Fine Animal Portraiture By Tim Flach

Taking photos of animals can be no easy task... it can be difficult to get them do exactly what you want them to do. You have to be able to adjust to whatever animal you are photographing and that is exactly what Tim Flach does in his fine animal portraiture.

Over the past decade, Tim Flach's work has increasingly focused on animals. His distinctive style comes from his interest in the way humans shape animals and shape their meaning. 

We saw this article about Flach's amazing animal portraiture on The Guardian and we just had to share some of these great photos for you. We hope you enjoy as much as we do!

To see more of Tim Flach's amazing fine animal portraiture, be sure to visit his website at www.timflach.com. 

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Do you have any tips on taking animal portraiture that you want to share? Let us know below!

Free Outdoor Photography Class Offered By CreativeLive

Our friends at CreativeLive are hosting a free outdoor photography class "The Outdoor Photography Experience with Chris Burkard" that you have to check out! 

On July 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. PST, learn how you can create epic outdoor images. You will learn how to train your eye on incredible shots and convey the energy of the outdoors. 

RSVP NOW TO LEARN HOW TO CREATE EPIC OUTDOOR IMAGES STRAIGHT FROM A PRO!

Chris Burhard's photos of life on the world's coasts are simply amazing and alive with action and emotion. Throughout the class, he will share the tools and techniques he uses to capture the photographs he sells to magazines, brands, collectors and publishers.  

Learn about his shooting style as well as the gear he brings on his adventures around the world. He will also discuss the business of photography and share great tips on marketing and selling your work. 

RSVP FOR THIS FREE CLASS NOW!

If you are not able to listen in during the live broadcast, you can get on-demand access through CreativeLive for $60.  

About Chris Burkard: Chris is a self-taught photographer and artist based in Central Coast California. His work is layered by surf, outdoor, lifestyle and travel subjects. Click here to read more about Chris. 

8 Tips To Photographing Flowers

There is so much beauty found a bouquet of beautiful red roses or a huge field of colorful wildflowers. Flowers can bring a smile to so many people's faces and there is nothing like having a gorgeous photo of a flower to brighten up a room. Do you love photographing flowers? If so, we have put together these tips to help you out! 

1. Your Location Is Not THAT Important

You may think you need to travel across the world to find stunning florals to photograph, but that is simply not the case. Be observant around where you live. Go exploring in the forest. Take a walk in your neighborhood. You never know what type of beautiful flowers you will find. Since you love flowers already, perhaps you have a garden in your yard that you could take various shots of. Flowers can truly be found anywhere, so get out and start shooting! 

2. Use A Unique Perspective

Capturing a flower at your own level all the time would make things a bit boring. Make sure you try different perspectives so you can get a unique photo. Try getting up higher or down lower or at different angles to help make the photo interesting. Keep in mind the sunlight and any other background you may want in the picture and just try to experiment in many different ways to see what photos and methods you like the best. 

Photo credit: Ichiro Kishimi via flickr

3. Do Not Clutter The Background

You want to keep your subject isolated. Having too many distractions in the background of the photo can be an eye sore and cause the person viewing the photo to wander away from the beauty of the flower. 

4. Step Back And Look At The Big Picture

Even though we mention above that it is good to keep your subject isolated, you may want to focus on a group of flowers that are side by side, or even an entire field filled with bright yellow sunflowers. Sometimes if you step back and take in more of the big picture, rather than just focusing on that one flower, you may find a beautiful scene that you may have missed otherwise.  

Photo credit: IncredibleSnaps.com 

5. Watch Out For Any Wind

Having the flower blowing in the wind could disrupt you capturing that photo, so be sure that you block any wind there is. You can sometimes block the wind by the way you are positioned with your camera. Other things that may do the trick would be by using something simple like an umbrella or piece of wood to block. 

6. Shoot As Close As Possible

With all of the tiny details that a flower has, you want to get as close as possible when you take the photo. It is important in capturing every particular and small detail. One great way to do so is by using a macro lens on your camera. The macro lens allows you to get really close and still allow you to focus on the flower. Here is a great macro lens by Canon you may like. 

Photo credit: Gary* via flickr

6. Remember What Sunlight Is Generally Best

It is typically best to use the sunlight in the morning just before and right after the sunrise or just before and right after the sunset for your photos. But, you never know how the sun will be that day so you have to play it by ear each and every day. There may be shadows around the flowers because you are in the woods around many large trees or perhaps it is a very overcast day. While planning out your shoot, make sure you think ahead of the weather and time to consider what the lighting situation will be so you can take the best photos possible. 

7. Think Outside The Box

You do not always have to take a photo of the entire flower. Maybe try shooting one pedal of the flower, or the stem and leaves. Thinking outside of the box; taking photos that are different and unique will make for some really cool shots. A shot like that will help make the viewer curious about what else there may be to the photo and it will certainly get their imagination working. 

Photo credit: Irene gr via flickr

8. We Love Sun-Kissed Photos

If you are shooting in the sun, it may be fun to use the light to your advantage. Creating a photo with a sun-kissed looked can be simply stunning. 

We hope these 8 tips have been helpful for you! If you loved these, be sure to check out a few others that may be helpful. 

• 10 Tips To Better Landscape Photography
• 7 Tips To Doing Awesome Animal Photography

Have You Entered Our Current CAMERA GIVEAWAY!

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Do you have any other awesome tips for photographing flowers? We would love to hear your great ideas below! 

What's The Difference Between The Canon 5D Mark III And Nikon D800?

We get asked all the time... which is better, the Canon 5D Mark III or the Nikon D800? Below we have put together a comparison of both pieces of equipment so you can read about the differences and make the decision for yourself based on your photography needs. Some information here has come from a comparison of the two cameras that we found on Digital Camera World and  Cameras Reviewed as well as straight from Nikon and Canon themselves. 

Canon and Nikon go head to head with their offerings of their top-end full-frame, professional DSLRs as well as their low-end models (the Nikon D600 and Canon 6D). 

Here is a comparison of the Nikon D800 and the Canon 5D Mark III. 

High-Megapixel Sensor

The Nikon D800 is a full-frame DSLR that offers 36.3 a megapixel sensor, which beats the Canon 5D Mark III with 22.3 megapixels. With that said, the photos you would take with the Canon are considerably smaller. 

Cameras Reviewed said with their testing that the Nikon provided some of the sharpest images they have ever seen in their labs, and they found that in the field, the images could be edited more aggressively without degrading image quality. The Canon offered softer images by comparison, but had better performance in low light when ISO needs to be cranked. 

ISO Setting

The Canon offers a wide range ISO setting of 100-25600 (L:50, H1: 51200, H2: 102400) for shooting from bright to dim light and next generation DIGIC 5+ Image Processor for enhanced noise reduction and exceptional processing speed. The Nikon ISO setting is 100-6400 (L: 50, H1:12,800, H2: 25,600).

Frames Per Second

The Canon has up to 6.0 frames per second. The Nikon offers up to 4.0 frames per second. 

Quality of Images

The high ISO performance gives the Canon shots plenty of life when in extremely dark conditions and, according to Camera Reviews, also produced better looking JPEGs at high ISOs that had more delicate noise reduction and better color reproduction. 

But, with that said, Camera Reviews was surprised that the Nikon compared nicely. Despite a higher volume of pixels on its image sensor, the resolution advantage kept the noise appearance to a minimum. They said the Nikon handled cropping, adjusting levels, or sharpening an image perfectly. 

Video Capabilities

The Canon offers an advanced professional-level high definition video capabilities to capture movies in EOS HD quality. The Nikon offers 1080p HD cinematic quality video. 

Ease of Handling

The Canon offers many controls right at your fingertips, with many positioned right on the top plate near the secondary LCD and shutter button. The Nikon is much similar to the D700 model, but adds additional video controls on the body of the camera. 

Price

Price may or may not be important to you. If you love one camera over the other, the price may not matter all that much. But, with that said, both of these cameras are pretty similar in cost. The Canon goes for $2,499 on Amazon while the Nikon is listed at $1,999 on Amazon. 

So, what do we think you may ask? We think that both are GREAT cameras and the only real thing that matters is what your personal preference is. Do you have one that works better for your wedding photography business? Or, perhaps you just love taking photos of amazing landscapes. No matter what, you should use the camera that you like and feel most comfortable with for the different types of photos you love taking. Happy shooting! 

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What is your choice of camera? Tell us below in the comments why you love it. 

10 Tips to Photographing Fireworks

The 4th of July is here and with that comes celebrations, events, cookouts and FIREWORKS! And who doesn't love fireworks?!? They are so breathtaking and taking a great photograph of an amazing fireworks display can be pretty awesome. We found this great article on Digital Photography School all about tips to photographing fireworks that we wanted to share with you in celebration of the upcoming holiday. 

So sit back, enjoy whatever fireworks show you attend, be safe this July 4th holiday and take some amazing photos. (And feel free to share them with us if you would like)!!!! 

If you like these tips, be sure to get more at Digital Photography School! 

Photo credit: Deposit Photo - Fireworks Over Saint Louis

1. Bring A Tripod

You need to make sure you have something that will secure your camera so that it does not move all around when you are trying to take the photos. A tripod will do just that. This is helpful since you will be using longer shutter speeds which will in turn help you to capture the fireworks movement and any movement of the actual camera itself. 

2. Invest In A Remote Release

A remote release will help ensure your camera is completely still while you are photographing fireworks. Another way that works is by using the self timer. 

3. Framing

When you are trying to capture gorgeous fireworks, you need to figure out the best place to aim your camera so you get the best outcome possible. The challenge with fireworks rather than a still object is that you have to aim your camera before the actual fireworks goes off, so you have to anticipate where you think they will be.

A few ways to help do this include: scope out the location early so you can be in the best position possible, make sure your lens view is lined up with the horizon so your photo will be level and figure out beforehand if you want to focus on vertical or horizontal shots.

4. Figure Out Your Focal Length

When photographing fireworks, you have to have your camera pointed to the right part of the sky at the exactly right time and this can be very difficult if you are shooting with a longer focal length while trying to take more tightly cropped shots. It may be nice during a fireworks show to try a few tighter shots. 

5. What Aperture Should You Use

Using aperture in the mid to small range tends to work well when shooting fireworks. Because the light that the fireworks emit is very bright, a slow lens is a good option. Most people think you need to use a fast one to be able to capture them quickly but that is simply not the case.

Photo credit: Deposit Photos

6. Shutter Speed

Since fireworks move, the best photos of them are ones that actually capture their movement so you need to have nice long exposure. If you shoot in "bulb" mode, it allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter. When using this technique, you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it's done exploding. 

Also, remember not to keep your shutter open too long... since fireworks are bright, it does not take much to over expose them. 

7. ISO

It is preferable to shoot at low ISO to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Be sure to stick to ISO 100. 

8. Keep In Mind Your Camera's Flash

If you shoot with your flash, it will really have no impact other than to trick your camera to thinking it needs a short exposure time. The flash only has a reach of a few meters which is not close enough for the fireworks anyway. So, just switch your flash off. 

9. Photograph the Fireworks in Manual Mode

Manual focus and exposure modes will probably give you the best results. If you auto focus in low light, it can be very difficult for many cameras and you will most likely miss shots. Once you set your focus to manual mode, you will not have to change it around during the fireworks show. 

10. Experiment and Track Results

While you are photographing and taking the shots during the fireworks show, be sure to check your results as you go. Once you take a few shots, look at them to make sure they have turned out nicely before moving forward. No need to check after every single shot, but monitoring them every once in a while will help make sure you are getting some quality shots. 

It is also a great time to experiment with different shots during the show. Perhaps capture people sitting and watching the show, or a child in amazement of the beautiful colors overhead. You could even try and get a great shot of the city line with the fireworks included. Anything you try could make for some amazing photos! 

Photo credit: blog.arcsoft.com

Be sure to read the original article here and for more awesome industry tips be sure to visit Digital Photography School. 

Here are a few other great resources you may enjoy:

• 7 tips for doing awesome animal photography 
• 6 reasons that show you are ready to start booking weddings 

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It's National Camera Day!!!

Every single one of us loves a good camera, but for a photographer, the camera is a magical thing. Today, in appreciation of National Camera Day, we wanted to show you this great history of the photographic camera. For as long as we have known, people have been taking photos... and how cool is it to see how the equipment that is needed has changed and progressed over the years? 

Taking photos are so special to pretty much everyone. We all do it, (some just much better than others)! We all take photographs and hire photographers for the special moments in our lives that we want to cherish forever. Weddings, graduations, baby's being born, anniversaries, and more. 

Personally, we at Camera Giveaways love the portraits we have that we display proudly around our homes of our family and friends. Each of them allows us to showcase what is important to us and lets us cherish those memories that we will never be able to relive again. 

A photograph is an amazing thing and to all you awesome photographers who take and capture those special moments, WE THANK YOU!!!! You may capture the moment when a bride and groom are first announced as a married couple, or the sweet newborn photos of a precious baby. You may prefer shooting amazing landscapes of our wonderful world, or love the thrill of trying to capture an exotic animal in its own habitat. Perhaps, you simply own a camera and enjoy capturing moments of your own family and friends just for fun. Whatever type of photography you do, it is special. Not only today, on National Camera Day, but every day! 

We hope you enjoy this history of the camera! 

Did you love this post and want to see more? Be sure to check out our post on the 5 things a photographer should NEVER do! 

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7 Tips For Doing Awesome Animal Photography

There are so many unique and beautiful animals in the world and capturing one in a photograph is such an amazing thing. There is something to be said about being able to showcase a creature from this world in its own environment. Whether it is a bird in flight, or a squirrel hanging on to a window screen for dear life, or something more exotic like a giraffe reaching up high in a tree to eat the leaves high above, those captured moments are simply beautiful. Those are the moments that make our world a beautiful place.

We have put together 7 tips to help you do awesome animal photography. If you are a beginner just starting out with your passion for animal photography, these tips may be great to help you learn. If you have been traveling the world photographing wildlife for years and years, these tips may just be a nice reminder. Either way, be sure to check these out... along with some amazing animal photos to enjoy!  

1. Understand the type of animal you are shooting. 

Animals can be pretty predictable, especially if you know what you are looking for. If you are on the prowl (no pun intended!!!), for an amazing shot of a lion getting ready to attack its prey, it is important to know what you need to look out for before he begins the attack. If you know the habits of lions, you will be able to guess ahead of time when the attack will be happening based on his patterns of behavior.

Knowing your subject as best as you possibly can will make or break that amazing shot you take. If you are not aware of the behavior you will likely see with the lion, it is a pretty good chance you could miss the moment you are looking to capture. So take the time to study them. Read about them. And watch them in real life. Do not just go out and take the first couple shots you can and move onto the next subject. Watch them and see those behaviors and you will soon realize what an amazing shot it will be.   

Photo credit: Safari Partners via flickr

2. Figure out what type of gear works best. 

Taking photographs of animals is difficult. They are not there to pose for you, or say cheese and let you try the shot over if you missed your chance. You have a very small window of time in which you are actually able to get that awesome animal photo. Wouldn't it just be awful if you were all ready and prepared and when you go to capture the moment, your shutter speed is just not fast enough? 

Here are a few things that are good to know about your gear ahead of time: know what your minimum shutter speed is so that you can obtain a sharp image with your camera and lens; know the added margins that the in-camera or in-lens stabilization provides; you should understand how to quickly switch between focus points or modes; and you simply must understand how high you can push your camera's ISO setting while still being able to get awesome results. 

Photo credit: Jose Luis Rodriguez via Bored Panda

3. Use the sun to your advantage, not disadvantage. 

Using the sun to your advantage is so wonderful. The best sunlight to use is the sunshine from the early morning sunrise or using the sunlight from the afternoon. Most of the time, the sun light that is out during the midday is not as wonderful and just a bit harsh in photos. (Of course, take your time and shoot all day long if you are having an overcast day)! 

Photo credit: Terry Allen via National Geographic

4. Shoot one animal, or shoot many!

There is something so amazing about shooting a single animal. You can really focus entirely on that one subject and their awesome behaviors by themselves. But, add a second (or third or fourth) to the mix and you can capture some amazing interaction. 

Photo credit: Stefane Berube via National Geographic

5. Show the animals how they truly live. 

To make an incredible animal photograph, you want to truly showcase that animal in its own environment. Showing how it lives, what climates it has to deal with, and survive in, can make for amazing work. Just like this photograph of the beaver below. Seeing him in this cold, icy environment is gorgeous, but also shows what he has to deal with in order to find food and survive. If it was simply a shot of a beaver lying on the grass, the way you think of the photo could be drastically different. 

Photo credit: John Warner via National Geographic

6. Test your patience...with each and every animal you shoot. 

You must have patience. Photographing wildlife is simply not the same as a bride and groom you are shooting at a wedding. At a wedding, you can pose your subjects to make sure you get the family photos they want, or you stand in the background capturing the special moments of the event as the hours go by. All of which is still difficult, don't get us wrong. With animal photography, you have to wait and wait and wait for that exact moment you are looking for. 

You can not pose an animal into the perfect photo opportunity. You must have patience and wait and if you are not able to wait, then it is a good chance you may miss that shot you have been hoping for. 

Photo credit: Igor Siwanoqicz via wherecoolthingshappen.com

7. Have fun! 

You are shooting some amazing creatures, and trying to capture moments that just not every one is able to capture. So have fun! Otherwise, why waste your time trying to get those shots you have been dreaming of getting? 

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Amazing Landscapes By Tanner Stewart

Our world is truly amazing, but when we find landscapes that have been photographed beautifully, it just proves how awesome the world around us really is. We found this article  on Weather.com all about Tanner Stewart and his inspiring landscape photography that we just had to share. 

This photo was taken by Stewart at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. 

Stewart has been inspired by wilderness since was younger and growing up in Wallowa County, Oregon. He was surrounded by the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon, which is the deepest canyon in North America. 

After shooting band and concert photography with a local newspaper and also doing some wedding photography, he realized his real passion was landscapes. From there, he launched Shoot the Skies, where he shared his landscape photography and also published a photography book with that same name in 2013 where all the proceeds he donated to the A21 Campaign which helps to fight human trafficking all over the world. 

Photo by Stewart. 

Stewart says that the most challenging part of shooting landscape photography is the time constraint. He is what he had to say. 

"The explorer inside of me wants to photograph the tallest mountain during the most intense thunderstorm with a herd of bison and the Milky Way. However, that obviously can't really happen, so you learn that sometimes 'wasting' time waiting for days on end in minus 10 degree weather to capture one photo is still worth it."

Here are a few more of Stewarts amazing photos. 

Photo by Stewart. 

This photo by Stewart was photographed at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. 

This photo by Stewart is of Big Sur. 

This scene was captured by Stewart at Colchuck Lake in Washington. 

To see all 21 of Tanner Stewart's photos in the original article, be sure to read it at Weather.com. To see more of his work, visit his website at www.tannerwendell.com. 

Do you love shooting landscapes, here are 10 tips to taking better landscape photography. 

Also, be sure to check out this post on 4 ways to do great photography business advertising! 

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5 Things A Photographer Should Never Do

Photography has become a popular industry and it is pretty likely that you find yourself around other photographers pretty regularly. Being a photographer, the market is very competitive and you need to make sure you stay focused, do the work that you love to do, and keep on keeping on. 

1. Don't Ever Compare Yourself To Others

Everyone is different, and everyone takes their photos differently, so why compare your photography to everyone else? If you love taking photos, whether you do it as a hobby or have a business, do it your way. Whether you love capturing the beauty of nature, the sweet happiness of a family with their newborn baby, or the moment the groom sees his gorgeous bride when she walks down the isle, you have your own vision for your work. Never compare yourself to others, it will only bring you down. 

2. Don't Ever Stop Backing Up Your Work

Even though technology is wonderful, it is still technology and it can fail. If you make sure you have a back up of every photo you take, you will save yourself so much stress if something happens to your files. Just imagine... you just shot an amazing wedding and then all of your thousands of files get deleted because your computer goes crazy? I am sure the newlyweds would not accept the fact that you did not have a backup of the photos they have spent a bunch of money on for the most special day of their life. Looking for another great place to store your photos as a backup?

You have to check out the Amazon Cloud Drive (click here) and make sure you read our blog post on 7 reasons why photographers should use Amazon Cloud. 

3. Never Stop Learning

Make sure you are always trying to better yourself and your craft through learning. One great thing is that the internet allows for us to be able to continuously learn, whether it is through reading blogs, news or even video demonstrations. You can also attend photo workshops that are offered locally or even nationally or do online classes to help you continue your education about photography.

Note: The links below are affiliate links and we are being compensated for this endorsement. 

If you are looking for some good online classes, be sure to check out: 

1) Digital Photography School [click here] 

2) Creative Live [click here]

4. Don't Assume Your Way Is The Only Way

Much like making sure you continue to learn, you need to have an open mind that there is always a better or more effective way to do things. Whether it is with the way you use your camera or post-processing the photos, be open to how other photographers work. If it doesn't make sense to you, never be afraid to ask what their work flow or thought process is, you never know what you may learn! 

5. Never Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Just like anything in life, photography is the same... do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you are just starting out with your photography, if there is something that confuses you, or you do not entirely understand, ask for help! There are tons of seasoned photographers out there who would love to help and guide you. Or, you may be a seasoned professional and just have gotten slammed and need a little more help. Possibly you could ask a fellow photographer to help as a second shooter? No one will ever know you need help unless you ask, so do not be afraid to ask! Need a place to ask for help? You should join the SnapKnot LinkedIn page or the Professional Wedding Photographers LinkedIn group to connect with other wedding photographers, ask questions and learn from others in your industry!

As a photographer, just like anything in life, it is hard to not compare yourself to others and get yourself discouraged. In business, you can not get discouraged. Make sure you continue learning, keep an open mind to trying new things, never compare yourself to others and always ask for help when you need it... and all of that will help lead to your success! 

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4 Ways To Do Great Photography Business Advertising

Having a beautiful eye for photography is awesome and also helpful in your future success in the gigantic photography industry of today. Whether your photography business focuses on weddings, family portraits, newborns, or even landscape and really amazing animals, you have to know how to do the best advertisement for your company. Photography business advertising is so important and now-a-days, there are so many different ways to advertise yourself and your work. And some of those options are even free... what is better than that?!?

We all know that advertising is important. The way your company or brand is seen to the public and your potential customers makes a huge difference. Who doesn't love waiting for the amazing commercials that Budweiser and other huge corporations are going to showcase during the Superbowl each year? And then we are all talking about our favorites for days after we see them. That is exactly what they are trying to accomplish. They want their brand to be the most talked about out there.

Even though most photographers are not able to spend a crazy amount of money on a commercial, you still want to get out to your customers in some way and make an impact. So we wanted to talk today about 4 ways that you can do great photography business advertising...and not the advertising that is going to cost five years of your marketing budget. This way, you can be sure you are making an impact on all of those potential customers that you come across on a daily basis.  

Have A Website That Showcases Your Work

People are online 24/7, and the majority of the research that a customer is going to do is through the internet. In today's internet savvy world, having a well put together website is very important. If someone is looking for a local photographer and wants to find out more about your business through your website, before actually picking up the phone and calling you, it could sway their opinion if you do not have an online presence at all - or even a website that is not appealing. 

On your website, you can showcase some of your best work as well as a bio about yourself so the customer can get your background easily. You can also provide information including products you offer, different packages and pricing. If you have a blog, using good SEO practices is helpful and it could be good to include some informational posts for brides rather than just post after post on the photos you have taken. 

Just remember that having a website or blog that you only update once a year is just about as beneficial as not having one at all. You must be sure you information is up-to-date and if you have a blog, customers like to see that your last post was not from last summer.

If you need to build a website, there are so many platforms out there you can use including WordPress and Squarespace.  

Join Listing Services

Depending on the type of photography you do, there are many listing services out there that you can pay to have a listing on. If you are a wedding photographer, SnapKnot is a great example of this. These listings are important because when a bride and groom first gets engaged, these listings are where many couples first go to start their research for their perfect wedding vendors. For example, if you are a SnapKnot member, couples that sign up on the site are looking for their perfect wedding photographer and they will be matched in the Lead-Match System to photographers that meet their wedding photography needs (including location and budget). 

If you are a wedding photographer and not yet a member of SnapKnot, they do offer photographers a FREE one-month trial so you can create a profile, and start being matched with couples, while you try out the service and see if it is right for you. 

Make Sure You Are On Social Media

If your business is not on social media, you are missing out on so many FREE avenues to get the word out about the product that you offer. Social media is perfect for interacting with potential and current clients, or is even great to keep in touch with past clients who may refer you to people they know who are in need of a photographer. It is a great way to do your photography business advertising and the only thing you are spending is your time. 

There are so many social media sites out there. Here are a few we think are worth taking the time to update regularly for a photography business:

• Instagram - Instagram is such a visual social media platform and perfect for photographers...and is one of the fastest social media sites out there! It is a great place to show off your photos and use hashtags that people who may be looking for your type of photos can search for. Here is a great article that offers Instagram tips for photographers that you need to read! Another thing to think about: 93% of prestigious brands are on Instagram and there is a 350% growth of brand engagement year over year. That is HUGE and just shows that you should be on it. 
• Facebook - We all know that Facebook is a huge platform that is very popular. It is a great place to interact with people and keep your clients (or potential ones) up to date on things you have going on. Do you have a great discount you are offering this month or did you shoot the most amazing wedding? By continuing to post regularly about your work and your business, you are keeping yourself in the front of your followers mind. That is perfect because that means they may just think of you when the time comes for them (or even someone they know) needs to hire a photographer. Follow Camera Giveaways on Facebook! 
• Pinterest - Pinterest is another great way to showcase your beautiful photos! Pinterest is huge.... it is a great place for a bride to search for wedding ideas, beautiful photos and more. It is a great place for a landscape photographer to post their most recent photos. As the pins you post of your work get re-pinned, more and more potential customers will see your work! Follow Camera Giveaways on Pinterest! 
• Twitter - Twitter is a great place to communicate updates, products and new things your company is offering. It is also a great place to see what people are saying about your company easily. Follow Camera Giveaways on Twitter! 

There is also Google+, StumbleUpon and Tumblr, and tons of other new social media sites popping up all the time. LinkedIn is also a great place for you to connect with others in your industry. It is hard to keep up with them all, but making sure you are on the main ones is a great thing for your company. 

Attend Industry Shows and Events

Depending on the type of photographer you are, and the type of business you are trying to get, attending industry shows (such as bridal shows) and other local events is a great way to advertise yourself. Seriously, what better way to market yourself than to meet with your potential customers face-to-face?

If you are a wedding photographer and attend all of your local bridal shows, you can potentially talk to and provide information about your service to thousands of brides that are currently looking for their photographer. Let them see some of the work you have done, provide them information on your pricing and show them that you have the type of personality and love of what you do that they will want to have you with them on their wedding day. 

We hope you are already doing all of these great photography business advertisement methods to help promote yourself and your business already. If not, no worries, you can start planning ahead for your business and try to focus on incorporating all of these methods so you can be sure to get your name out there in the best and easiest ways possible! 

Here are some great tips on setting up a photography business. Also, be sure to read this post on photography business mistakes and how to avoid them. 

Have you used any other photography business advertising methods that have worked great for you? Or, have you had success with one (or all) of these already? Let us know below!