Whether you’re just starting out as a photographer or are a seasoned professional, promoting yourself and your work is an important part of making it.
So, out of all of the photographers out there, how do you get your work noticed by potential clients? This guide lays out the key information and qualifications that clients look for, and walks you through simple steps you can take to signify to clients that you’re ready to work together.
What do clients look for when hiring a photographer?
When clients search for photographers to collaborate with, there’s key information that they need to know — from your availability, to your areas of expertise, and a curated portfolio with samples of your best photography work. This information should be displayed in a clear, easy-to-find way on a professional website or profile. The VSCO profile with Pro Membership is one way to do this, as it includes customizable features to help you showcase these important professional details to clients.
Read on to find out more about the top information clients look for when hiring a photographer, and to learn how to optimize your profile to get discovered by clients.
Key information clients are looking for when hiring photographers
Let clients know that you’re available
Are you currently available for professional photography work? The most important thing you can do is let potential clients know by sharing your availability status on your professional profile.
One way to do this is by selecting that you’re available for “Professional work” on your VSCO profile. Here, you can also add the cities and regions where you’re available to work.
Introduce yourself and your work
Your professional profile should express who you are as a photographer. It’s important that you have a profile picture and a short bio in your About section. Think of your bio as an elevator pitch — a short, quick introduction to who you are. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.
Next, be sure to link your website and social media accounts to let clients know where else they can find you. This gives them a more holistic view of your work and style, and gives you more opportunities to show off your creative and professional identities.
Lastly, be sure to showcase a curated selection of work. Your selections should highlight your strongest images, and represent your photographic style at a glance. You could utilize the Hero Images feature on VSCO, and pin up to three images to the top of your profile. This allows clients to see your best work immediately without having to scroll.
Let clients know where you’re located
Sharing your location on your profile helps you build your local creative network. Connect with other photographers in your area, and share photography techniques, trade tips for finding work, learn about industry events, and collaborate on projects together.
Sharing your location on your profile also opens you up to getting discovered by clients searching for photographers in your area. You can add your location to the VSCO profile, and network with an extensive and very active community of creators and potential clients.
Share your photography experience
Often, clients search for photographers with experience in a specific type or genre of photography. Make sure you get noticed by listing your photography experience on your profile. The VSCO profile allows you to choose from a variety of experience tags, from fashion to food to live events, and clearly display your areas of expertise to potential clients.
For additional tips on curating your work, check out the conversation between VSCO's Zach Hodges and Lucciana Caselli about creating a photography portfolio.
How to add these customizations your VSCO profile
You can edit your VSCO profile directly in the mobile app or by logging in online at vsco.co. Simply log into your VSCO account and tap Edit Profile.
Stay tuned as VSCO continues to launch new tools to help you represent your work and make it as a professional photographer. Please note, these profile customizations are available for photographers who are at least 18 years old.
Unlock full access to all of these profile customizations and more with a VSCO Pro Membership. Try it today.
