Digital Photographer - UK (2020-05)

across a much wider range of formats. I’m

often commissioned to shoot image banks

specifically for social media.”

For commercial work, the increased

geographical range of a business brings an

expectation from clients that a photographer

will be willing to travel greater distances.

The ‘territories’ of many photographers now

overlap, so it is critical for individuals to keep

upand replace any lost regional business

with new clients from further afield. Should

aphotographer refuse to travel, they may

become less attractive to their previously solid

customer base. In all cases, a reluctance to

adapt to market needs is problematic.

When it comes to developing new styles, the

process doesn’t need to be traumatic. Looking

atsocial media can be highly informative when

reserching what consumers want today.

“With the growth of visual social media, such

asInstagram and Pinterest, people are more

aware of the type of images out there and

often come to a session with ideas they want

totry out,” says photographer Susan Porter-

Thomas. “I love this, as it makes me try new

things or develop my own ideas. I feel strongly

that Instagram has opened my own eyes to

what I could be achieving.”

Once you have mastered a current popular

style, save time in processing by creating

I’vebeenaprofessionalforsevenyears.I’maLondon-basedlifestyle

photographer,workingforadvertisingagenciesandeditorialclients.I

specialiseinauthentic,narrativelifestyle,mainlyshootingonlocation.

It’simportanttoreacttoshiftingmarkets–inanever-changing,

extremelycompetitiveindustryyouneedtokeepevolvingyourwork

andskillstostayrelevant.Clientstendtocometomeforaspecificstyleofwork,soI

don’tthinkit’snecessarytodiversifytoodrastically,butI’malwayslookingforwaysto

polishmytechnicalskills,andIshootpersonalprojectstokeepmyportfoliofresh.

Thewayagenciesandclientsdiscovermyworkisalsochanging.Irecentlyhadagreat

commissioncomeinafteranartdirectorspottedmyworkonmyagent’sInstagram,so

it’salsoimportanttoconstantlykeepre-assessingthewayyoumarketyourself.

HollyPickering

ProlifestylephotographerHollyonstayingcompetitive

Topright

Demonstrateflexibility

SusanPorter-Thomasenables

herclientstoinfluenceher

creativeapproach.Thisallowsa

photographertobroadentheir

repertoireandshowflexibility

Right

Predictrequirements

Withexperience,apro

photographercanquicklyspot

trendsinclientdemandsand

adaptearlytoappearmarket-

leadingandcurrent

Above

Setyourowntrends

Usemarketresearchtostay

aheadofthecrowd.Askclients

whattheyarelookingforto

createtrendsratherthanfollow

establishedones

Website:hollypickering.com @hpickeringphoto

x3 © Holly Pickering

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