Controversy Can Be a Photographer's Best Marketing Friend

Photographers are increasingly turning to social media and blogging as a way to market themselves, or "build their brand," and define who they are in a crowded world of pros. I recently came across a PhotoShelter article entitled The 11 Best Photography Blog Topics, and you should check it out. Their list of try-this blogging ideas is thoughtful, I like the way they link to real photo blog examples of what they're advocating, and they give great suggestions for adding spice and additional traffic to your photo blog. Attracting attention, without defaming or hurting others, is a good thing. 

One suggestion that particularly caught my eye was a "Stir the Pot" idea. The article encouraged photographers to be controversial, take a stand, and strongly voice an opinion. Here's an excerpt from photographer Matt Brandon's stir-the-pot post entitled Photography: What's Real, What's Not and Does It Matter?

Some people, want to define it very narrowly and say photography is for capturing an image of reality. Fine. There are people that use the camera like an office worker uses a xerox machine. If that’s how you want to define it for yourself then that is all well and good. But that’s too narrow for the rest of the world. Likewise, there are people who use a camera like Picasso used a brush. These people are every bit an artist. So, the question really is, either what have you defined as your personal boundaries or what has your profession defined? Look at it this way, if I’m working for the National Geographic magazine they have very strict standards of what can be done with an image once it’s shot. My friend, and Nat Geo photographer, Ami Vitale told me she has to send in the raw files to her editors, completely untouched. In fact, they’re not even allowed to delete files from the card. That’s fine. If that’s the way the magazine wants to do it, and you want to work for the magazine, then you do it their way. You have a choice, their way or the highway. The fact is, there is no right or wrong when it comes to using this tool we call a camera.

We're the New York Institute of Photography, a distance education school teaching photography since 1910 - over 100 years of knowledge and experience. Listen to the following podcast to learn more about who we are and what we do.

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