Getting your work in front of more people is essential if you want to grow as a photographer, and you might have already explored creating your own website. But if you feel like having a static page with your best work isn’t creative enough for you, considering other unique avenues is a good idea.
The reality is that you can share your photography in a whole host of ways. If you’re good at or like another skill, such as writing, you can combine both of these to create something that your audience will love. Similarly, you can always think about offline opportunities as well.
This guide will outline seven unique ways to showcase your photography portfolio.
1. Start a Blog
You can always start a blog about photography techniques, but you might later discover that you don’t care so much about explaining the process behind your work. If that’s the case, you can still try blogging about numerous other topics while showcasing your work at the same time.
To be honest, the world is your oyster when it comes to niches. If you love going on adventures, you can start a travel blog where you only use your own pictures. Or if you’re into interior design, you can start a lifestyle website. Other niches to consider include food, fitness, and self-improvement.
you may launch your blog on multiple website-building platforms. WordPress is a popular choice for many, and you canoptimize your website’s performance with WordPress plugins.
Another option is to not use a website of your own, but to instead start a blog related to your photography on social media. As an example, if youstart a blog on Instagram, you can share bite-sized blog posts in your captions.
2. Showcase Your Prints in an Online Shop
One of the most common ways that artists have made money over the years is by selling their art. And with the internet, you can reach a greater scale of people than would have been possible in most previous eras. Showcasing your prints in an online shop is a great way to get your work in front of others who might be interested in your style and aesthetic.
You have several options for showcasing your photography prints online. If you already have an audience, you may consider sharing prints on your own website. However, you’ll need to think about partnering with a supplier and other complexities—unless you sell digital art instead.
Etsyis another option for selling your digital art, and we’ve got a full guide showing youhow to market your Etsy shop. Another option you can try is a site calledGumroad.
3. Create Digital Guides Featuring Your Work
As you become more experienced anddevelop a unique photography style, you’ll notice that you’re naturally more drawn to certain genres. For example, you may discover that you really enjoy capturing portraits or landscape photos. In other cases, you might love capturing certain destinations—such as the Pacific Northwest or large metropolises like New York City.
You probably have a passion for the things you enjoy photographing. When you become more experienced at capturing these subjects, you’ll also gain a bigger wealth of knowledge about them too. You can showcase this knowledge alongside your photography work by creating digital guides.
When crafting your digital guides,tools like Canva will help you design ebooks, cheat sheets, and more. you may then host these on your website or Gumroad.
4. Launch a Pinterest Page
Pinterest is a visually-oriented platform where people go for inspiration, making it the perfect place to also share your photography portfolio. While you can save other people’s content as pins, you might want to think about how you balance this—as you don’t want your own work to become buried on your page.
One idea is to create different boards on Pinterest with the genres and styles that you cover. You can also share links to client projects you’ve completed elsewhere, as long as your client is happy with you doing so.
If you decide to promote your photography on Pinterest, check out thesetips to help make your Pinterest boards stand out.
5. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube is a popular source of entertainment for many users, and you’ll also find several educational videos on the platform. If you feel like there’s a gap in the market, or you simply want to try making videos for fun, you can share your photography portfolio by starting a YouTube channel.
Many photographers have enjoyed success sharing their work and processes on YouTube. Peter McKinnon is perhaps the most famous example; Evan Ranft and Pierre T. Lambert are two other great photographers with successful YouTube channels.
you’re able to discuss all kinds of topics on your photography YouTube channel. For example, you can show viewers the process behind your editing workflow. If you have an outgoing personality, you can create vlogs and show your results.
To find some early inspiration, consider looking at some ofthe best photo editing tutorial channels on YouTube.
6. Create a Photography Book
Photography books look amazing in cafés, living rooms, and many other places. Once you’ve got a big enough portfolio of work, you may want to organize your favorite pictures into a photography book. you may theme these however you want, such as showing what life is like in the town or city you live in.
You can design both physical photography books and digital ebooks. If you choose the former, you’ll need to think about whether you want to partner with a publishing company or complete the process yourself. Knowinghow to make your own photo bookin the first place is a good starting point.
7. Get in Touch With a Local Gallery
Another unique way to showcase your portfolio as a photographer is to get in touch with local galleries. This tip is more difficult than some of the others we’ve mentioned, but it’s still worth a try—even if only to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Networking in advance is a good idea, and you should also look for the contact details of decision-makers. Keeping an eye out for photography competitions can also help you get your work shown in a local gallery.
Think Outside the Box When Showcasing Your Photography Portfolio
You don’t need to stick with just a static page on a website for showcasing your photography. There are countless ways you can showcase your work, and exploring different avenues will allow you to become more creative than might otherwise have been the case.
You can consider writing about your favorite topics and using photography to support your words. If you have particular knowledge in a field, you can also create digital guides. Utilizing social media, such as Pinterest and YouTube, can also help you promote your photography.
