The inclusion of high-quality cameras in smartphones has forever changed photography blogging, giving virtually anyone the ability to meaningfully engage in it as either a hobby or a career. The explosion of social media platforms has also simplified the process of building a loyal, appreciative audience.
Of course, whenever something becomes easy to do, a lot of people will do it. Thus, standing out with a photo blog has become more difficult than before, with an abundance of content now available online. Finding and penetrating a niche is now almost as big of a challenge as developing the technical skills to create exceptional photos.
Fortunately, gaining a secure following is often just a matter of patience and maintaining consistency in quality and frequency. Not all aspiring photo bloggers will stick things out, which is why being dedicated will eventually earn you a following. However, if you want to speed things up, you must apply a unique approach to draw new followers in. Break through the noise and try these strategies to bring your audience to your online portfolio:
1. Research Your Audience’s Habits
Different photography genres do better in different platforms and contexts. Moreover, your audience might be using very specific search terms and hashtags to find the photo content they want. For instance, if you want to reach out to a German-speaking audience of photography enthusiasts, targeting the key phrase “fotostudio Berlin” will make more sense than using the English equivalent. Adjusting to these small details will give you a significant head start over your competition.
2. Incorporate Storytelling
Technically stunning photos are everywhere, which means they no longer elicit emotional responses quite like they used to. To stand out and draw audiences in, offer a narrative to accompany both single shots and full sets. Including stories of any kind with your photos provides context, gives people a reason to come back, and also increases the average time that people spend on your blog.
3. Use Minimalist Composition
As the saying often goes, less is more. The same is true in photo blogging, where adopting a minimalist approach and giving all of your subjects negative space within the frame can create a powerful impact, even in a thumbnail set or grid gallery view. Capturing clean, uncluttered scenes with a limited colour palette or only a few objects also forces you to exercise intentionality with your shots, which tends to just result in better overall outcomes.
4. Offer Large Sets that Embrace Experimental Techniques
Exploring unconventional photographic techniques such as long exposure, light painting, micro-photography, or double exposures are often done as novelty one-offs. An entire set of quality photos employing these methods, however, can serve to showcase your technical skills and simultaneously deliver a fresh take. Again, offering a narrative and posting regularly will be key to driving success with these less-mainstream approaches.
5. Blend Your Photography with Other Art Forms and Interests
Merging photography with other art forms like digital illustration or even hobbies like cooking and music opens up new possibilities for creativity, allowing you to transcend traditional photography. This can also be a good approach to gaining a wide cross-section of followers.
6. Showcase Unique Cultural Perspectives
If you travel or live in a culturally rich environment, turning your lens towards authentic and lesser-known aspects of local cultures can be a good way to gain inroads in the photo blog space. To further differentiate your blog, avoid the typical pitfalls of objectifying people and cultures. Instead, try to be considerate in how you capture traditions and practices.
7. Shoot with a Handicap
The latest digital cameras tend to do much of the work for you, which can degrade the uniqueness and intentionality of your shots. It can be a fun exercise to shoot with vintage film cameras, polaroids, or even older-generation point-and-shoot digital cameras to produce seemingly anachronistic shots in the present day. The imperfections and look of these superseded technologies are often imitated in the digital sphere, which just demonstrates a wider continuing interest in them.
8. Offer Regular Behind-the-Scenes Content
If you’re trying to appeal to more advanced photography enthusiasts, consider offering “behind the lens” content that shows the creative and technical process that goes into your work. This lets you offer incredible value for photographers who are just getting into the craft and also helps you build a valuable personal connection with your audience.
Consistency Is Key
Employing a few of these approaches should put your photo blog head and shoulders above its immediate competition. To further maximise your advantages, don’t forget to be consistent, not just in posting but developing your craft along the lines of the approaches you chose. With time, you will eventually create a space where you can share your art and engage with a growing community of supporters.
