How to Get Your Photography “Out There”

Tags

So the other day I came up with some ideas for photos to take that I thought might turn out to be quite popular! Then again, maybe they wouldn’t; how do I know?

I can put them up at my website (the one you’re at right now), link to them from my Facebook page and Twitter, and wait for the accolades and viral madness to take off!

However, it seldom happens that way. You get a few likes and some nice comments, and then…your photos just sort of fade away into the ether of the vast Internet and nothing tangible ever comes of it. Your new photos that you had such high hopes for are seemingly forgotten by the Web Masses within a day or two.

So it struck me that there’s probably a better way to Get Your Photography “Out There” after you’ve completed a new series of photos or come up with a great (at least you think it might be) one-off shot. But what?

That’s when I decided I would formulate it as a question and send it to some of the photographers and photography editors & writers I know and see what they do or see other successful photographers doing…virtually off the top of their heads (I didn’t give them much time to answer).

Here’s the question I asked:

Say you’re a photographer and have taken a photo (either a single photo or a short series of photos) you think might make a splash in the media (online and/or elsewhere). What’s the best way to ‘get it out there’ in a relatively big way and quickly?

Below, I list the responses I received. (Most of the people I emailed gave me a response; photographers can be quite generous…:D).

If anyone else reading this post has anything they want to add, please use the comment form at the end of this post to share your experiences. Thank you!

And now the answers from my esteemed respondents…

David Carol
Photographer, Columnist at PDN Magazine
(website)

The truth is I never think like that. But, if I wanted a large group of people to see my work, for example the show I was in last year at The Museum of the City of New York. I would email everyone I know in the media and ask them to help me out and promote it through their online outlets. That usually helps.

Aline Smithson
Creator and Editor of LENSCRATCH Blogzine, Photographer
(website)

There are a wide array of ways to promote an image or a series starting with all the social media outlets, like FB, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Some photographers have garnered gallery representation from the posting of their photographs on FB or Instagram, while other prefer to keep imagery off pages where they lose control of the work.

I am a big fan of attending portfolio reviews when you have a new body of work to promote–the one-on-one exposure with significant reviewers can lead to many things.

There also are some outstanding calls for entry that allows work to be experienced far beyond gallery walls–some of may favorites are Critical Mass, CENTER, Center for Fine Art Photography, the Griffin Museum, Flash Forward, and PDN Photo Annual.

And finally, photographers can submit their work to blogs and magazines and hope to get published.

Just make sure your work is unique, has something to say, and is well executed. With the plethora of photographic images crossing our computer screens, it is getting more rare to find work that compels us to stop and take a second look.

David Bram
Editor of Fraction Magazine, Photographer
(website)

I would post a few small pictures along with a few sentences about the work on the Facebook page of the organization you’re trying to connect with. I would also tweet to the organization a link to the work (ie. “Hey @cnn, check out this tornado picture I just captured http://fractionmagazine.com/tornado”)

Almost all media outlets are now using both FB and twitter to connect with people and gather news.

Jonathan Blaustein
Photographer, Writer, Educator
(website)

Assuming a photographer is sitting on some genuinely important imagery, but is not already connected to a major media organization, I think I’d recommend Twitter. I’d suspect that tweeting a link to the images directly to a few important journalists, bloggers, and/or media outlets would get the right people’s attention.

Ruben Natal-San Miguel
Photographer, Photography Consultant
(Facebook, Website)

I always get my work out here. I ran my page on FB like a blog and since 95% of my Social Network here is Fine Art and Photography based (meaning Art Dealers, Curators, People in the Photography Industry etc, etc) words and images get out quicker. Also I like to include narrative, troubles and tribulations in order to get feedback and suggestions. I have gotten into exhibitions, art fairs and even gained representation from doing so. At the end of the day, it all depends what your social network is based on and how to manage it (or manipulated it).

Paris Visone
Documentary Photographer
(website)