Are you using instagram to find your photographer?
You probably use Instagram hashtags on your post right? The endless categories and convenient tagging can help you draw out information about anything around the world with real life photographs. But did you know Instagram is a great tool for finding a photographer? And not just any old photographer, mind you, but the ones with passion, creative perspectives, and charisma that makes customers confident.
When you are shopping around for a Canberra Professional Photographer, I can point to myself and hand you some hero shots from my portfolio. But that does not tell you much about me, does it? That is why Instagram is quickly becoming an excellent way to see all the photographers in one area, compare them side-by-side, and make the best choice for your wedding pictures.
Connect with the Businesses
Vendors in general are turning to Instagram as a marketing solution. Photographers, have also found Instagram to be the perfect way to post their shots. When you are searching for the perfect photographer for your wedding, you have one of the largest collections of professionals and amateurs out there with their work plainly visible.
Hashtags
That Google search bar can only give you so much. Hashtags, though, can give you exactly what you want.
For example, you might be looking for an award-winning photographer in the Canberra region that specializes in storytelling photos (me). This too complicated for Google to provide several results at once. Instagram hashtags can be used like so:
- Brand: If you know names of photography businesses you want to compare, use them.
An example would be #aipp, #krisarnold_photography - Details: Relevant aspects that you might want to include in pictures, like #bouquet, #stringlights, #redroses, #sunset, #lensflare
- Location: Search for photographers in your area by hashtagging or geotagging your location, such as #canberraweddingphotographer, #southcoastphotographer
- Type: Wedding photography is different from portrait photography and landscape photography. Choose the right type of photographer by using #weddingphotographer, #storytellingphotography, or something similar
- Equipment: Perhaps look for #aerialphotography, for instance.
- Name: Know some names of venues? A handful of photographers? Try searching for them.
Get creative! Hashtags certainly can be. Think about everything you would want in a photograph and search it. You will be surprised by how many photographs are stockpiled on Instagram.
Figure Out What You Do Not Want
Instagram is not just a place for pretty poses and fantastically photoshopped stock photos. You see the reality of photography in all its glory–the good, bad, and ugly. This gives you insight to more than just a wide variety of photographers but to their styles, how they pose their clients, and how they focus in on different subjects. Take my photography, for example. I like capturing those natural moments. Natural smiles, moments of emotion, and scenes that come across as real. If that is what you are looking for, you will see it in what I post. Further, if you want to check out how I pose certain body types, or how I compliment certain colors with a backdrop, you can get a good idea about that too.
You will see what works and what does not. So when the time comes to work with a professional photographer, you know what and what not to ask for!
My Thoughts
When I signed up for Instagram, I did not really know what to expect. You hear things about it, but you do not know just how many people you reach until you try it out. It has been a great way for me to meet people from all over. Plus, I get a chance to talk about my daily life in photo descriptions or captions and what inspired me to capture a shot (or in some cases why I am in the photo). I do not just post highlights from shots, I post the images that speak to me on some level.
In short, Instagram is where brides should go when looking for a photographer that captures the beauty of your wedding. Hashtags, a multitude of images, and the number of suppliers available on Instagram put you in control of the choice. And if you see something you like in my collection, reach out.
