Online presence and social media for photographers

From the WhiteWall expert Katharina Wergen

It's hard to imagine what it was like in the past. Professional photographers used their contacts and had to go to great lengths to publish their work in magazines or present their work in exhibitions. This was almost unattainable for amateurs. With the Internet and the success of corresponding platforms, the whole world became a stage overnight. Whether regional, national or international, photographers can now easily share, present - and market - their images. So on the one hand, it has become much easier to show your pictures to the world, but on the other hand, it has become much more difficult to be seen and noticed by the masses.

We shed light on the various options available to you to present your images efficiently and securely in the online jungle. And show which platform is suitable for which user.

The presentation of your images on the Internet 

We like to talk about "sharing", but we actually mean "showing". The first section therefore deals with the pure presentation areas that are available to you.

Welcome to my page: Your own website

Your own website is the foundation of your own presence. From the professional, who definitely can't do without it because, despite its modernity, it looks more serious than a mere social media presence, to the dedicated amateur photographer who uses the advantages for himself. 

The advantages of having your own website

The site belongs to you and is not subject to any restrictions. Anyone working in the field of product or nude photography can upload images on their own responsibility without coming up against the limits of third-party platforms. For example, Meta is not exactly friendly towards nude photographs, even if they are artistically and seriously realized.

You also have complete freedom when it comes to the visual design of your website. Whether you opt for a recurring color scheme or immerse your galleries in matching hues is up to you and your available time.

You determine the contact. Are you happy to receive a compliment on a picture or do you prefer to have two to eight orders for prints in your mailbox every day? Whether your site is an overview of your photographic art or a platform for your business where you can be booked and photos can be purchased is up to you.

You are independent. If Meta or another platform changes its terms and conditions, its algorithm or its presence in a country, you are in on it - or you leave the platform. On your own site, everything remains as it is. However, you must also comply with the legal framework here - for example, an imprint is mandatory in Germany.

Disadvantages of your own website

The only disadvantage of having your own website is that you are responsible for everything yourself. From building to updating, you are responsible for maintenance. Even if the site can be set up very quickly today thanks to most services in the modular system, it can be changed dynamically and automatically supplied with updates. The work and maintenance should not be underestimated or neglected.

Tips for your own website

What does your website stand for? Think like a visitor or get constructive advice from friends. A guest should immediately understand what it's all about. If you want to be booked as a sports photographer, half of your pictures should not consist of astrophotos.

Which design suits your photographic portfolio? Clear lines, few colors and no unnecessary frills may seem conservative, but are an advantage for the first impression. If black and white portraits with a strong character are your strength, the site should not look like a colorful vacation portal.

Where does the traffic come from? When the site is ready, the waiting begins. But who should even visit your website and how does it become better known? The answer is clear: advertising is part of it. On business cards, in social networks and, above all, on search engines such as Google. If you want to be found, you have to deal with the topic of "SEO", search engine optimization.

Lone wolf or lively exchange? With a blog, you can provide information about ongoing or completed projects or share current events with fans and followers. This strengthens the sense of community.

How is the website used? Remember that the site can be opened on different devices. A "responsive design", i.e. an adapted display for computers, tablets and smartphones, should definitely be integrated.

Imprint and data protection have been mandatory since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at the latest. You can have both generated on service pages. Further information on the law for photographers can also be found in the article "8. Photography and law".

The digital portfolio: The portfolio

For all those who don't want to take on the enormous effort of having their own website with all its possibilities because a simple presentation of their work is enough for them, there is the digital photo portfolio. It's much quicker and easier. The portfolio folder is particularly worthwhile for individual projects such as architecture or wedding photography. The effort is less, but the possibilities are more limited.

Important: Many portfolio providers are currently based in the USA and are subject to American law.

Let's talk about pictures: Be part of a photo community

Show your pictures, view others and talk about them? What used to be called a regulars' table is simply called a community in the online age. Here you can talk about photos in small groups. Above all, the mutual exchange about technology, photo spots and inspiration is often more targeted than on social media. The transition from amateur to professional is fluid. Some platforms have a limit for uploads and storage space. So if you only want to be among like-minded people, you are better off in one of the numerous communities.

The best-known communities are Flickr and 500px. The websites work very similarly. Both offer the option of creating your own profile, uploading your own images and have a comment function. Both are international platforms that are used by both professionals and amateurs.

Interaction with your images

If you only want to throw your pictures into the digital, social world, you have the problem that millions of others are doing it at the same time. Nevertheless, we can no longer imagine our lives without social media. Ever since Facebook went online and Instagram showed us that you have to take a photo before you eat, the flood of images has been steadily increasing. Is an artfully designed profile worth it? The clear answer: yes. One of the current giants in this segment is Meta with its Facebook and Instagram platforms. We will take a look at these two platforms below. 

Facebook

Facebook has been a private company from the very beginning. It plays by its own rules and the algorithm alone decides what reach can be generated. Nevertheless, it is one of the best ways to present your images quickly, easily and free of charge. With a structured plan, you can make a professional appearance on the bedrock of social media.

Create a photo account in addition to your private account. This is where you can show your photos and network with other photographers, models or photo groups. Upload new content regularly. It doesn't matter whether you use small series or individual images. The main thing is that you have a continuous flow - that's what the algorithm needs. But be patient. Reach comes with time.

Use the time and get involved. Comment on pictures and take an active part in discussions. Be open and friendly and help with your knowledge.

Tip: You can use the analysis tools to see when your followers are active. Use this when planning your posts. Plan them appropriately and preferably in advance.

Also think about who is visiting your website for the first time. Photo albums make the interface clearer.

Tip: Compress your images yourself before you upload them. If Facebook does this for you, the quality will suffer.

Instagram

Instagram is even more image-oriented than Facebook. No wonder it has become the most popular platform for photographers over the years. Here it is important that the images work. There's nothing wrong with posting a picture that you wouldn't hang on your wall as a Whitewall masterprint, but you should keep the standard high from post to post, or even better, raise it. To make progress on Instagram, there are a few steps that differ from those on Facebook. 

Important: Only publish good pictures. A story or reel is recommended for snapshots and activities.

Also good: Use as many hashtags as possible - Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. Nowhere else can you reach potential fans and followers better. For inspiration, you can take a look at the hashtags of images that you like and that work well on the platform.

Tip: Don't buy followers. It is not certain whether you will really be banned for this, but organic reach is much more sustainable. So it's better to grow slowly and steadily to increase the number of followers.

It is important that you regularly contribute to the story with posts, comments and interactions. A good way to interact is to share or link to other posts in the story, which has become increasingly important over the years.

It also makes sense to have a second Instagram channel that is dedicated exclusively to photography and has a clear profile. If you have different focuses, e.g. black and white portrait photography and landscape photography, it is also worth setting up two separate channels, as followers will then know what to expect.

Other platforms

The online world is constantly changing. While some meta-sites have been around for a very long time, others have already disappeared. We introduce you to two social networks that - alongside Facebook and Instagram - can pay off for photographers in particular.

With Pinterest, you can curate your own exhibitions online, get ideas and inspiration or supply them with your pictures. However, there is much less exchange between users.

TikTok is all about videos. With small clips during a shoot or as additional advertising, it can be a useful tool.

It can be worth following the latest trends in social media - but it all takes a lot of time, which you can also invest in networking or photography. The extent to which you get involved here is up to you.

The right to the image, protection and AI

There are various ways to protect your digital images. The best known is the watermark. It is simply placed over the image in the image editing program and uploaded in this way. It can be your name, the name of your account or a unique logo.

You can set up "right-click protection" on your website. This makes it impossible to save an image by right-clicking with the mouse. Although this does not protect against screenshots, it does make image theft more difficult. You should also compress your images. If they are downloaded, they are often unusable.

There is a different problem in social media. You accept the general terms and conditions and therefore also the agreement on image rights. This does not mean that you are giving up your rights, but your images could be used for AI programs or within the framework of the provider's terms and conditions. Therefore: Read the terms and conditions carefully and use any opt-out option or object if necessary.

Conclusion

Anyone who has taken and edited a photo and is perhaps proud of it wants to show it and share it with others. The Internet is the ideal place for this, if only because of its technology designed for visual appeal. Plan carefully which presentation you want to invest time in and which best supports your goals.