The geometric relaxation following light absorption of the biliverdin, phycocyanobilin and phytochromobilin tetrapyrrole chromophores of bacterial, cyanobacterial and plant phytochromes has been investigated using density functional theory methods. Considering stereoisomers relevant for both red-absorbing Pr and far-red-absorbing Pfr forms of the photoreceptor, it is found that the initial excited-state evolution is dominated by torsional motion at the C10–C11 bond. This holds true for all three chromophores and irrespective of which configuration the chromophores adopt. This finding suggests that the photochromic cycling of phytochromes between their Pr and Pfr forms, which is known to be governed by Z/Ephotoisomerizations at the C15–C16 bond, relies on interactions between the chromophore and the protein to prevent photoisomerizations at C10–C11. Further, it is found that the uneven distribution of positive charge between the pyrrole rings is a major factor for the photochemical reactivity of the C10–C11 bond.