photo by Rawpixel via iStock
Photography, like other similar industries that are more creative, is a really difficult industry to get into. Unless you have some basic business acumen already, you have to learn all of the ins and outs of things like accounting, marketing, and networking before you can really even focus on the parts of the job that you love.
It’s why it is so easy to find photographers who have never left their day jobs. They are happier working a full time job on top of running their business part time because it can be really disheartening to have to monetize something you love so much.
But, this is really frustrating for me because I think that we need more photographers who are actually great at photography in our industry, and less photographers who are simply good at running a business.
If any of this resonates with you, then you’ve likely wondered how to get noticed as a photographer. In this article, I’m going to discuss some personal stories about getting discovered as a photographer and I’ll also give you some tips about how to get your photography noticed and where to post photography to make this happen.
Use Creative Commons
photo by Waldemarus via iStock
If you aren’t already using creative commons to license your photography, then this is the absolute first thing you should do while learning how to get noticed as a photographer. People can notice your work, and even really love it, but if they can’t use it for themselves then it becomes pretty useless to them.
A creative commons license is a way to copyright all of your photos without preventing people from being able to distribute them. So, when you get a creative commons license, your intellectual property remains your own.
This gets a little more confusing when you dive into the specific types of creative commons licenses, but it’s important for you to know that not every creative commons license allows everyone to use your work and change it however they’d like. For instance, I use the “Noncommercial, No Derivative Works” license for most of my photography so that I still get credit for my images and so that someone would need to reach out to me if they wanted to change it in any way before distributing it.
When you’re learning how to get noticed as a photographer, you should make all of your work as accessible as possible and a creative commons license helps you do so.
Think About Your Marketing
photo by andresr via iStock
Another tip for learning how to get noticed as a photographer is to think like your potential clients might. If you are selling your work as stock photos, or even if you’re trying to appeal to businesses, then you need to be thinking about what those businesses are looking for and creative photos that fall into that category.
There is no easier way to gain name recognition than making photos that are mass marketable. Of course, your market will be different depending upon what type of photography you participate in, but the important thing is that you won’t have to wonder how to get noticed as a photographer anymore if you just start thinking like a marketer.
Learn More:
- This is Why You’re Losing Photography Clients
- Now is the Time to Get Those Canvas Prints You Always Wanted
Use Social Media More Frequently
photo by Vladimir Vladimirov via iStock
When I was first learning how to get noticed as a photographer, I didn’t have to deal with social media (because I’m old). But, the world of photography has vastly changed and you definitely need to worry about this now.
You should have a Facebook and an Instagram, at the bare minimum, and think about getting other social media like TikTok, Snapchat, or Twitter depending upon what type of audience you’re after.
And you should be posting to all of your channels multiple times per day. There are a lot of resources available online for photographers trying to learn what types of day engagement is highest, so I won’t get into this, but you’ll never really learn how to get noticed as a photographer if you refuse to keep up with the times.
Print Your Photos for Exposure
One final way you can learn how to get noticed as a photographer is by doing some in-person networking. Now, I know there still really aren’t conferences or other large events happening in most cities, but one way I started to build name recognition for myself in my hometown was by getting some of my favorite photos printed and hanging them in local shops.
Depending upon the size of your city, the art scene there may be either nonexistent or booming. So, you’ll need to target some specific stores that you think may be open to housing your work. Coffee shops are a good place to start, as are locally owned restaurants. If you’ve seen those coffee shops or restaurants using other artists work before, then that’s even better.
By getting into these stores and talking to the owners you are starting to establish yourself as a business owner. Even if the owners of the shops you visit aren’t interested, they can likely point you in the right direction since business owners all talk to one another.
You will want to make sure that your prints are of a high quality, though, especially if the businesses that let you hang it are also willing to let you sell it.
For this reason, I recommend that you get all of your canvas prints from CanvasHQ. CanvasHQ creates canvas prints that last for decades because they use museum-grade inks and canvases. Every canvas is created by hand so that the ink doesn’t smear and the canvas doesn’t become warped over time.
Their commitment to quality is matched by their commitment to customer service. When you call, you talk to an actual human, not some automated voice that doesn’t care about your order. If there’s a problem, they’ll rectify it quickly...not that I know since each order I’ve placed with them has been absolutely spot-on! After all, there’s a reason why they’ve won our canvas print shootout two years running!
CanvasHQ canvases also start at just $20. If you’re looking to get some prints ready for summer, you can use code “May Flowers” throughout the month of May for 25% off your first purchase.