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We're just relaunching in January 2012 with a new angle. DSLR Blog will be about images and their stories (we also write about other topics on Photography too). We welcome submissions from any type of photographer - from baby portraits to gut-wrentching humanitarian photography to pure art. Read our submission guidelines.
Category Archives: Photography Websites and Online Promotion
Review of Photobiz Website Templates
Second article in a series on finding the best photography website templates for photographers. This series reviews the major template providers and gives photographers a more systematic basis for comparing and choosing. See also:
The Best Photography Website Templates: Introducing a New Series
***UPDATE: Below I say that I ultimately chose Photobiz as my solution. I did for my wedding site. But I’ve recently converted my personal site (as well as this site) to the new Photocrati WordPress themes. You can check out the themes here: Photocrati’s WordPress photography themes.
Of all the template shops I considered in my recent search for a new web template for danzerphotography.com, I ultimately chose Photobiz. Here is a screen shot of a gallery page on my site as it currently appears with thumbnails on the right:
Since I chose Photobiz, that should mean I think it’s the best choice out there, right? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Photobiz, like all template-style solutions has it’s own limitations. For some users, lack of flexibility, high cost, or search engine optimization challenges might mean trying another solution. Continue reading
Do you need a portfolio?
Short answer: Yes, but not in the way you think.
For most photographers, the word “portfolio” evokes images of a physical “portfolio” of images, often in a big black portfolio case, that represents who you are as a photographer. There are still a few situations when such classic portfolios are relevant—for example, if you are applying for a prestigious art gallery, going to visit a high-dollar commercial photography client, or meeting in person with prospective wedding clients.
But for most photographers most of the time, the traditional “portfolio” has always been of limited value. That’s not to say most photographers don’t use portfolios. Indeed, every time a photographer sends a submission to a magazine, stock agency, or other prospective buyer—whether slides, prints, or an email with digital images—that photographer is sending a portfolio. In this case, each portfolio is different, depending on the client.
Today, however, the portfolio concept is taking on yet another connotation. In the digital era, your website is your portfolio. Continue reading
How to Become a Top Wedding Photographer
In the process of launching Best of Wedding Photography, we’ve had the chance to review thousands of the best wedding photographers in the world. I’ve personally looked at over 3000 wedding photography websites in the last three months, and as part of our invitation process (in the middle of that now), I’ve had the chance to trade emails with over 300 of the very best in the world.
It’s been an educational experience, and it’s given me a great feel for the landscape of the wedding photography industry. One of the most insightful aspects of this is seeing what kind of things separate the best from the rest.
The best wedding photographers are those who produce awesome, modern, artistic imagery. They combine great composition and lighting with incredible post processing to produce breath-taking imagery. But more than that, they are the ones who build distinctive, bold brands for their work that separate them from the rest. They participate in groups like the WPJA, ISPWP, Modern Photographers, Photographik, and now Best of Wedding Photography, and they use their participation in those groups to enhance their credibility and reputations among brides and prospective clients. They position themselves at the top of the market, shooting premium and destination weddings. These people shoot 30-200 weddings per year, at prices averaging between $3,000-$6,000 per year. If you multiply those numbers out, you’ll see that they really add up. For many of these photographers, it’s not uncommon to shoot destination weddings in Europe or the Caribbean for $10,000 or more. Many of these photographers share their knowledge, and add a lot to their bottom lines, by launching their own workshop series in which they’ll teach everything they know to you and a dozen others over a weekend for $850.
These are the people who don’t just scrape by as photographers, they thrive and prosper.
So how do you get there?
I’m not primarily a wedding photographer. My background is in photojournalism in Asia, and now I spend most of my time bringing photographers together for big projects like Photocrati or Best of Wedding Photography. But I have a good business mind, and exposure to the greats in wedding photography has given me a sense for exactly the steps I WOULD take if I wanted to join these photographers at the pinnacle of the industry.
I don’t plan to go that route, but rather than let the knowledge go to waste, I thought I’d go ahead and share my thoughts with any of you who think you’d like to try it. So here are the steps. I honestly believe that someone who did these with focused energy could establish themselves at among top in the field within about 2 years. The key point here is that you need to know what they know and do what they do. That means that you will need to invest in training, resources, branding and advertising. Many would-be photographers balk at such investments, but keep in mind that this is business, not a hobby. Every business requires investment – nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Review of Printroom.com Web Templates and Online Storefronts
This is the third article in a series on the best photography website templates. Also see:
The Best Photography Website Templates: Introducing a New Series
Review of Photobiz Website Templates
Also, Photocrati has just released an outstanding set of WordPress themes for photographers. Unlike Photobiz, Printroom, and most other solutions, these templates combine gallery management and blogging in one package.
Overview of Printroom.com Online Storefronts
Printroom.com offers online storefronts for photographers. Although still in the realm of website templates, Printroom.com is an entirely kind of solution from Photobiz-style templates. After setting up an account, you upload images to your Printroom site. They offer very few choices regarding the appearance of your “homepage” or galleries, and very little flexibility. The major advantage of Printroom and similar sites like Smugmug is the integration of galleries, shopping carts, and order fulfillment. In a Printroom store, your clients can browse images, select what they want in terms of print sizes and styles, speciality items, even digital downloads. They checkout and pay, and Printroom alerts you to the order. If you have not done so already, they will ask you to upload high resolution versions of the relevant images. And that’s it. Printroom handles all order fulfillment – printing, packaging, shipping.
I’d like to emphasize something up front. In some sense, comparing Printroom or other “pro storefronts” to full-blown website solutions like Photobiz is unfair. I can’t imagine any pro photographer using a Printroom store front as their sole or even primary online presence. Printroom just doesn’t offer the kind of attractive templates or customization options that allow photographers to present their online portfolios in all their glory. Usually, Printroom is a secondary site, one used to store client images after a shoot and give clients the ability to browse and, most important, order prints. That’s the best use of Printroom.
Using Google Adwords to promote your photography business and find clients
This article is about one of the most effective and precise ways to promote your business and find clients. Google Adwords makes advertising easier, faster, and more cost effective than ever before. If you want to, in a couple of hours, you can send a veritable flood of traffic to your site. And if you design your campaign correctly, the vast majority of those visitors will be people who are specifically looking for a photographer doing your kind of work.
So here are some tips on how to get started with Google Adwords and how to make sure you get the biggest bang for your advertising dollars. Continue reading
How to write your own photography blog
I’ve noted elsewhere here that having a website is no longer optional for photographers. Clients will expect you to have one. Indeed, many potential clients will never even find you if you don’t have one. At minimum, you need a site that presents an impressive portfolio of your work, and provides a bio and contact information for potential clients.
But I’d push you to move beyond simple site design and think creatively about all the other content you might add to attract people to your site, enhance your reputation, and increase your income. While the types of content you might add are limited only by your imagination, you might start by considering things like blogs, reviews, or advice. Blogs, especially, are becoming almost standard for many pro photographers. Continue reading
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