Give the movement a job
I enjoy websites with character: changing previews, animated tabs and small transitions can make a portfolio feel alive. Each movement should have a reason. It might explain a change of state, draw attention to selected work or help a visitor understand the relationship between two views.
Keep the content available
Movement becomes a problem when someone has to chase a link or wait to read a sentence. W3C's carousel guidance recommends giving users pause controls and pausing movement during hover or keyboard focus. Those controls let people spend the time they need with the content.
Respect a preference for less motion
Some visitors prefer reduced animation. The operating system can communicate that preference to a website, allowing non-essential motion to be reduced. W3C documents this approach as a way to address motion triggered by interaction. A page should remain coherent when the decorative movement is removed.
Make the interaction work beyond hover
A desktop preview that changes on hover needs an equally clear option on a phone. A labelled button can make the same change available to touch and keyboard users. The interaction then becomes a feature people can choose, rather than an effect only some visitors will discover.
Use contrast in the pacing
A page with constant movement everywhere has little visual rhythm. I prefer to combine calmer reading areas with a few considered moments of motion. The result can retain personality while giving the visitor a clear route through the work, services and contact information.