Being featured in the media—think local news, magazines, etc.—is one of the best things you can do to boost your brand. The increased reach of your photography brings customers to your doorstep, and strengthens your credibility in the process. And it’s easier than you think! In this article, we’ll discuss how to get your photos in the local spotlight.

Step 1: Organize opportunities by subject and season.

Almost all local magazines, newspapers, and news stations have seasonal features. From special bridal editions, to holiday events, farmer’s markets, sports spectaculars, and more, each feature is an opportunity for photographers to find their niche. 

To start, subscribe to the publications you’d love to be featured in, and keep track of themes they cover each year. Most publications have digital archives, which will make your job a LOT easier.

Keep an eye out for a theme where your photography would be a hit:

• Travel season and capturing memories
• Weddings and brides
• Holiday events and planning
• Best of Your City
• Cool jobs and employment trends
• Arts and city life

And keep in mind that every one of these is looking for subject matter experts, in addition to photographers!

Step 2: Tailor a portfolio to showcase your best.

Now comes the fun part: before you reach out to these media outlets, be sure you’ve got a pitch polished. First, put your subject-relevant photography front-and-center on your portfolio or website. Then start thinking of relevant skills you bring to the table to make working with you even more enticing for a media outlet. For example:

• Bridal photographers: You’ve probably got a pretty good idea of the trends! Fabrics, venues, colors, decor—talk up your knowledge of all that goes into making a great wedding shoot. ‍
• Portrait photographers: You’re an expert on how to make sure a holiday, seasonal, or graduation shoot goes off without a hitch. Poses, seasonal themes, and holiday decor  are just the beginning. ‍
• Food photographers: Chances are you’re up-close and personal not just with the food, but the chefs and restaurateurs behind it. Tout your bon appetit bonafides about ingredients, food styling, and more to attract future clients. ‍
• Event photographers: Races, parades, and farmers markets are just a few of the opportunities for an enterprising photographer to document–and as an expert, you’ll have the best suggestions for how to make the most of these events. ‍
• Fashion photographers: Fashion weeks are huge productions, and you’re on the inside when you photograph the events. Because you’ve been there, you can help to identify trends based on personal experience.

You can even supplement your expertise with blog posts that make clear you know the business, while also being helpful to visitors. Let’s use a fashion week as an example. 

If you know color theory and fabric history, you can showcase fashion week photos and walk through the current trends and why they’re on top. Then you can share accessible ways to incorporate these trends into a shoot, plus give tips for getting the best shots for selfies, social media, and family memories.  

This kind of content boosts your credibility AND your accessibility, making you the ideal person to work with a media outlet.

Step 3: Find the right people to pitch.

Now that your portfolio and pitch are polished, it’s time to reach out. Here are two strategies to get you started.

‍Strategy 1: The publications you know

You’ve already done the homework of finding publications who promote events around your photo expertise, so now it’s time to get in touch! Take that handy list of subscriptions you’ve got and start noting the names of the authors and the editorial team. If they list an email address, even better, but if not, no worries! Most publications have a general information contact to get you started.

Once you’ve got the contact info in hand, draft your email: Make clear who you are, why you’re writing, and what makes you the one for the job. Be sure to ask questions that show you’ve done your homework. Just like you appreciate someone who’s taken the time to look through your portfolio, writers and editors appreciate when you know their background.

Reference past themes you found interest in (and even authors by name, if you’ve found someone on staff with a solid publishing record on the topic), and get the details you’d need to participate in the future, like: 

• When they begin on the issue
• Who the best person is to submit to, or the best place to send ideas and portfolios to
• If they are currently looking for subject matter experts for relevant upcoming features

This gives you the ability to plan ahead, fine tune your pitch, and submit it when they need it so it does not go into a pile or miss the deadline. Timing is everything.

‍Strategy 2: The publications you *don’t* know

This may sound basic, but trust us: Go to Google and type “(Your City) + (Your Subject Expertise) + Photographers” and click on “News”.  This will immediately give you a list of media companies talking about your topic of choice in the city you’re located. Then hone this list by “date” (under “tools”) and you’re left with a list of the most recent articles, published in your area, about your subject expertise.

Chances are you’ll find a lot of publications you already took care of in Strategy 1, but you’re likely to find some overlooked opportunities as well. 

Step 4: Keep track!

For both of these strategies, it can be useful to make a spreadsheet for ease of reference—and to make sure you’re not repeating any pitches too soon. Here’s an idea of how yours could look:

• Column A is the publication name.
• Column B is the editor or author.
• Column C the email or contact information for the editor or author.
• Column D is the URL or date of publications for the article so you can reference it.
• Column E is when you last reached out to them.
• Column F is how that outreach went. 

However you keep track, just be sure you’ve got a solid way to remember who you’ve already pitched to, when you pitched, and if you heard back from them. This way you can make sure you don’t double pitch or repeat yourself.

Being featured as an expert in the media is one of the best ways to build trust for your photography business and grow your customer base. And as a bonus: once you’re featured, why not start a “featured in” banner on your website with publisher logos? Show off those credentials. You earned them!