10 Ways to Showcase Your Photography and Get More Exposure

Are your photographs suffering from a lack of visibility or exposure? Do you want your work to be seen by a wider audience while growing your profile within this competitive industry?

Today, with more hobbyist and enthusiast photographers than ever, it’s increasingly important to take the right steps to ensure your photos are seen. With millions of other photos being shared each day, it’s unlikely that yours will stand out and get the attention they deserve without the correct promotional effort.

Thankfully, showcasing your photography and gaining exposure has never been more possible. With the right approach, you can see your profile experience a meteoric rise. There are plenty of ways for photographers to find exposure, and this article covers the best options.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an enthusiastic amateur, the journey to gaining recognition can be both exhilarating and challenging. But with the help of these tips, you’ll have a photography website that’s a powerful tool for your business. It’s time to showcase your photography and capture the attention you truly deserve.

1. Create An Online Photography Portfolio to Showcase Your Work

Creating an online portfolio is essential for photographers who want to gain recognition and grow their business. A strong, well-crafted photography portfolio can help viewers easily navigate your work while showcasing your unique style and range of skills.

Portfolio sites aren’t exclusively for professional photographers. If you’re a hobbyist or enthusiast looking to learn and grow, a portfolio site would be helpful for you too.

When creating an online portfolio, start by ensuring you only feature images that best showcase your talents as a photographer and reflect on the kind of assignments and projects you’re looking for.

Avoid filling up pages with unrelated images that could appear disorganized or confuse visitors about what they should focus on when viewing your photos. You might even consider producing more work specifically related to different categories so potential clients know exactly what you specialize in.

Choose a suitable online platform to build your site. There are several popular website builders for photographers, but Squarespace is our top recommendation. We love Squarespace because of the beautiful templates, ease of customization, and e-commerce functionality. It’s easy to quickly create a professional website using Squarespace.

Your portfolio site will be a work in progress, so don’t feel like it needs to be perfect before launching. You can add photos and galleries whenever you have new work that’s worthy of inclusion. You can also add pages and build out the site’s details over time. Getting a basic site up and running should be the priority for now. All you really need is a home page, portfolio pages, services page, brief bio, and a way for visitors to contact you (email address, links to social profiles, or phone number).

2. Leverage Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms present some of the best opportunities for showcasing photography and getting more exposure for your work. There are many different social platforms and photo sharing sites you can use, but some of the best options for photographers include:

Like your portfolio site, you should only share your best work on social media. Posting beautiful photos will help you to build a following on your favorite platforms. And the more your audience grows, the more exposure you’ll get each time you share your photos.

Use hashtags when sharing posts to help your images get more visibility and reach a larger audience. Research the most popular hashtags in the photography industry and use them when appropriate. You can also create your own branded hashtag to promote specific projects or series of photos.

In addition to simply sharing your photos, you can try out creative campaigns like photo challenges or tutorials to increase user engagement. This will help to build a stronger presence on these platforms and bring more attention to your work.

3. Participate in Photography Forums and Communities

Many online communities cater specifically to photographers. Joining one or several of them is a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry, network with other photographers, and get feedback on your work.

Some popular photography forums include:

You can join conversations about your particular area of interest and share your work for critique or discussion. Just make sure you follow any community guidelines before sharing content.

Successful engagement within the community requires dedication and consistency. Strive to join meaningful conversations or post content frequently so you become an active member who contributes to the community.

4. Network With Influencers and Bloggers

Networking with influencers and bloggers can be a powerful approach for any photographer looking to increase their audience and get more exposure. By collaborating with social media personalities who have established influence, you can extend the reach of your photographs in exciting ways.

Influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular as this form of outreach provides an opportunity to reach a highly-targeted audience quickly.

Photography blogs also present excellent opportunities. Many blogs accept article submissions, which is a straightforward way to get your work in front of a new audience. You can even find blogs dedicated to particular photography genres, so you can showcase your photos to an audience who is more likely to appreciate them.

5. Collaborate With Other Photographers

Collaborating with other photographers is an effective way to gain exposure, sharpen skills, and make valuable connections in the industry. These collaborations could range from simple cross-promotions on social media to exchanging blog posts to sharing each other’s work with your respective email lists.

Participating in these activities can help build your network of like-minded photographers with common interests that work together for mutual benefit. It also opens up opportunities for higher-profile projects or collaborations in the future.

6. Start a YouTube Channel

Starting a YouTube Channel is a natural step for any photographer seeking more exposure. YouTube provides an incredible opportunity to reach a massive worldwide audience hungry for content.

Plus, the cost of starting a YouTube channel is relatively low since all you really need to start making videos is a decent camera and lighting equipment, which you probably already have.

You can create gear guides and reviews, field guides for taking specific shots, photo editing tutorials, software reviews, and more.

7. Write and Share Engaging Blog Content

Once your portfolio site is set up, why not add a blog to it? Squarespace makes it easy to put a blog on your site and includes all the functionality you’ll need.

A blog can help to increase your exposure by allowing you to share your knowledge and insights about photography with the world. Getting traffic to a blog is much easier than getting traffic to a portfolio site, so use the blog content as a bridge that draws visitors in, and then link to the other pages on your site.

Your blog content will also help with social media marketing, giving you more to promote. You can also use a blog and a YouTube channel to present the same content in two different formats. The blog can help to get more exposure for your YouTube videos, and YouTube can help to funnel traffic to your blog.

8. Seek Publication Opportunities

Publications are great for photographers to get their work noticed among larger audiences. Many publications, both print and online, accept submissions from photographers. This includes magazines, newspapers, blogs, and more.

Research publications in your niche or area of focus that might be interested in featuring your work. Craft a compelling pitch that outlines why they should feature you and include examples of your best photos.

Research target publications with an audience interested in your photography style and reach out to them with a well-crafted pitch proposing your work.

Don’t forget to include portfolio samples relevant to each publication’s focus when submitting your pitch or proposal.

Being featured on websites or magazines can boost your credibility as a photographer and provide exposure.

9. Submit Your Work To Photography Contests and Awards

Photography contests can be an excellent way to get noticed and increase exposure as a photographer. By entering competitions, photographers have the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of industry professionals and obtain recognition for their work.

There are plenty of online photography contests, including those hosted by World Photography Organisation, National Geographic, and Hasselblad Masters. Make sure to read through the rules and regulations of each contest carefully before submitting your work.

Submitting your work to photography awards and competitions allows you to benchmark yourself against some of the best in the field while improving your skills with each submission.

When selecting photography contests, focus on those most suitable for your style and experience level.

10. Engage In Local Community Events

Local community events are a great way to network with other photographers and gain more exposure. Participating in workshops, critiques, exhibitions, or other photography-related activities in your area can help you build relationships that will be beneficial as your career progresses.

You may also want to consider joining a photography group in your local region or attending an event such as a photo walk where you can meet new people with the same interests and take photos together.

Being part of the local photography scene helps to further establish yourself as an expert photographer and create opportunities for collaboration with brands, influencers, publications, and more. It also allows you to get access to exclusive events, which could lead to increased chances of getting published.

Aside from photography events, other community events can be excellent for getting your work in front of potential clients or customers. For example, you can attend chamber of commerce events and network with all types of people. Or you can set up an exhibit at a local flea market or craft show and sell your photo prints. There are many different types of local events, so the possibilities are endless.

Final Thoughts

Getting noticed as a photographer can be challenging, but with the right techniques, any ambitious photographer can gain more exposure for their work.

It’s essential to stay consistent in pursuing opportunities such as networking events, contests, online platforms, and social media channels regularly. By leveraging these opportunities, you’ll maximize your chances of success by strengthening relationships within professional circles and with potential clients.