“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”
– Aaron Siskind
If you dissect the life of any successful artist, you are bound to stumble upon years of sweat, tears, and blood. Struggle is the sine qua non of any budding photographer, especially when you are doing it all alone. We know you took the tough route to success, following your passion, burning the midnight oil, and it gets really hard at times; results don’t show, and people don’t appreciate your work. It’s not like the movies and life has a myriad of challenges to throw at you.
But we know, it’s all worth it! The world has moved into the digital age or the information age. Competition for photographers has increased but so have opportunities. The internet has opened so many channels to monetize your hard work that our preceding generation could not have fathomed. Listed are a few tips to make your talent lend you a helping hand with the long credit card bills.
Start Blogging
Let the world know that you exist. Blogging is an effective approach to reach huge audiences and target potential clients. Share your work with the community and ask for feedback. Not only will that create market value, it will also help in increasing the quality of work. Blogs also provide a platform for leads and interested people to share your work. It is a great initial step toward a successful personal brand. Once people get to know your work, they will definitely try reaching out to you which brings us to the next segment.
Create a personalized Online Portfolio
A portfolio website is one of the rudimentary steps to building an online presence and making money out of it. This is your own personal gallery that is open to the whole world! Imagine the doors it can open with the right content and marketing. It is now easy to create such portfolios using platforms like Pixpa, which is specifically dedicated to helping photographers. It is understood that creating a stunning website won’t be a problem for a creative photographer. There is no coding or technical knowledge required to use these tools.
Digital Marketing
Once the first two steps are done, it is time to hold the microphone and tell the world that your shop is now open! There are countless ways to market your website, both paid as well as unpaid. A little bit of investment in the right place goes a long way and can return great results. You can place your ads on various websites or optimise your website using keywords to show up in the search results on Google. The quality of content also plays a crucial role in increasing your reach.
Become a digital extrovert
Albeit a part of digital marketing, social media is such a huge realm on its own that it demands special mention. Create business profiles on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. All of these three platforms have their strengths; Instagram can act a great portfolio for your works, Facebook can help you engage with followers, and LinkedIn can act as a good way to project you as a professional freelancer. Be active and talk to people. Answer and ask questions on Quora, post artworks on Pinterest and Tumblr. Become a social butterfly. You can also apply on websites which sell stock images.
In a nutshell
“I have had it easy”, said no successful man ever! However, in this progressing world where every morning new technologies are invented and by night are declared obsolete, it is easier to find the goose with the golden egg. Freelance photography is an industry which has a variety of untapped sources and grey areas, waiting to be explored by someone with a courageous heart and a sparkling will.
