without shouting over the photographs.
Building in PaletteRx
A photography portfolio palette in PaletteRx might have just three entries: a dark base (#0a0a0a), a light base (#ffffff), and one muted accent (#a3a3a3). The health score will flag low color diversity, but for this specific use case, that is correct. You are optimizing for invisibility.