Top 10 Resources for Photographers
- Uniregistry - Domains for Photographers
- SnapPro - Photographer Directory That Connects You With Clients
- LegalZoom - Legal Help for Photography Businesses
- Iris Works - Photography Office Management Suite
- CaptureLife - Photo-Sharing App for Professional Photographers
- Triple Scoop - Licensed Music for Photography and Videography
- Calotype - Workflow Management for High-Volume Photographers
- Photofolio - Build a Photography Website
- Copypants - Protect Your Digital Content Online
- Professional Photographers of America - Join the Premier Professional Photography Organization
I don’t have to tell you that being a photographer is hard work.
Despite what people from the outside looking in might think, there are plenty of long days, long nights, and long weekends shooting photos, editing photos, chasing down leads, and so forth.
That’s why it’s important for those of us in this industry to keep abreast of all the latest tools and technologies available to make our business lives easier and run more smoothly.
That’s where this list comes in.
Some of the resources on this list have been around awhile. Others are brand spanking new.
But the common thread between each of them is that your working life as a photographer will be vastly different - better - if you incorporate these resources into your workflow.
Uniregistry
I was a GoDaddy customer for years, and as I wrote here, I recently made the move to Uniregistry.
I can tell you from firsthand experience that it was one of the best choices I've made in a long time.
For starters, Uniregistry makes it incredibly easy to get a domain name - I picked up a couple of new ones a few weeks ago, in fact - and it literally took a fraction of the time.
And since they offer new domains just for photographers (.photo and .pics), you can even get a photography-specific domain for your photography company. It just makes sense.
What's more, Uniregistry offers perks that other registrars don't, namely free privacy. There's two-factor authentication as well.
What I appreciate the most, though, is that Uniregistry is affordable and they provide incredible customer service.
To these guys, you aren't just another number or just another business person. Instead, they treat you like an old friend and strive to help you make the most of your business.
If that's not a fantastic resource to have in your hip pocket, I don't know what is!
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNIREGISTRY
SnapPro
It’s just plain hard to find leads and new clients sometimes.
Now, there are a number of photographer directories out there - some good, some blah, and then others that just ‘get it’ and develop a product (in this case, a directory) around the needs of the photographer. I normally don’t recommend new companies. However, you’ll soon see why I’m recommending this new photographer’s directory called SnapPro.
One part that really jumps out to me here is that SnapPro is framed up to help both sides out. That is, the person that is looking for a photographer, as well as the photographer looking to market their photography services.
For example, I’m a landscape photographer, and needed to hire a wedding photographer back in 2012, a family photographer in 2015, and another family photographer this year. This sort of site makes finding a photographer easy whether you’re an everyday person or a photographer yourself.
So let’s talk about how it works…
SnapPro is a database that lists member photographers from all over the United States and Canada. People that need a photographer simply head to the website, enter their location and needs (i.e., newborn photographer), and matching photographers are provided.
Not only that, but SnapPro allows users to compare photographers side-by-side so they’re certain to pick the photographer that seems like the best fit. SnapPro even handles connecting clients with their chosen photographer, that way users can learn more about the photographer, get pricing details, and even get bids from multiple photographers if they desire.
For photographers like you and me, having a ready-made place to find work can be a blessing. But SnapPro doesn’t just connect you with clients. Instead, you can find work as a wedding photographer’s second shooter, find a wedding photographer to handle your own wedding, a product photographer to help you launch your product line, and so forth.
In other words, it’s a community for photographers to offer their services to clients and to one another as well.
I had an opportunity to talk to SnapPro’s founder, and I was really moved by his dedication to providing a top-quality experience not just for the photographers that create an account, but also for the clientele that connect with photographers on the site. This isn’t just a means to make money; instead, there is a commitment to customer service and a genuine concern for the well-being of the site’s users and photographers that is really rare in this industry.
Perhaps best of all, you can join SnapPro for free in just a matter of seconds. Once you join, you can create a profile, upload a video, create an image gallery, publish articles and tips, and get listed in your local area. You can bet I’ll be using SnapPro to find photographers when I need them in the future!
Getting leads and clients is all about exposure. SnapPro is precisely the resource for photographers to get the kind of exposure they need. That’s why we’re ranking them so high on this list, even though they’re a new product to the market.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SNAPPRO
LegalZoom
For many new photographers, there's a cold, harsh reality they have to face when they realize that much of their time as a photographer is spent doing non-photography things.
That includes worrying about the legalities of having a business.
But with a resource like LegalZoom, you can handle those tasks faster and easier, while saving yourself some money in the process as well.
Whether you need help framing up a photography contract, getting an LLC set up, protecting your intellectual property, registering a trademark, or something in between, LegalZoom has the resources to help you out.
That includes advisors that can draft employment agreements and seller's permits, help you get an employer identification number, and even search for available business names and trademarks.
Let's face it - attorneys are expensive, and if you're just starting out as a photographer, you probably don't have the money for legal services.
But with LegalZoom, you can get the legal advice documents you need without busting your budget.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGAL ZOOM
Iris Works
As I noted above, one of the primary difficulties of being a photographer is the business side of things.
That includes staying organized, keeping an accurate calendar, staying up with billing and invoicing, and so forth.
It can all be a lot to manage without some help...
Iris Works is just the help you need.
Iris Works is a suite of tools built by photographers, for photographers. It helps you handle the logistics of business so you can concentrate on other things, like finding clients and taking photos!
Here's how it works...
Iris Works gives you a daily snapshot of your business so you can see everything from which clients have been active recently to what you have on your upcoming calendar to important things you need to do that day.
And all that information is displayed in a clean UI on a single page. Not bad, right?
But it's much more than a good-looking business management resource...
Iris Works automates messaging so you can get in touch with clients easier (and more often). It'll also help you create contracts, generate invoices, send bills to clients, and create bespoke galleries for individual clients (with the gallery add-on feature).
Heck, you can even pin your favorite shoot locations on a map, complete with your notes about each specific spot. You can then share details about the location to clients, like directions how to get there.
In other words, Iris Works does a ton of the heavy lifting so you don't have to!
LEARN MORE ABOUT IRIS WORKS
CaptureLife
As the saying goes, "there's an app for that."
And if you're looking for an app that can help you get more customers and streamline your business, CaptureLife is it.
Basically, CaptureLife simplifies the process of sharing the photos you take with your clients by letting you do so within the app.
That means you upload the photos to the app, and your clients use the app to view them on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. That also means you can kiss all those CDs and thumb drives goodbye!
Not only that, but CaptureLife allows you to send a personalized text to your clients when their photos are ready.
It's a sales platform as well, so your clients can order prints and any other photography products that you offer right from their phone or other device. They can also share their photos with friends and family, too.
On top of that, CaptureLife has a Digital Marketplace where you can add even more digital products to your suite of offerings that your customers can purchase.
In other words, this app makes sharing photos easier, makes selling prints and other products easier, and helps you get referrals. Talk about a great resource to have!
LEARN MORE ABOUT CAPTURE LIFE
Triple Scoop Music
I know what you're thinking...
Why would a photographer need a music resource?
Well, there's plenty of reasons why.
If you have a YouTube channel (which I highly recommend), you can source music for your videos from Triple Scoop.
Maybe you have a client that wants you to create a photo slide show...add music with Triple Scoop!
Heck, today's cameras have such great video capabilities that you might just try your hand at creating videos alongside your photography.
And in that case, you need music, right?
Triple Scoop has more than 35,000 songs as of this writing, and with simple and quick licensing, you can get the music you need to bring your photos and videos to life.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRIPLE SCOOP MUSIC
Calotype
If you're looking for a photography resource that can help you manage your day-to-day workflow, Calotype is it.
Calotype is a web-based, end-to-end photography suite that streamlines all your daily business tasks so you can get more done in less time.
In particular, high-volume photographers (like sports photographers and school photographers) benefit from Calotype because it makes keeping track of all your photos and clients a veritable breeze. When you go to a school and take hundreds of photos over a couple of days, having a means to track all that data can be a lifesaver.
It's not just a glorified card catalog to help you find your client's names and photos, though.
Instead, Calotype offers image organization, email marketing tools, and encrypted image galleries. You can even draw up your own custom price lists to give to clients.
Not only that, you can view sales statistics, deliver high-quality photo files, and create unique and secure QR codes for every customer.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CALOTYPE
Photofolio
There are tons of website builders out there today, some that are really good and many that are just plain bad.
But website builders for photographers are pretty rare, especially good ones.
Photofolio is a great resource for photographers because it offers you gorgeous, professionally-designed templates that you can customize for you particular business.
And on top of that, it's a beautiful and easy-to-navigate interface, so you can actually build a beautiful photography website, even if you aren't the most computer-savvy person in the world.
There's features to appreciate as well, like password-protected image galleries, large format photos and videos, an integrated portfolio, and much more.
If you need to get your business online or refresh your old website or portfolio, Photofolio is a prime resource!
LEARN MORE ABOUT PHOTOFOLIO
Copypants
If you've ever been cruising through the internet and seen one of your photos being used by someone else without your permission, you understand the value of having the ability to know when someone rips off your photos.
Copypants provides just that service...
It would be impossible for you to search the internet far and wide for your photos. That's why Copypants is so valuable.
It scours the internet for your digital assets and tells you who's using them and where.
Not only that, it'll monitor websites for your content, and when new instances arise, you can use Copypants' integrated licensing platform to charge licensing fees to people that are using your images.
That means you can spend less time worrying about who's using your images without your permission and more time concerning yourself with other important tasks of being a photographer.
Not bad, right?
LEARN MORE ABOUT COPYPANTS
Professional Photographers of America
Professional organizations can be a godsend for any photographer, but especially for those that are just starting out.
Not only does Professional Photographers of America offer valuable resources like opportunities for professional development and photographers insurance, but it also helps you network with other professionals, offers templates for contracts and other documents, and offers degrees and certifications as well.
There's something to be said about being able to tell clients that you're a member of a professional association, too.
It tells your clients that you work hard, strive to stay abreast of changes in the industry, and take being a photographer seriously.
