Tell Your Story….
Tell your story….
Photo credit PICHA/Mohamed Abdulrahman photography
…because no one will do it for you and the competition out there is fierce.
Many photographers, especially introverted ones, find being behind the lens a very secure place to be. However, it is essential to realize that with so many other creatives competing for work, you cannot just hope a buyer will discover your work. Make sure that "hope" is not part of your strategy.
Leveraging social media
Most of us are already sharing some of our work on social media. You may have noticed that sharing photos are not enough anymore. Some people come to social media to be entertained. Others come to look for inspiration, or to exchange with people, etc. They are getting accustomed to seeing beautiful images on their feeds every day.
To stand out from the crowd you have to go the extra mile and tell stories about your posts. Yes, people want to hear about your perspectives, what you care about, and what you think? Remember that people hire great work as well as personality.
Actionable insight: Next time you post, make sure you take a few minutes to write a small paragraph about why you are posting a specific photo. Any details you can share about your subject will help. Start small and build up your stories.
What story to tell?
Start by asking yourself what do I want to be known for? This will help you select a few topics, a few subjects and a few themes.
People love to see more than just a portfolio. They want to know what you are about, what you are passionate about. Along with each image you post, add a paragraph that will support that image. Write about things that make you happy. Write about your community.
Our latest PICHA dashboard also now allows you to write a small bio about yourself and add a photo. You can treat this as your portfolio and share the link on social media. You can also now invite your network to like your images on the PICHA platform. It would be great to see which one of your pictures is most liked.
Don’t forget about the basics.
If your social media is public, then treat it as a place where potential clients can find you.
Make sure you have a small descriptive bio on your social media, including name, website, country, and city).
In this global industry, you can be a photographer in Benin that get hired by someone in Canada so it is very important to have all your information available.
Every post should be a reflection of yourself. Treat every public platform as your portfolio.
Featured cover image photo credit PICHA contributor Josiane Faubert