Hi there! If you are reading this then there is a good chance that we have some things in common. Maybe pizza is your favorite food or perhaps you are working towards being SCUBA Certified. But I would put money on a similarity between us being that we both like photography, due to the fact that you are visiting my photography blog. If you are a photographer yourself you will feel the desire - at one point or another - to get your photographs seen by others on a large scale. Even if it isn't for financial gain, the cold truth is that it is unbelievably difficult to get noticed because of the extremely high number of photographers whom are all also trying to get their work noticed.
With that said, if you are new to the realm of promoting your photography I am going to say a few things that will hopefully shed some light on this crowded situation that we face as photographers. Here we go...
1. Having great photos isn't enough.
Even if you have some of the most beautiful photographs ever taken on the face of the planet, it will not matter if nobody knows who you are. This applies to all of you, whether you are passionately promoting your photography business or simply want more followers on your Instagram account. Getting your name out there is key.
Even if you have some of the most beautiful photographs ever taken on the face of the planet, it will not matter if nobody knows who you are. This applies to all of you, whether you are passionately promoting your photography business or simply want more followers on your Instagram account. Getting your name out there is key.
2. It is not easy.
It takes hard work and heaps of dedication to get your photography publicly noticed at a significant level. No matter what platform or background, you need to remember that it will never be easy and will take a great deal of time and effort. That is not supposed to be disheartening, I am simply trying to keep things in perspective for you. But with that said....
It takes hard work and heaps of dedication to get your photography publicly noticed at a significant level. No matter what platform or background, you need to remember that it will never be easy and will take a great deal of time and effort. That is not supposed to be disheartening, I am simply trying to keep things in perspective for you. But with that said....
3. Just because it is not easy to be recognized does not mean that it is impossible.
Time. That is honestly the second thing that you need to embrace (second only to taking good photos) if you want to be a recognized photographer. There is no such thing as a Justin Bieber or Odell Becham Jr. to the world of photography. What does that mean? In short, there are no overnight sensations. Its the painful truth, but there will never be a day where a photographer will achieve massive success overnight. Our market simply does not work like that.
Time. That is honestly the second thing that you need to embrace (second only to taking good photos) if you want to be a recognized photographer. There is no such thing as a Justin Bieber or Odell Becham Jr. to the world of photography. What does that mean? In short, there are no overnight sensations. Its the painful truth, but there will never be a day where a photographer will achieve massive success overnight. Our market simply does not work like that.
4. Heavy competition is not always a bad thing.
Photography is one of the single most competitive professions on the face of the planet. But the good news is that it is not always a bad thing! Why? Because it makes us better photographers. The main thing that we have to focus on is producing quality work and having this much competition means that we have to have that if we are to find any sort of success. So even if you never become some renowned National Geographic photographer, you can thank the ridiculous amount of competition for making you a better photographer.
Photography is one of the single most competitive professions on the face of the planet. But the good news is that it is not always a bad thing! Why? Because it makes us better photographers. The main thing that we have to focus on is producing quality work and having this much competition means that we have to have that if we are to find any sort of success. So even if you never become some renowned National Geographic photographer, you can thank the ridiculous amount of competition for making you a better photographer.
5. Publicly displaying your photos will make you a better photographer.
Once again, something to make you a better photographer. Even if you never reach a high level of recognition or financial gain from your photos, placing them in the public realm will make you a better photographer. After all, you are opening yourself up to critique and criticism when you do this and that will give you a better drive to improve your craft.
Once again, something to make you a better photographer. Even if you never reach a high level of recognition or financial gain from your photos, placing them in the public realm will make you a better photographer. After all, you are opening yourself up to critique and criticism when you do this and that will give you a better drive to improve your craft.
6. Always remember to ask yourself why you want to be recognized.
That can be a tough question if we are honest with ourselves. When I talk to people it surprises me how many people are actively displaying their photos or working on large-scale social media marketing plans to promote their photos because they want to become famous. If you are seeking fame, than photography probably isn't a good place to look for it, as very, very few have achieved such things. For most of us it is probably for humbler reasons, such as promoting our photo business or to gain confidence in your ability as a photographer.
7. Keep things in perspective.
We would all love to have a following on social media the size of Trey Ratcliff's or a line of high-end clients as long as Chase Jarvis does. These two men are some of the heavyweights of the photography world and that level of success is incredibly rare. There is no harm in working towards goals as lofty as achieving what they have (keep in mind that I am only using them as examples), just remember that it took years and years for them to reach their current level of recognition. So stay patient and never forget that if you never a fraction as "popular" as some of the top photographers of our day does not mean that you aren't an excellent photographer.
That can be a tough question if we are honest with ourselves. When I talk to people it surprises me how many people are actively displaying their photos or working on large-scale social media marketing plans to promote their photos because they want to become famous. If you are seeking fame, than photography probably isn't a good place to look for it, as very, very few have achieved such things. For most of us it is probably for humbler reasons, such as promoting our photo business or to gain confidence in your ability as a photographer.
7. Keep things in perspective.
We would all love to have a following on social media the size of Trey Ratcliff's or a line of high-end clients as long as Chase Jarvis does. These two men are some of the heavyweights of the photography world and that level of success is incredibly rare. There is no harm in working towards goals as lofty as achieving what they have (keep in mind that I am only using them as examples), just remember that it took years and years for them to reach their current level of recognition. So stay patient and never forget that if you never a fraction as "popular" as some of the top photographers of our day does not mean that you aren't an excellent photographer.
8. Never lose sight of why you are a photographer in the first place.
If photography is something that you enjoy there is no reason how struggling to find success should take away from your enjoyment of taking photos. Never ever ever ever. It is completely natural to be frustrated and sometimes feel hopeless in your pursuit of getting recognized, however it should never take away from your personal enjoyment of photography. If it ever gets to that point, maybe you should take a step back and spend some time focusing exclusively on your art and abandoning your marketing plan for the time being.
If photography is something that you enjoy there is no reason how struggling to find success should take away from your enjoyment of taking photos. Never ever ever ever. It is completely natural to be frustrated and sometimes feel hopeless in your pursuit of getting recognized, however it should never take away from your personal enjoyment of photography. If it ever gets to that point, maybe you should take a step back and spend some time focusing exclusively on your art and abandoning your marketing plan for the time being.
9. Don't take it too seriously.
One final thought, trying to gain attention in the realm of photography can be emotionally draining, especially because it takes a long time. The single best piece of advice that I can give you is to not take it too seriously. Obviously work hard and find consistency in producing valuable content, but never make it more important than your photography. That part of the sentence is underlined and in bold for a reason! It may take much longer than you would like, but you may be surprised at at how genuinely wonderful it is to receive your fist few fans and slowly watch the number grow. It is a beautiful thing and trying to rush through it can simply take away from it.
One final thought, trying to gain attention in the realm of photography can be emotionally draining, especially because it takes a long time. The single best piece of advice that I can give you is to not take it too seriously. Obviously work hard and find consistency in producing valuable content, but never make it more important than your photography. That part of the sentence is underlined and in bold for a reason! It may take much longer than you would like, but you may be surprised at at how genuinely wonderful it is to receive your fist few fans and slowly watch the number grow. It is a beautiful thing and trying to rush through it can simply take away from it.
Keep shooting and good luck!
-Wyatt
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