SmugMug Development Lab

Although “marketing” might sound like jargon for a Business 101 class, marketing your photography business can be fun when you harness your creative powers to think outside the box. The best part is, there’s no shortage of strategies you can try. When a campaign takes off, it can bring customers to your studio, cause print sales to soar, and drive corporate clients to your lead pages.

Your strategies can be online, offline, in person, and a mix of everything in between. Many techniques are free and easy to learn, while some require a bit more skill and practice to master. Since every photography business is completely unique, with different offerings, clients, and objectives, there’s never a one-size-fits-all solution, but you can mix and match until you figure out what works for your specific photography business.

Here are 45+ ways you can market and advertise your photography business with explanations of each and tips on how to maximize effectiveness. The following advice will help bring customers to your studio, boost print sales, attract workshop attendees, sell custom editing presets, and more! Use the jump links below to skip to the section you’d like.

• Online
• Print and Offline
• In Person
• Other

Online

Harnessing the power of the internet and its endless marketing tools is the perfect way to build and grow your photography business. Many techniques don’t cost a thing, and the barriers to entry are only limited by your creativity. Luckily being a photographer means creativity is your strong suit!

1. SEO (search engine optimization) - This is the practice of optimizing your website and individual pages to show up for certain terms and phrases on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines. It can put your brand in front of a user when they are looking for photographers, art to buy, and other services you offer. Marketing directly to potential clients who are already searching for a business like yours is a golden opportunity. The idea is to optimize SEO on your photography portfolio website, and as you learn more about SEO you can grow and scale your traffic through digital PR, content writing, and by following best practices. Each web host has unique ways of handling SEO, so check with your provider on how to include SEO on your site. Research appropriate terms that will drive traffic to your site, like “Chicago wedding photographer” or “food product photographer.”

2. Stock Photography & Art Marketplaces - Some sites let you list and sell your images in a streamlined way, where they handle the marketing and hosting, and you provide the content. Buyers come to these sites looking for everything from landscape artwork to photos of animals, holiday scenes, and people working in an office. By selling through these marketplaces, you will pay a fee and lose some margin, but you can build a fan base and supplement your income with sales until your own photography website and brand takes off.

3. Social Media Paid Ads - Each social media platform offers advertising options. The important factor here is to know the demographic breakdown (age, sex, location, job, interests, etc.) of your ideal clients, so your work pops up in their feed without them having to go looking for it. Another way to use social media advertising is to post regularly and build a fanbase over time so you can stay top of mind and keep your images in front of the person until they’re ready to shop.

4. Organic Social Media - By using localized hashtags you can attract fans to your accounts. This includes #cityphotographers and #familyportraitphotographers and nicknames like #philly for Philadelphia and #htown for Houston. By building a fan base over time, you become the person they think of when they need to hire a professional photographer in a specific city or for a specific subject matter. Think about geographic hashtags as well as hobby and niche tags that fit your style and content.

5. Sponsoring Newsletters - By buying ad space or promotions inside of an organization’s existing newsletter, you get exposure to an audience that trusts the sender and reads their content. Think about your ideal client and what type of newsletters or blogs they might already subscribe to. It could be fashion designers that subscribe to a trends blog (they need product shots and lifestyle photography), or birdwatchers that belong to audubon societies and local clubs (they might collect bird art for their homes).

6. Directories - These are online listings of photographers organized by location and subject matter. Photography directories are a great way to get in front of people searching for photographers in their city or near them, and we have one here at SmugMug called ShutterScout that SmugMug Pro subscribers can list themselves on.

7. Digital PR - Much like traditional public relations (PR) , the internet offers a multitude of ways to gain exposure and bring customers to you. Digital PR is the marketing technique of being featured in a blog, on a social media account, online magazine article, or other places where the story links back to your website, which drives traffic to your portfolio and brings you leads. Unfortunately getting coverage for your photography business doesn’t just materialize out of thin air. You’ll have to pitch yourself to publications and social accounts, giving them good reasons why your story is interesting or unique to their audiences. It could be your background, your creative approach, or anything that makes you unique in the space, but think outside the box and get creative!

8. PPC (pay per click) Ads - These are short ads that appear at the top of search engines or on side banners, and when someone clicks on the link and visits your site, you pay a small fee. Each platform is different, where some let you define an audience, and others let you pick specific keywords and phrases like “Headshot photographers in Salt Lake City”.

9. Media Buying - This basically means buying ad space on the websites that your customers are visiting. When there is a community of customers you want to reach, make a list of the websites they regularly visit. You’ll see ads showing on the side, in the footer, and in between paragraphs. These can be purchased as a “media buy” through the ad network they use. They can be pricey, but well worth the investment if your client is a regular visitor to these sites.

10. Email Newsletters - You can build your own email list by having a blog with regular updates, a pop up with an offer enticing the person to subscribe (15% off your next portrait session!), or by writing a guest post for another successful blog or newsletter. (Beware of purchasing email lists; it usually doesn’t work). By sending regular emails to a subscriber that enjoys your work, you keep your brand in front of them—getting hired, making sales, and filling workshops when they’re ready to take action. Figure out a good pacing for these newsletters, where you’re not spamming your audience (which leads to an immediate unsubscribe) but you’re sending them often enough to stay top of mind. Once a month or every other month tends to be a good place to start your experiments.

11. Remarketing - Have you ever visited a website and now you see ads for the product or service on social media, in search engines, and everywhere you go online? These are remarketing ads that businesses use to show ads to people who showed interest in their product or service. This is a great way to continue marketing to a potential client who has already shown some interest in your work by visiting your portfolio or putting prints in a shopping cart.

12. Create an Online Course - If you host in-person workshops or teach photography skills like lighting and editing , consider creating an online course using videos, PDF handouts, quizzes, and instructional pages. There are several platforms that allow you to host the course on their site, and you get royalties as students on their platform take it. Online education has become really popular in recent years, and both amateur and professional photographers are always looking to level up. Another option would be to create and sell courses through your own website. The tradeoff is that you have to create and distribute everything yourself, which is a bigger technological undertaking, but you get to keep all of the profit.

13. Google My Business - Even if you don’t have a physical storefront, all businesses should be listed on Google My Business. It’s free and can help you get featured more prominently in search results. You can list your hours, services, and client reviews, which are one of the strongest forms of marketing these days!

14. Google Maps - In addition to having your website and Google Business Profile show up when someone searches for you, you can advertise your business on Google Maps to show potential customers how close they are to you. This is ideal if you have a brick-and-mortar location like a photo studio or print gallery.

15. Online Community Marketing - Look for large active groups of people in your target market on social media sites like Facebook, forums like Reddit, and photo-focused communities like Flickr. Begin participating as an active community member and when the need for a photographer arises, you have an “in” with the group. Wedding photographers could join groups for brides to be, while portrait photographers might look for school parent groups that will want senior portraits and family sessions. Event photographers might join groups for party planners or follow pages for popular local venues, and product photographers can look into small business owner, entrepreneur, and inventor groups.

16. Podcasting - Just like This Week in Photo, you can create a podcast to attract art fans, fellow photographers, and like-minded creatives This is a great way to let potential clients get to know you with no pressure on their end, and you can slowly build an audience with engaging and interesting content, which you can share across all your social platforms as bonus marketing. Eventually you might be able to attract sponsors and make some money with affiliate links for the products and services you mention. When figuring out what subjects to cover, think about what your clients might be interested in. Wedding photographers might offer tips on how to make the big day run smoothly, or easy posing suggestions for people who are uncomfortable in front of the camera. Bring on guests who are interested in reaching the same audience as you, and ideally they’ll cross-promote the content on their own channels.

17. Blogging - Perfect for photographers of all kinds, blogs drive business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! The key is to be consistent (i.e. posting regularly) and establish yourself as an authority on your subject. Whether you want to make a blog all about your photography practice (say, with tips for buying perfect prints or hiring the right photographer in your niche) or you’ve got a side passion that’s photography adjacent (like fashion, sports, or hiking), write what you know and help people learn along the way.

18. YouTube and video marketing - Similar to podcasting, creating a YouTube channel is a great way to reach audiences around the world 24/7/365. You can offer short how-to lessons on editing, posing, gear, and lighting, or you can interview fellow professionals in your space. Again, consider what your target clients might find interesting (and what you find interesting!) and tailor your content to those subjects. An always-popular topic is behind the scenes of certain shoots, so make sure to grab footage when you’re out and about shooting!

19. Streaming - As with YouTube, people love to learn and see professionals in action, like watching a photographer on location. Streaming offers a more candid experience for the viewer than the edited videos on other sites, so keep that in mind when deciding what to stream. Viewers might tune in to learn post-processing and the unique techniques that go into turning a digital image into a work of fine art, or want to see what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion shoot.

20. Reviews & Client Testimonials - Getting positive reviews and good client testimonials is the fastest way to build trust in your business. Anybody can put up a flashy website and have a good social media presence, but hearing from past clients about their wonderful experience working with you is way more effective. These reviews can be shared on your website, social media, and Google My Business profile, creating a word-of-mouth marketing campaign that’s powerful and effective.

Print and Offline

While print ads and traditional offline marketing might sound old school, they can still be some of the most effective ways to market your photography business. There are numerous opportunities to reach your target clients when they’re going about their days IRL.

1. Flyers - Similar to online community groups, think about where your chosen audience is spending time outside of the house. You can hang flyers on community bulletin boards, place them on cars at related events, and hang them at local hangouts like coffee shops and offices. Focus on quality over quantity: 20 flyers in front of the right eyes is way more valuable than 200 flyers seen by people who will never hire your photography services.

2. Newspapers - Believe it or not, people do still read newspapers! Putting an ad in the local paper can help you reach a huge audience of local clients, but keep in mind the reader demographics. They may skew older or hold certain job titles, so keep that in mind when creating your ad.

3. Vendor Directories - Phone books are not as common these days, but industry associations and unions may offer vendor directories. See how you can be listed in the directory, which will provide automatic trust in your photography business by being linked with the organization through an official channel.

4. Brochure and Program Sponsorship - Theater shows, pageants, community events, religious institutions—they all have brochures, and many feature ad space. These could provide a unique opportunity to reach an audience with a shared connection to your photography business.

5. Bus Stops and Metro Lines - Having a captive audience is a great way to get your brand out there, and people commuting to and from work are looking for something to do. Having your ads displayed while they ride can bring awareness to your brand for bookings, workshops, portrait sessions, and print sales. For example, if you teach a course about iPhone photography, let them scan a QR code, purchase, and begin taking it on their commute.

6. Magazine ads - Most major metropolitan areas have a trusted local magazine—“Washingtonian” in DC, “Boston Magazine” in Boston, and so on. Many have themed editions like the best restaurants or best in weddings. Buying ad space in these specific issues can put you right in front of readers who are actively looking to hire your services. Another option is to try and get included in the editorial space, meaning you won’t pay for coverage. Maybe the magazine is putting together a “Best of” list or doing profiles on locals involved in the scene. Check past issues and reach out to the editors and writers to see how you can be included. One thing to know is that print magazines work many months in advance, so start on this as early as possible to increase your chances.

7. Direct mail - Think postcards, letters, and even small packages. Direct mail is a great way to build business with exactly the type of clients you want to go after. If your messaging is right and it reaches a mailbox at the right time, you could fill your appointment book. Think of seasonal and annual events where people book photography services. This can work well for commercial and editorial photographers too, by sending hard-copy mailers to the business address of art buyers and photo editors at the brands and publications they want to work for.

In Person

1. Markets - All around the world you can find shopping experiences for crafts, holidays, and weekend farmers markets where you can set up a booth for the day. Many of the event goers might not be ready to hire you or sign up for a workshop on the spot, but it can be a great opportunity to hand out a business card and collect their contact information to be added to your email list. You could set up a mini studio for a quick portrait session, then ship the print or have them pick it up at your studio, which creates another contact point. It’s a great way to build a fan list, make print sales, and drive brand awareness.

2. Charity events - People are passionate about causes, and supporting the same causes can build a level of trust like nothing else. This includes firefighters and first responders, animal rescues like ASPCA and Humane Society, cancer societies, and everything in between. By sponsoring their charity events or volunteering your photography services, you create an automatic connection with fellow supporters and can collect leads from people who share your interests.

3. Expos and conferences - There are no shortage of expositions and niche conferences, including bridal, pop culture, trade shows, electronics, and everything else under the sun. They are usually annual or twice a year, and they all need event photographers to capture the moment. Reach out to the organizers and pitch yourself to shoot the event. If you get hired and attend, you’ll be able to connect with hundreds of individuals and brands who are in your target audience. Be prepared to hand out business cards and collect everyone’s information so you can reach out to them after the expo. Another option would be to have your own booth where you can display your work and meet potential clients.

4. Gallery exhibitions - Build relationships with local galleries and stay in touch about being featured in their exhibitions. Keep in mind there are plenty of other artists also trying to get featured, so make sure to stand out above the rest in unique ways. Offer to shoot an event, provide headshots of the staff, or volunteer in a helpful capacity. The relationship should be give and take, not just take and take! If you do get into a show, make sure to market the exhibition on your own channels and bring in customers.

5. Volunteering - Think about providing a photo booth at a community event or teaching a course at the local elementary school. Not only will it show you support the community, it will also get you out there meeting and building goodwill with potential clients.

6. Speak at a Conference - As soon as someone sees you on stage, it provides automatic credibility that can otherwise take years to build. You’ll be seen as a trusted expert by the in-person audience, as well as anyone who sees a photo or video of you in that position. Find events that are connected to your type of photography business, and contact the organizers about speaking or presenting your body of knowledge. While it might take some time and effort to prove yourself as the right person to be on stage, this can fast-track you to positioning yourself as an expert, which makes clients want to hire you.

7. Join the local chamber of commerce - If you offer product and corporate photography, your local chamber of commerce has business owners that need your services. Attend meetings, participate in the community, and go to networking events to get out in front of these potential customers! You’ll meet clients, build trust, and show how you work with other local business owners. You could try doing a free headshot session or offering a discount to other chamber members to generate business.

8. Utilize local influencers - People trust the local movers and shakers in their area. Invite those individuals for a fun themed session to bring awareness to your studio and the photography services you offer. Make sure to provide the best images to the subjects so they share on their channels, with the request that they tag you and share your information in relation to the work. Consider submitting the images to local websites and publications if appropriate, or post in community groups that might find the images interesting.

9. Religious events - Do a free photo session at religious group events for their important days and ceremonies, making sure to respect the particulars of the religion and the particular day. These groups might want to bring awareness to holidays and celebrations and share it with the rest of the community. You can capture a few shots they can share on social media with their congregations and fans. When the head of the institution recommends you as the official photographer, you may fill your book with sessions for baptisms, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other celebrations.

10. Host an event - Having people come to you can work wonders for your business. When they’re in your studio or at your party, they’re exposed to your brand and your services while also having fun with friends and eating and drinking for free. Plus, events are easy to market through social media, posted flyers, and word of mouth.

Other

The beauty of marketing is that it can be anything you can dream up! It doesn’t just have to be printing flyers and posting ads on websites. Your creativity can be exactly what brings new business to you, and there's no shortage of opportunities. The sky is the limit!

1. Cross promotions - Every business owner has complementary vendors, and working together to promote each other’s stores and studios benefits everyone. This includes your photography clients, because it makes it easier for them to find trusted providers. Consider doing a discount bundle for the group of vendors if the person uses multiple. Wedding photographers could partner with event venues and florists, and maternity photographers could partner with clothing and baby stores.

2. Sending Samples to Vendors - A great way to build exposure and business is to snap photos while you’re on location. If you’re doing real estate photography, get some stunning shots of the landscaping. At parties and other celebrations, capture the catering and floral arrangements. Now add your watermark and give digital and printed samples to the vendors for them to use. You’ll be exposed to their potential customers, and they might become your customer for a refreshed lookbook or website update.

3. Placing Art in Venues - Restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, doctor’s offices, etc.— they all need decorations. Why not offer them artwork for their walls and in exchange they can give out your business card? In some cases you can let customers buy the wall prints directly from the venue and do a revenue share with them. The location doesn’t have to pay for high-quality decor and they make a bit of extra income.

4. Referral programs - If you have happy customers, always ask for referrals! By incentivizing them to share on social media and through email, you’ll be creating a word-of-mouth campaign that builds immediate trust with their friends and family. This is the original (and still the most effective) marketing strategy!

5. Loyalty programs - To get repeat customers, offer a loyalty program that rewards them for hiring you multiple times. If they purchase nine prints, they get the tenth one free. Or include a magnet or small token of your appreciation with every purchase. You can do the same thing with signing up for courses, booking sessions, and pretty much any service or product you might offer

6. Become a Subject Matter Expert - Pitch your local news to be a subject matter expert on photography. They have experts for kids toys, business and operations, and everything else you can imagine, so why not photography? With so many opportunities for sharing and seeing images in modern society, creating better images is always going to be a relevant topic. As a photographer you can share posing tips and theme trends for holiday portraits, providing insights only a pro like yourself would know.

7. Trade for Ad Space - Offer stores, bakeries, and coffee shops that share your customer base a photo session so they can get pro-level images in exchange for hanging flyers in their store window or putting an ad on their website for your photography business.

8. TV ads - These can be pricey on a national level, but local ads can work well and are surprisingly affordable. If there’s a couple of shows or a local news program your audience might watch, focus on these as busy seasons approach.

9. Movie theater ads - This ad spot normally runs on a monthly basis. If there is a movie playing that is relevant to your target audience, you can try advertising your services. Try to link your subject matter with the topic of the film. For example, if you do dance photography, a movie about a ballet school for kids would be a perfect fit. If you do sports photography, the next football drama will attract the exact clients you’re looking for.

10. Giveaways - Create a giveaway during slow times, whether it's a free session for local kids’ sports teams or a day of event photography for local community groups. You’ll get contact information of potential customers so they can buy prints and might book your services in the future.

Much like mastering the art of photography, mastering the art of marketing a photography business is more of an ongoing journey than a battle to be won. The good news is that it does get easier as you start to understand your target audience, what works, and what doesn’t. As technology evolves, so will the opportunities to market your work online, but don’t forget that the old fashioned print and in-person ways can still be the most effective. As your marketing skills develop, be as creative as you want and have fun with it! Potential clients will recognize the authenticity and connect with you as a person. Hopefully this guide inspires you to think outside the box and generate more ways to bring in customers and keep your business going!

Underexposure occurs when a photo appears darker than reality because not enough light reaches the sensor through the shutter. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including the wrong settings for your shutter speed, your aperture and your ISO. On a digital camera, you can look at the image on your screen and adjust your settings as necessary to allow more light in, or you can create more light in the scene, but sometimes the moment comes and goes too fast to fine-tune.

Underexposed images aren't all bad, so if your photos come out underexposed, don’t panic.  First thing’s first: Can you lean into it? Sometimes a darker image is intentional, if the photographer is going for a moody or dramatic feel. Purposely underexposing your images may even help you develop a new photo aesthetic throughout your body of work.

Typically, it’s easier to fix underexposed photos than overexposed ones (where the image is too bright and portions are blown out) because sensors in modern digital cameras are better at capturing details in the shadows than the highlights. That means when you lighten an underexposed image, the detail and visual information is still there in the dark areas. Whereas  darkening an overexposed image is more problematic, because the detail and information in the brightest spots isn’t there to begin with. 

If you’re shooting digital and notice everything coming out darker, here are a few reasons why it might be happening, as well as the steps to fix it. 

Causes of Underexposed Photos and How to Fix them in Camera

There are two main causes of underexposure: the available light in your shot, and your camera settings. Anything that increases or decreases the light in the area you’re taking a photograph will impact the overall exposure of your images. This can be as small as an open curtain on a window, or a model wearing a white shirt. When shooting outside, a single cloud covering the sun will dramatically change the exposure of your image. 

Some of these things are within your control, so pay attention to every light source, including reflective surfaces. If these things are not in your control, or you’ve already done all you can to adjust the light, turn to your camera settings for the answer. Now it’s all about the exposure triangle, meaning the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO of your camera.  

• When you go to take a picture, the light meter in your camera typically takes an overall reading of the frame and gives you the average exposure, so if there are really bright areas like snow on the ground or a white sky, that will throw off the reading from the light meter. The meter picks up the bright spots and thinks the scene is lighter than it is, so it will suggest an exposure that might cause other areas to be too dark. Most cameras have a “spot metering” setting, where you can focus your light meter on a specific spot in the frame to get a reading, which might get you closer to the exposure you’re aiming for. 
  ‍
• For tricky scenes that have a lot of contrast, plan to underexpose the image slightly (a few stops down on your aperture or up on the shutter dial) so that there’s enough information in the highlights. It might look muddy on your camera, but it will be fixable when you edit. 
  ‍
• When your f-stop (aperture) is too small, not enough light will get to the sensor, which will lead to underexposure. Apertures follow the format of f/2.8, f/4, f/8, but because that actually represents a fractional size of 1 / 2.8, 1 / 4, and 1 / 8, the smaller numbers mean a larger hole. So f/2.8 lets more light through than f/8.
  ‍
• Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the shutter is open and allows light to pass through to the sensor. Fast shutter speeds can underexpose an image because not enough light passes through. Slow shutter speeds will allow more light to go through, but if it is much slower than 1/250 of a second, you have a higher chance of a blurry image. If you use a slow shutter speed, consider bringing a tripod or stabilizing your camera another way in order to avoid unwanted blur or shake. Similar to aperture, the format of shutter speeds is fractional, so it’s 1/30th of a second, 1/60th of a second, 1/1000th of a second, and so on. Higher numbers mean faster shutter speeds.

• ISO is the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light and is a setting that can be changed quickly and easily. The higher your ISO is, the more sensitive your sensor is and the brighter the image will be. If your images are coming out underexposed, consider bumping up your ISO. The tradeoff here is that a higher ISO can create more noise in an image, so it might look pixelated or lower quality. “Noise” refers to a visual distortion present in low-light photographs, that looks like splotches and discoloration. You can reduce the risk of noise with lower ISOs.
  ‍
• Dark backgrounds with light subjects can impact a light meter’s ability to get an accurate reading for balanced exposure. Take the moon, or a singer at a concert as examples.  The light meter is attempting to balance between the light subject and darkness behind them, which throws off the exposure reading. When exposing for situations like this, there is no right or wrong way to do it, because photography is art and art is subjective, but adjust your settings until you find the exposure that most accurately represents the look you’re going for. 

How to Edit an Underexposed Photo

There’s no shortage of ways to fix an underexposed photo, both in the moment of getting the shot and afterwards when you’re sitting at your computer. During the shoot, it’s worth checking the histogram on your camera to make sure there’s a relatively even spread of light and dark areas. Your histogram will never be perfect, but adjusting your settings to avoid the high spikes and low drops can give you a good starting point. If you’re done shooting, don’t worry, software can help.

Lightroom and phone apps like Snapseed offer a tool called the exposure slider. When you slide left, it dials down the exposure and the image gets darker. Slide it right to increase exposure and lighten the image. You might find that a slight adjustment here makes a huge difference! 

Editing software also has sliders for highlights and shadows, where you can isolate changes to the exposure of the lightest (highlight) or the darkest (shadows) areas of your photo. This is useful for underexposed images where the highlights are balanced, but the shadows are too dark. You can keep the integrity of your highlights while you adjust your shadows. 

Masks and graduated filters are another (slightly more involved) tool in many editing programs. Masks let you choose a specific area, like the background, sky, or subject of the photo, and dial the exposure up or down in just that spot. Another type of mask is the brush tool, where you can run the brush over a specific spot in the image to raise or lower the exposure. Many editing programs have AI features that automatically read where the sky or subject is, so you don’t have to spend a ton of time going over them with a brush.

Graduated filters do a similar thing to the mask but cover a broader area, and they have a gradient built in where the new exposure settings are stronger on one end and gradually lessen over the length of the filter. So you might have the exposure dialed down 2 stops at the top of an image, and by the bottom, there’s no change to exposure. This can be great for adjusting the exposure in a way that looks natural and avoids looking over-processed.

The moral of our story is: underexposure is not only easier to fix than overexposure, it can be an intentional aesthetic – one that adds depth, dimension, and feeling to a shot.  Did you enjoy our guide?  Subscribe to the SmugMug blog and get more just like it!

A picture is worth a thousand words, but for experience businesses in today’s photo-obsessed society, pictures also mean happier customers and increased profits. Successful experience businesses –  like escape rooms, ropes courses, arts and crafts studios, and whitewater rafting companies – are built on creating events that leave an impression on the participants. 

The goal is to have customers walk away with lasting memories that they are excited to share with friends and family. When the business creates and sells high-quality imagery (print and/or digital), they can boost revenue in the short-term by selling prints or digital downloads. If profit per image sold is $10, selling 2 images to 8 groups in a day, that’s $160 in new profit per day.

Beyond that boost in revenue, when customers walk away from your business with awesome photos to share on social media, they’re acting as a walking spokesperson for your brand. Their followers will want to have the same experience and seek your business out. This can build into grassroots marketing campaign that is more powerful (and cost-effective) than anything else on the planet. Forbes reports that 76% of social media users have purchased something they saw on social media, with authenticity being the most important factor when a product or service was recommended. It doesn’t get much more authentic than seeing a photo of the individual enjoying your business in the moment!

The following article is a primer on how experience businesses can leverage photography to provide a top-notch customer experience and boost revenue in the short- and long-term.

Providing event photography leads to a better customer experience.

How many times have you been laughing with friends, living in the moment and loving life, when somebody says, “Hold on a second, let’s get a picture!” Then everyone has to wait until the person gets out their phone, sets up the shot (or finds a random stranger to take it), and keeps clicking until they’re satisfied. By then the moment’s over. 

Or maybe you’re more familiar with the person who never puts their phone away. They are constantly taking pictures and practically see life through their screen. For experience businesses, both of those situations can be disruptive and ruin the magic that one is trying to create. 

Providing event photography as a service allows participants to put their phones away, stay fully in the moment, and enjoy the experience. Knowing there’s someone capturing the amazing moments for them will help customers enjoy their time even more. Whitewater rafting businesses can position a photographer at the biggest rapid on a trip, capturing the surprised and excited faces of their patrons—or even the unlucky person or two who falls into the drink.  An outdoor ropes course might have the perfect stopping point to gather everyone for a group photo high off the ground with an epic landscape backdrop. 

Removing the stress of having to capture every moment and offering incredible photo packages adds up to an enhanced experience and boosted revenue. After all, that’s what your business is all about!

Selling photo packages creates an additional short-term revenue stream.

Once you’ve gotten customers in the door, photography provides another opportunity to create revenue. You can provide event photography as an optional add-on service and sell customized photo packages to participants. 

• For adrenaline-fueled experience businesses like whitewater rafting or skydiving, having an on-site photographer might be the only way customers can get images that will allow them to relive the moment over and over, so it’s a service that most people will want.
• One thing to keep in mind with selling photo packages is to have the images available immediately afterward, before the customer walks out the door. They’re still riding the high of their experience, so seeing images of what they just went through amplifies their excitement, prolongs the moment, and leads to more sales.
• Experiment with different types of photos and package options based on what customers like and what sells. Some people might just want one great image of their time with your business while others might want a photographer with them the whole time, capturing every second of the experience. Digital downloads are inexpensive and popular, but you might have the opportunity to offer prints, group portraits, video clips, or even create a themed photo booth filled with props. For example, an escape room might use a security camera to capture video and sell clips that have a completely unique but authentic style.
• Photo package examples can include a mix of print and digital downloads, perhaps $35 for 1 print, $40 for a digital download of all files, or $50 for both a single print and all digital files, which could be an easy upsell because it’s such a great deal. Keep track of the who, what, and when of purchases made, and tweak prices and seasonality of the photo packages you offer to maximize profits.

Providing shareable content for customers is the strongest form of marketing.

“Pics or it didn’t happen” has become a mantra for a whole generation of social media-driven customers, and luckily for experience businesses, customers who post high-quality pictures are the best type of promotion. 

Word of mouth marketing used to be limited to your customers’ friends and families, but thanks to the power of the internet, that network has expanded to include your customers’ followers and anyone who comes across their page. When you provide great images and videos that a customer is proud to show off, they become a walking spokesperson for your brand.

• In recent years, there’s been a shift away from placing value on material goods and a shift toward placing value on experiences. Thanks in part to social media, when a satisfied customer posts an image of your experience business, it makes their followers want to have that experience, too. By providing event photography, you can ensure the images going into the world are the highest quality and reflect your business in a positive and professional light.
• Each social media post is a real customer story, a positive testimonial that acts as an authentic endorsement for your experience business. These kinds of posts build community and engage new customers, which can become a sort of grassroots marketing campaign: It can provide new leads for your team to pursue, and give you ideas for future promotions. Plus, you’ll be able to repost on the business’ social channels. 
• Consider creating a hashtag for your business or a social media group for customers to chat with each other about their experience. Make it enticing by offering discounts on future purchases for group members and hashtagged posts.
• By providing event photography to customers, you’re constantly building your own image library to be used as marketing materials, whether it’s on social media, in a brochure, or on a billboard. (Just make sure to get the subjects’ permission before using any images for marketing, promotions, or advertisements.)

Photography isn’t just a superfluous add-on for experience businesses these days, it’s a powerful tool that boosts revenue, expands marketing efforts, and significantly improves the customer experience. Leveraging this new paradigm is crucial to the success of any experience business, and if you follow the guidance provided here, you’re guaranteed to see incredible results.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most impactful images feature a contrast of some kind? Maybe it’s the use of contrasting colors or two elements that seem to oppose yet complement each other simultaneously. These images use an element of composition called juxtaposition; if you’re looking to create strong and compelling images, you’ll want to master this practice.

What’s the definition of juxtaposition?

Juxtaposition is placing two or more objects or concepts close together to contrast them or create an interesting effect. For example, a photo showing a sunny, green field backed with a black, stormy sky juxtaposes both color and weather. Juxtaposition often occurs naturally in shots but can also be created by strategically staging the scene.

Knowing how to identify juxtaposition naturally will help you compose your images and take stronger photos. Using juxtaposition isn’t just about having contrasting elements in a photo; it’s also about the story those elements tell.

Let’s look at some examples of photos that use juxtaposition effectively.

Examples of juxtaposition.

The best way to learn about using juxtaposition is to see some examples of how it can be used. Here are photos where contrast is created in a variety of ways. Sometimes contrasting colors are used, while other times the subjects tell contradictory stories.

1. Modern versus old architecture. This photo uses the contrasting architectural styles of the buildings to create juxtaposition.

2. Contrasting concepts. This photo shows a contrast between the ancient stonework and the ultra-modern smartphone.

3. Death versus life. This photo not only has contrasting colors but contrasting subjects as well. The bright, vibrant flower is juxtaposed with the dead bloom.

4. Large versus small. The comparison between the looming, out-of-focus buildings in the background and the sharp, tiny bird in the center of the frame make a perfect juxtaposition of size.

5. Old versus young. This is a contrast that evokes emotion showing both the early stages of life and its later days.

6. Natural versus man-made. This composite image juxtaposes natural and man-made objects, combining them into one image.

7. Wealth versus poverty. A powerful juxtaposition often used for social commentary. It makes the viewer stop and think, evoking an emotional response.

Juxtaposition is all around. Learning how to see it and use it will help you to create images that are not only beautiful but powerful as well. Using contrasting elements can create images that tell stories and give more meaning to your photos.

‍

Event photography seems simple enough: Your job is to take photos of a special occasion. Where it gets tricky is in reflecting the actual experience from the participant’s perspective, whether it’s a professional conference for business owners, a product launch cocktail hour, or a wedding’s late-night dance party. Of course, the basic lighting techniques still apply for every event—adjusting shutter speed, aperture, and ISO for correct exposure—but utilizing the advanced lighting techniques listed below can take your event photography from pretty good to print-worthy.

First things first: Do your research.

As part of your pre-shoot preparation, think about the vibe and location of the event itself, as well as who the participants are, then plan some shots accordingly. For example, formal events (trade shows, conferences, business meetings, speaking events) might require crisp, clean images that reflect the scene as accurately as possible, while more personal events (weddings, family reunions, cocktail parties) might allow for an artistic approach and more experimentation. Communicate with your client about their expectations, and how your photographic style and vision for the event will fit.

Identify potential ambient light sources.

The sun, windows, streetlights, tabletop candles, colorful strobes, a stage spotlight, lamps, sparklers, neon signs, and overhead lights can all be used on their own to create interesting exposures. Look up images of the venue and talk to the client about what ambient light sources there will be, and have an idea of how you might utilize each of them. 

One important advanced lighting technique is knowing how to balance artificial lighting with the ambient lighting of any given scene. For a sunset cocktail hour, you might use a soft flash to highlight people having a good time while preserving the rich colors of the sky in the background. A live concert might require direct flash on the lead singer to freeze her jumping in mid-air, but with a slow enough shutter speed to include stage lighting that highlights her bandmates.

Choose the right external flash—and know how to use it. 

There are countless options when it comes to supplemental lighting for event photography, but what’s most important is thinking through what the pace and location of the event will be, then picking out appropriate equipment for the event. Will you have an assistant to operate an off-camera flash, or are you on your own? Is the event fast-paced with unmissable moments, or is it a bit slower with more time to set shots up and play with lighting? 

In addition to those factors, make sure you have full mastery over whatever lighting equipment you’re using. Event photography is all about real people (not models!) experiencing one-of-a-kind moments, so you’ve gotta be ready and have all your settings dialed for those split-second opportunities.

Pro-tip: Once you have the external flashes, practice photographing friends in a space similar to the event so you are ready for the big day.

One advanced lighting technique for event photography is to utilize multiple external flashes to provide a key light and fill lights for specific exposures. Knowing how your flashes can work together to layer the light in a frame will take your imagery to the next level. Here are a few things to consider with artificial lighting:

• On-camera flash: No, we’re not talking about the built-in flash that comes permanently attached to your camera (which is practically useless). Instead, we’re talking about a speedlight that mounts to the hot shoe on top of your camera and has adjustable settings. These are portable and inexpensive, and they provide endless versatility for whatever lighting conditions you might encounter. If you’re trying to isolate a subject or create close-up images that make the viewer feel like they’re part of the scene, tilt the light down toward the subject for hard, direct light. To add a touch of fill light, point the flash in a higher direction for a softer look, keeping in mind that the light will bounce off whatever is nearby, like the ceiling, wall, or a mirror.
• Off-camera flash: These are speedlights, strobes, ring lights, or other artificial lighting equipment that are remotely triggered. If the event photography job includes head shots or professional portraits, consider setting up a small photobooth with a nice backdrop and pre-arranged lighting so you can grab subjects when they have a spare moment. This will ensure continuity and quality for the images, as well as peace of mind for you as the photographer. One advanced lighting idea for events that have a party-like atmosphere would be to set up a strobe to backlight a dance floor and capture interesting silhouettes of high-energy dance moves. (Think feet jumping, hair waving, and clothes swinging!)
• Flash modifiers: DIffusers, soft boxes, bounce cards, honeycombs, and color filters/gels add another layer of versatility to any lighting equipment you already have. Diffused light will provide a softer look that’s great for nostalgic, intimate, and romantic moments, while direct or hard light can provide a more dramatic look with bold shadows and enhanced texture. Adding a color gel to your flash can create warm or cool tones, depending on what type of mood you’re going for.

Be creative and think outside the box.

With event photography, you have the benefit of being present for a special time in a person’s life—after all, it’s an event that stands out so much from daily life it warrants hiring a photographer! You’re there to document the people, the place, and the moments in a cohesive way that reflects the feeling, meaning, and importance of it all, beyond simply taking photos. Event photography is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Great event photography captures the essence of the experience, not just the facts.

Here are a few last ideas to try: silhouetting people against a bright background (look for interesting body positions), using a slow shutter speed for motion blur in the background with a flash to freeze the action of the subject, and painting with light (slow shutter speed + moving light source) to highlight a place setting or write something meaningful (like a wedding date + the couple’s initials). Be creative and think outside the box for how you can use advanced lighting techniques, and you’ll create images your event photography clients will cherish for years to come.

Let’s be honest: Photography can involve more than its fair share of busy work. That’s why at SmugMug, we’re always looking for ways to get you more time behind the lens and less time behind the keyboard. With that in mind, our latest development is one we’re *very* excited about.

The SmugMug iOS app is now compatible with Apple’s Shortcuts app! This revolutionary tool helps you accomplish multiple actions with a single click. For example, you could make a “morning routine” shortcut that would give you the day’s weather, a stock update, and start playing your favorite morning podcast, all with the click of a button.

What this means for your photography is you can automate complex, multi-step processes into a single, streamlined shortcut. With the new Shortcuts integration on the SmugMug iOS app, you can:

• Effortlessly automate mobile photo selection, editing, and uploading.
• Customize your workflow to suit your unique process.
• Save valuable time by reducing manual steps.
• Launch these shortcuts quickly from your home screen or share sheet.
• And more.

To help demonstrate this amazing new tool, our friends over at TWiP put together a handy walkthrough showing two great ways you can put this update to use:

We can’t wait to see how you streamline your photography. After all, sometimes it can be good to take a shortcut. Download the SmugMug App for iOS today.

As a real estate photographer, you have more opportunities to add money to increase your revenues than a lot of other professional photographers: your network is made of professionals who have consistent demand for quality photography, plus a client base of consumers that may want to commemorate their new home.

Whether it's the middle of the slow season and you’re looking for new revenue streams or you’re trying to increase sales year-round, here are some out-of-the-box ways you can use your skills and network to grow your photography business.

Turn home shots into closing gifts.

Both the buyer and seller agents will likely be purchasing a closing gift for their client. And they’ll want to keep their brand front and center for their next purchase, sale, or referral. A gorgeous photo of the home they just helped buy or sell could be a great way to do both!

You’re photographing the property and already have a relationship with the seller’s agent, so why not show up at golden hour and take a couple of gorgeous photos of the home? Show the agent what your photography skills can do, and offer to make their clients some framed prints as a gift. As a bonus, this gets your photography in front of happy new homeowners who might have non-real estate photography needs in the future.

Create art galleries for open houses.

Agents either stage the house themselves or hire interior designers. Either way, they’re going to need art and furniture. If you see the staging, why not bring your photography portfolio on your iPad or phone and show how your artwork from non-real estate photos amplifies the experience of touring the home?

• Offer to lease the work for use at each open house.
• Come by and hang the work based on the furniture and room, then collect it after.
• Let the real estate agent or designer have access to a private and secure photo gallery where they can pick and choose which prints they want.

Then, in exchange for them getting high-quality photos, you can ask them to list your name and contact info by the photographs, or place your business cards as the artist by the sign-in sheet for the open houses.

The added benefit here is that you’ll be in front of home buyers that will need to decorate. Even if they don’t buy that house, you’re getting free exposure to an audience who will potentially be upgrading their living spaces and in need of new art in the near future. Offer the home buyers a business card where they can find your portfolio. Create a gallery for “Open House Art” so they know where to find the photo(s) they were drawn to on display.

Product and marketing shots for vendors.

When photographing a property for listing, find out who the vendors that worked on the house are.

• Landscapers
• Masonry companies
• Interior decorators
• Pool companies
• Etc….

Each of these companies has to advertise, update portfolios, and showcase work samples, and many forget to do this regularly. While you’re taking photos, snap a couple pro shots with these vendors in mind. (This could be updated patios, the staging of the home, and even a nicely trimmed lawn with flowers.)

Process the photos (and remember to add your watermark for protection), then send sample images to the respective companies along with a link to your portfolio.

Create fine art to sell.

Some real estate photographers like to create creative and evocative images within the homes they’re hired to shoot. As long as there are no restrictions in your contract, why not take advantage of a beautifully staged home for some fine art photography? 

Show up for golden hour to capture natural light coming through a window, or a scenic sunset over the back yard. Work on your food photography with that beautifully renovated kitchen as a backdrop. Your options are endless.

Making money with real estate photography doesn’t end with snapping photos of the house—it becomes a lead magnet for you to earn revenue in multiple ways. And if you’re not currently securing your images from theft and selling prints, give SmugMug a try for free by clicking here.

Whether you’re offering keepsakes to holiday portrait clients, or specialty items to art fans, we’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing which items to offer in your store beyond those gorgeous prints. How, you ask? With DATA. 

We’ve taken the most commonly searched-for items and terms to help you pick and choose just what you’d like to feature this holiday season. Beef up your photography packages, list these items front and center in your shop, and feature them in customer gift guides or newsletters for a gift that will delight your customers and their families.

Photo gift #1: Magnets.

We know that photo magnets are always a big seller for portrait clients. But just how popular are they? By using Google data we can find out, down to the sizes people commonly search for.  Here’s how many people search for photo magnets by month:

• 8x10 photo magnet - 6,600 monthly searches
• photo magnets - 4,400 monthly searches
• photo fridge magnets - 720 monthly searches

There are over 6,000 people every month searching for 8x10 photo magnets, so that’s an easy win right there. Try using a smaller size in your photo packages, and offer the more in-demand size to your clients as an upsell! Or you could offer discounts on orders including multiple sizes to capitalize on a diverse range of magnet options.

Photo gift #2: Mugs.

Another holiday classic, photo mugs are a popular search term. Here’s what they look like by the numbers: 

• photo mugs - 3,600 monthly searches
• photo coffee mugs - 1,000 monthly searches
• custom photo mug - 880 monthly searches

The word "custom" here is sneaky: It could mean someone is looking to upload their own image to the coffee mug. As a photographer that’s not going to build your business. But if you primarily do retouching work, it could be an ideal offering!

Like magnets, mugs are a popular item you can benefit from featuring front-and-center in your store. They work nicely as upsell items in your photo packages, too.

Photo gift #3: Stocking stuffers and wrappable wonders.

The numbers don’t lie: People love their keepsakes. Here are a couple other options that came up in our research:

• photo mouse pad - 1,000 monthly searches
• photo puzzle gift - 880 monthly searches
• photo collage gifts - 720 monthly searches

While these may seem like small potatoes in comparison with your first two options, we included the word “photo” in each of these for specificity. If we take that away, you get a bigger picture of the kinds of demand you can tailor your offerings toward:

• jigsaw puzzle - 165,000 monthly searches
• playing cards - 49,500 monthly searches
• mouse pad - 40,500 monthly searches
• coasters - 33,100 monthly searches
• coffee mug - 27,100 monthly searches
• postcards - 18,100 monthly searches
• keepsake frames - 18,100 monthly searches
• keepsake box - 8,100 monthly searches
• refrigerator magnet - 5,400 monthly searches

Each of these photo gifts offers an opportunity to sell your photos, you’ve just gotta get creative with your messaging: “A photo mousepad is a great way to make sure your favorite vacation memories are always with you at the office.” “Playing cards featuring your photos make great stocking stuffers, and will always spark conversation around the card table!” etc.

By including some of these popular items in your store, or featuring them as add-ons during the checkout process, you can inspire your customers to go the extra mile—and make an extra sale in the process.

Happy selling!

Sports photography is about capturing “the moment” and all of the raw emotions that come with it.  Whether the moment is a loss, a win, a goal, or a save, sports bring out the full spectrum of human emotion. There’s passion and intensity with every move, so it's important to be ready to “tackle” everything that comes your way.

Below you’ll find 6 things to know and keep in mind that will help you capture the perfect sports photography shots, whether you’re wanting to immortalize your kids’ tournaments, sell to sports fans, or you’re simply doing it for the love of the game. 

Use the right camera modes and settings.

The right camera mode and settings are crucial for all forms of photography, but maybe even more so for the fast-paced world of sports photography, where every second counts. The most important settings and functions to understand and know how to use when shooting motion are aperture priority, burst or continuous shooting mode, shutter speed, and ISO.

• Aperture priority mode allows you to set the aperture (the size of the hole which light passes through to the camera sensor) on your camera while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed for you. Because you are shooting things moving quickly and trying to capture as much as possible, the less fidgeting with your settings the better.
• Burst or continuous shooting mode will take anywhere from 3-8 frames in one second, depending on your camera. The benefit here is pretty obvious—just make sure you have a sizable and fast memory card.

• Understanding shutter speed as a function is important when shooting quickly moving targets. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t be shooting slower than 1/1000 of a second, unless you’re going for some motion blur (which a lot of sports photographers are!). A fast shutter speed (1/1000 and above) is how you can capture an athlete as they’re kicking a goal or catching a ball, or a gymnast breaking from a twist mid-air while coming off the vault.
• Your camera’s ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light. The lowest ISO – usually 50 or 100 – is going to be the least sensitive setting, and good only in bright overhead sunlight. You can set your camera’s ISO to auto, but if you’re shooting indoor sports, we recommend manually setting it before the game so that you have more control. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it is, meaning the more range you have to adjust and change your aperture and shutter speed. We recommend having your ISO somewhere between 500-1200 while shooting motion.

Do your research.

You’re likely already watching videos of the sport you’re about to photograph, but have you considered going to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to study videos of key players, and to get a better understanding of the game? By watching videos the athletes post of themselves, or that fans post from the sidelines, you can learn what parts of the game are important and worth looking out for.  

Being familiar with the game is important. Without knowing the game, you won’t know where to stand or what the right angles are—and knowing the behaviors of the players themselves will give you a better chance at knowing where to be at the right time.

Practice shifting depth of field without looking at your camera.

Professional photographers adjust and shift depth of field with muscle memory, but not all of us are pros. And even pros can be caught off-guard with sports photography because they cannot control where athletes are on the field, how a coach instructs their team members to form, or when a cyclist is about to sprint. They could want the subject in sharp focus and the audience in the stands blurred, but another object coming across their path will throw the entire capture off.

The first step is to create a list of situations with shots you’d love to capture, and the depth of field required as the scene could change. Next, watch team practices and scrimmages to get a feel for the distances you’re photographing at. Last is to set up at a location with tons of unknowns (local tracks are great for this) to get some practice adjusting your depth of field in real time.

If you don’t have an extreme team sports venue like BMX tracks or roller rinks, head to a location where the captures on your list could happen and see if you can develop muscle memory to hit the exact depth of field.

Depth of field and sports photography take practice, and when shifting camera settings becomes second nature, your photography will climb to new levels.

Have a friend or two mimic the game for practice.

Much like the athletes themselves, being prepared for game day as a photographer is all about practice, practice, practice. Get a couple of friends to rehearse some specific plays and moves for you, and experiment with your positioning and angles while they “play.”  

Now position yourself about the same distance from where you’ll be when you’re at the event, and try capturing the right moment without knowing what they’ll be doing.

Ditch the flash.

Stadiums, coaches, and even players may ban flash photography from sporting events. Flashes can distract the players and negatively affect the game, not to mention it’s an extra piece of equipment that can delay your ability to capture the action quickly. See if you can visit the arena, track, or venue during events with the same types of lighting that will be available when you’re there, and practice shooting with the ambient light available.

Play with angles.

Photography is full of surprises, and sports photography is one of the most surprising subjects to shoot. Someone could dive for a catch, or spring higher off a trampoline because of adrenaline, or launch further from a platform. Look for “action angles” where you can capture the distance, height, or a measure point to drive home the impact of the moment.

Try lowering your tripod or taking a shot from the ground up. See if you can access the roof and focus downwards to the field. Maybe you noticed a signature emblem or static team memorabilia like a championship flag in the background, and the athletes will be crossing by during the event. By lowering your camera even a foot you can capture the action with this signature symbol in the frame.

These angles help you capture a miraculous moment and gain recognition in the field with unique work. By standing out and being original, you can make a name for yourself. 

Sports photography is all about practice, and these six tips will help you up your game.