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Visit art galleries and art fairs
It often takes a step back in order to see well. Put your camera down for a while and go visit photography exhibitions and art shows. You can’t lose in any way by taking this step. First of all, you have a good chance of getting inspired. You might come up with new ideas and extend your portfolio. Second, you will get a clear idea of “what’s hot”. The art market is pretty much like any other market, it has it trends and fashions that change every few years. Next, it you might find the opportunity to talk to gallery owners and curators, and you never know when something like that could lead to a pitch.
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Have many Instagram followers
Social networks are very powerful tools for promoting yourself. While Facebook can be great for weddings and portraits, Instagram is a great place to share everything else you like to photograph, and what you wouldn’t normally expect to be paid for. By building a solid following, you are massively increasing your chances of getting noticed by the right people from the art world and advertising agencies.
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Put your work on Flickr and 500px
Luckily, Flickr has been rehabilitating itself quite well, along with all of Yahoo. It has actually become useful and user friendly again. It doesn’t have the impact it used to have when it was the only photography sharing platform available on the web, but it still is the place to be if you want to get noticed. I’ve had clients contact me through Flickr out of thin air.
500px is also a good option. It has a higher quality level and it is a very nice place to make your photos shine.
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Build your own stock site
Don’t freak out just yet. There are plenty of templates available online, even for stock galleries, so building the website shouldn’t be very hard. On the other hand, if you work constantly, just as you would for a large agency, you have a better chance of finding your own clients and making them regulars.
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Workshops
A good workshop can speed up your evolution and boost your sales. Good education has always had a powerful contribution in learning how to sell yourself as a photographer and how to sell your work. A qualified trainer will save you months, even years of trial and error and explain exactly how you should market yourself and your work.
Also Read: 41 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DATE A PHOTOGRAPHER
Recommended Reading:
- 2013 Photographer's Market: The Most Trusted Guide to Selling Your Photography
- How to Create Stunning D igital Photography
- Best Business Practices for Photographers
- The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan: Build a Successful Photography Venture from the Ground Up
- Group Portrait Photography Handbook
- 500 Poses for Photographing Women
- The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images
- 500 Poses for Photographing Group Portraits
- Selling Your Photography: Ho w to Make Money in New and Traditional Markets
- Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photograp her
- Photographer's Survival Manual: A Legal Guide for Artists in the Digital Age
- Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liab ilities of Making Images
- Taking Stock: Make money in microstock creating photos that sell
- Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer