Well, I have to tell you about this new site I found thanks to my friends at See-then-create-photography. A few months ago, they discover some wedding photographs I did for my friend (which you can see a sample below. You can check out the rest on my photo section Wedding Photography )
well, they were impressed and invited me to look at their website See-Then-Create-Photography, I try to convince myself that they approached me because they liked my images and not just because they wanted to advertise their blog, but I’m probably wrong… in the end it did work for them because I signed up for their newsletter.
Okay.. So I went and visit their blog and realized that they could be people I could learn from so I decided to join their newsletter. Then, just last week when I wrote my last post about shutter speed and shared with you guys my waterfall pictures from my photography class. they send a Photo Contest they were creating. Their very first contest and the theme was “At the Waters Edge” well, what a more perfect theme than that! My waterfall picture was just what I need it!
I went ahead and submitted the photo, then encourage all my friends and family to visit the contest and vote for my photography if they thought it was good! I pulled my marketing skills and decided to promote this contest as if it was one of my products from business, it was a great way to share my passion with others and to help me win this contest.
Facebook, twitter and email blast was my plan and so I did… to my surprise, people where actually voting and letting me know they submitted their vote, others were so impressed by the photo that they asked for copies.
At the end, I got in second place by 7 votes. But what is the moral of my story… What I want you to take out of this is that no matter what you do as an artist the best thing you can do is share it with your friends, family and promote yourself as much as you can. If you don’t promote yourself and your work who will?? So go out there and start promoting and sharing. All I wanted to put out there was that I was learning photography and that I wanted to share this with everyone, what I got? a second place on the contest and a few sales of the image… little by little I will keep promoting what I know, what I learn and what I do for others to get inspired.
This also applies to businesses, if you don’t promote your products and your brand why are you expecting others to do so? You need to start then others will follow.
Here is a copy of the image I won and you can see here at See-then-create-photography other contest winners and the story behind their photos, you can also sign up for their newsletter, they have great photography tips!
Again, check out FineArtsAmerica website for more photography contests, they have new contests all the time and you can even create your own!
