For me, letting others see my work is always the end point of my photography, and gives it purpose. I do this in various ways:
- Exhibitions
- Photobooks
- Artists talks
- Magazines
- Online (e.g. websites)
- Mobile devices (i.e. phones and tablets)
- Physical portfolio (i.e. prints)
- Competitions
Exhibitions: Traditionally, that means art galleries, or venues that suit a project (e.g. a project on a community could be shown in their local libraries, cafes, community centres, etc; or a project on insect collections - which I did - shown in a natural history museum). Galleries can be tricky to get into: curators of good galleries often dislike artists approaching them, seeing it as their job to find and contact artists to exhibit or represent; and those galleries that don't mind being approached and to put on a show often charge a lot.
However, photos can be shown anywhere - and it would be unusual to find a town where there weren't some local cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants and the like happy to put your pictures on their walls or even in their windows. Think outside of the box…
Exhibitions can also be wholly online these days.
Don't forget you need to promote your exhibition vigorously - ads, flyers, online, talks, interviews… And don't rely on a gallery (if you're lucky enough to be showing work in one) to do this - too many galleries are poor at promoting, or don't care enough.
Photobooks: Photobooks are becoming more and more important in photography. However, a traditional photobook isn't cheap. If it suits your work, perhaps DIY - high street print shops can do a fantastic job with laser printers these days. Also, think of the book not as a catalogue but as an object - Google artists books. A photobook should be more than just white pages with a photo slapped in the middle. Consider how to design and lay out the book to enhance the project. For example, l made a book for my insect-collecting project that had fold-out pages of boxes of butterflies, so you sort of "open" a box lid by unfolding pages, and there were several photos of old microscope sldes which I printed on translucent paper so you could see through the images.
There are exhibitions of photobooks these days - hand-made dummies and self-published books are welcome.
Artists talks: Today, artists are expected to be seen and heard, and typically give talks about their work. If your work gets known, you will definitely be asked to give a talk or interview sooner or later! Consider approaching local photography or arts organisations, schools and colleges, or anyone who might be interested in seeing your pictures and hearing about a project. I was invited by a museum to talk about my work because it's related to the kinds of things they display. I've also given talks about how to take and set up still life photographs (my forte), which gives me an opportunity to show my photographs.
Magazines: Send photographs to magazines that may like to feature them - photography magazines are a given, but consider magazines that may be interested in the subject matter of your pictures.
Online: If you do anything these days, you pretty much need a website for it - and without one you won't be taken seriously! Photography is no exception. Your website is how people will find out more about your work after meeting you, hearing you talk or seeing your pictures in a gallery or cafe, or perhaps on a flyer or ad for a show. The website needs to look good and work well (including on phones and tablets - both Android and Apple) - that needn't be difficult or costly: there are companies dedicated to providing websites for photographers, to suit all budgets.
Your website is your main showcase and portfolio, so take time and care to get it right for you and your pictures.
I'll mention business cards at this stage. Get some printed up and make sure you have your website address on it. Give them to anyone you meet who might be interested in your photographs. If you have pictures in a show or the local cafe, say, or are giving a talk, leave a bunch of cards out for people to take.
Mobile devices: The portfolio of prints is not convenient to carry! So, many photographers create galleries of the work on their phones and tablets to show people. You can get portfolio apps for tablets designed to showcase photographs in a professional manner.
Physical portfolio: Nothing beats seeing a well-printed photograph, and the portfolio of prints is far from dead. Take it with you when you know you'll be discussing your work, whether talking to someone about putting up some of your photographs in their bar or about a potential exhibition or if you're giving an artists talk.
Competitions: Entering competitions is another way to get people to see your photographs. Plus you win stuff - could be an exhibition or equipment or a tropical holiday!
Lastly, putting your work out there means developing a reasonably thick skin. Regardless of how good a photographer someone is, there will be people who won't like your pictures, and a few may make their opinion known rudely. Also, no one likes being rejected - which will happen to you, along with unexpected praise and acceptance! If someone doesn't like your photographs, consider that to be their problem, not yours!
In an ideal world I'll be recognised and represented by an important gallery, and a publisher will pay to put out a photobook of my work - but I'm not holding my breath! However, by promoting and talking about my photographs, at least the chance of that happening rises from none to remote!
I think I've run out of stuff to say now!
😀
