Skip to main content

Marketing yourself as a photographer


One of the harbour cats making her presence known in the hope of getting some fresh fish, Fuengirola, Spain. And it worked. See series here.

Most professional photographers do not know how to market themselves effectively. In this blog I hope to offer a few thoughts to get your creative juices going and help you differentiate yourself as a photographer from your competitors.

I'm a photographer but I am also a pretty successful marketer. So I straddle both worlds and see professional photography from both the seller's and buyer's viewpoints. I don't have all the answers but I think I do have a few pertinent questions.

First set of assumptions. You will be a successful photographer if:

  1. You are better than your competitors
  2. You offer something different that prospects value
  3. You are cheaper (but this is downward spiral as someone is always cheaper until they are so cheap they go out of business, and possibly drag you down into an unsustainable position)
So realistically it's better to focus on the first two options.

Now let's look at what everyone values. Something that is scarce. I think scarcity is the quality that underlies most things we value. How do you make what you offer something that is scarce?

Most photographers take a rather primitive view of marketing themselves along the lines off:
  • I've got professional camera gear
  • My portfolio shows well composed, well lit images (I'm competent technically)
  • My post shoot processing is good and you get high quality image files
Others go a bit further and say:
  • I'm well organised
  • I get on well with people (subjects, art directors, clients etc)
But who goes further?

In essence a client hires a photographer to do more than take a picture. The client is looking for someone who can help them communicate an emotion, a feeling, a brand - someone who can persuade and influence the audience.

All photography is about problem solving. You've got the technical problems (lighting etc), the logistics (getting everything and everyone in the right place at the right time) and most fundamental of all you have to bring your creativity and ability to solve the problem of how to use what you're given to communicate and tell the client's story (whether wedding or advert) in the most effective way possible.

The photographer's ability to communicate through her/his medium is at the heart of what we should be marketing. From all I have seen this is the scarce quality that really differentiates photographers. Can you tell a story, put ideas together in a unique way that has an impact on the audience? Can you solve the client's problem of how to communicate visually?

I think to market yourself on the basis of your equipment and ability to make a technically competent photograph is to sell yourself short. Good photographers do far more than that. They touch the hearts and minds of the audience and make people see and think about the world in a different way, connecting directly to their emotions in a way that words and sound, and even moving images do not.

In the same way that knowing spelling and grammar does not make you an author, knowing how to use a camera and process an image does not make you a Photographer (photojournalist, professional, documentary, fine-art etc).

So how are you going to become better, different from the rest and produce work that is scarce? And how are you going to tell people about what you really do?

Till soon,
Paul

Comments

Frédéric said…
hear, hear! Well said, Paul!
Krista Richards said…
Thanks for the positive feeback on my blog, im glad you enjoyed it.

I'm always open to hear any kind of positive attitude exspecially when i'm a new but young freelance photographer.

I enjoy your blog, all of you different aspects on life. Great job and hope to see more amazing stuff come from your way


-Krista
Russ said…
Great post. As you said in your post, a lot of times people assume that because they have a good website and camera that things will just automatically come to them. When in fact you have to separate yourself from the competition.

Popular posts from this blog

Approach to taking a portrait

Portrait of Amitabh Bachchan. Click on the image to see larger version. Every portrait is different but there are also elements which are the same, whether you’re shooting the famous or the locally famous. Fame is of course all relative. It depends on profession, accomplishments or media celebrity status. Whoever the ‘famous’ individual is there are millions of people in the world who will never have heard them. For example I photographed the legendary Indian Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who amongst his many accolades was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the highest civilian award of France. But I’m positive that many people in North America will not have heard of him – although he has more fans than Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro put together. I find that however well known a person is cracking through egos and insecurities is really important when it comes to getting authentic strong portraits. However I hasten to add that when it came to photographing Amitabh th

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa

Capturing the truth: The power of documentary photography to shape public opinion

Photographer, writer and artist, Paul Indigo (Photo by Magda Indigo ) Documentary photography is more important than ever because it plays a critical role in informing and shaping public opinion, particularly in today's fast-paced, information-saturated world. With the rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, we are bombarded with images and information daily. It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. From a trusted source, documentary photography counterbalances the often sensationalised and biased coverage of social and political issues. Documentary photography can challenge dominant narratives and foster greater understanding and empathy by presenting a nuanced, humanistic perspective on complex issues. It can highlight underreported and marginalised issues, giving voice to those who are often ignored or silenced. In a world where many people feel disenfranchised and marginalised, documentary photography can help to create a sense of community and solidarity by