Our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2022
It’s been a busy year! In 2022 we said goodbye to Vision Slightly Blurred, our beloved podcast, but said hello to gorgeous photo essays, a new WordPress integration, new licensing capabilities in fotoQuote, and got together to discuss how photographers can foster community on social media.
As the year went on, we spoke with Amanda Cain, the NHL’s first Black female photographer, caught up with Greg Smith, the creator of NPPA’s uber-popular “Cost of Doing Business Calculator,” and partnered with Mick Orlosky, CameraBits’ Director of Marketing, to explore how PhotoShelter and Photo Mechanic work together to streamline your photo workflow.
Check out our top 10 most popular blog posts of 2022 and get tangible tips for bettering your photography and photo business, suggestions for how to get more out of PhotoShelter, and a little bit of inspiration to take into consideration as you make plans for 2023.
5 Ways to Earn More with Print Sales
For any photographer, print sales can be a low-effort supplementary revenue stream. They’re a great way to diversify where your money is coming from and bring in a little side cash, regardless of your current projects or ongoing assignments.
Take a look at our top five tips for how to take your print sales to new heights. While we’ll admit that there’s no magic bullet for suddenly quadrupling sales, we’ve seen how these targeted efforts can make a real difference in revenue for talented image makers just like you.
Amplifying Black Voices: 100+ Black Photographers You Should be Following on Social Media
How diverse is your timeline really?
In recent years, several online communities have been established to highlight and amplify the voices of Black creatives: Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo and Color Positive are three that immediately come to mind – all dedicated to celebrating the work, the passion and the stories of Black image makers from around the world. We’re proud to join these communities to help champion Black voices and bring attention to the extraordinary and important work Black photographers bring to the industry every day.
Take a look and give them a follow!
Here’s How Archiving with PhotoShelter Makes Life Easier
There’s tremendous value in having all your photos and website tools housed under one roof — accessible from anywhere you have a WiFi connection. Whether you’re looking for a better way to organize your photo business, store your full archive, prevent image theft or effortlessly provide important clients with access to their files, PhotoShelter is here to make it happen.
Are you taking full advantage of your account? Let’s find out.
6 Lighting Tips to Elevate Your Portrait Photography
Photographer and PhotoShelter member Darren Carroll knows a thing or two about lighting. His award-winning images have appeared in magazines ranging from Sports Illustrated to Smithsonian, and have been featured in advertising campaigns, on album covers, and in annual reports and other corporate publications.
Darren’s extensive experience has led to a familiarity with a wide range of lighting scenarios, from setting up strobes in huge arenas to making do, solo, with natural light during the thick of COVID in an athlete’s backyard.
Check out his top six tips for leveling up your portraits by using light effectively.
Product Update: Keep Your Custom Domain on Every Page of Your PhotoShelter Website
When making a great impression, branding is everything. From your website’s look and feel to the content you create to tell your story, consistent branding (coupled with great SEO) can help take your business to the next level. To ensure your branding is seen far and wide, PhotoShelter users who opt to use a custom domain name will now see it everywhere —and enjoy a myriad of benefits as a result. Get in on the fun today!
Joe McNally Dishes “The Real Deal”
In addition to being one of the most versatile and talented photographers on the planet, Joe McNally is known for being refreshingly candid about the trials and tribulations of his professional career. Never one to sit idly, he focused much of his time during the pandemic on helping others.
The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer (Rocky Nook) is part memoir, part business advice, and part technical notes. If you’ve ever contemplated a life in photography – especially as a freelancer – this is a must read (and the photos aren’t so bad either!).
“Joe’s writing is crisp and entertaining, and it’s a surprisingly quick read even at 378 pages,” says Allen Murabayashi, PhotoShelter founder and longtime Joe McNally friend.
The Long and Winding Road of Freelance Photography with Mike Carlson
Here at PhotoShelter, we know the life of a freelance photographer can be equal parts exciting and daunting. Oftentimes, freelancers find themselves becoming Jacks or Jills of all trades, as different assignments call for different areas of expertise.
“It takes a lot of hustling and making connections, then following through to maintain them,” says Mike Carlson, a talented Tampa-based photographer and PhotoShelter member. In this interview, we spoke with Mike about being a freelance photo chameleon and walked through how he’s able to cover local sports, document weddings, and work on portraits and family photo sessions.
Negotiation Tips for Freelance Photographers
As part of their NYC festival this year, Photoville partnered with Diversify Photo and Leica for their “Crafting Your Career” series. Offering free online sessions open to the public, the series covered three topics: side hustles, artist collectives and negotiating as a freelancer. We attended their final virtual workshop “Getting What You Want & Are Worth: Freelancer Negotiations” and took notes. Moderated by David M. Barreda, Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic, the discussion was structured around four common freelance scenarios and how the two guests, Jared Soares and Emiliano Granado, freelance photographers and the creators of the professional photographic knowledge base F*** Gatekeeping, would approach them. Whether you’re looking for advice on when (if ever) it’s ok to work for free or why sometimes giving up your copyright via a work for hire contract might be worth it, check out the first part of this two-part series now.
Why Wildlife and Travel Photographers Kike Calvo and Shannon Wild Use PhotoShelter
Earlier this year, our friend, long-time PhotoShelter member Kike Calvo, reached out to us to share a YouTube interview with wildlife photographer Shannon Wild, a fellow PhotoShelter user. They spoke about her experience moving to and working in Africa, trying her hand at cinematography, as well as why and how she uses PhotoShelter for her business and photography workflow out in the wild.
After streaming the video, we followed up to learn more about the ways these two pros manage their photo businesses with the help of our archiving tools, mobile app, client delivery features and more.
16 Photographers Share Their Goals and Aspirations for 2022
To kick start the year, we asked a bunch of PhotoShelter members what they’re looking forward to in 2022, and what goals or projects they hoped to accomplish this year. New Year’s resolutions can be daunting and difficult to “keep.” But reframing them as aspirations — with a positive and curious outlook on what’s to come — can be a fitting alternative for the ambitious community of creatives out there.
As the year winds down and we find ourselves reflecting, take a moment to let all of your accomplishments sink in and start game-planning for how to make 2023 even better.
From everyone at PhotoShelter, we wish you a restful remainder of your year and nothing but success in 2023! To dive deeper into our blog content from this past year, check out our blog archive and follow us on Instagram @photoshelter.
