6 Essential Tips for Styling a Session for Publication | Crecia Page

I wholeheartedly believe the adage that, “You shoot what you show.” I also believe that up-and-coming photographers often struggle to define their brand after becoming proficient enough to move past the portfolio building stage. Therefore, one of the best ways to really showcase who you are as an artist and to begin shooting the sessions that best reflect that, is by styling a session and submitting it for publication.

One of my biggest goals for 2014 is to photograph more weddings. I’ve always known that this was the direction I wanted to go, and the time had come that I was ready to go there.

To begin receiving wedding inquiries and build my wedding portfolio, I participated in a styled session that was later submitted and accepted for publication on Vegas Style Weddings.

How did I get there? Here’s what I did…

My Tips for Styling a Session for Publication:

1 | Throughout your session keep your photography style cohesive.

It is okay to include black and white and color images with your submission, but I would suggest not including clean edits with, for instance, vintage or matte images.

2 | Keep a thorough and accurate list of all the vendors and models participating in the session.

You must always include this list with any submission. Making sure you give credit where credit is due is a great way to build strong relationships in this industry. These relationships are worth gold, especially if your business relies heavily on word-of-mouth referrals.

3 | Keep track of all the fun details of the day.

All the big blogs want photographers to not only include amazing images, but also an engaging story. Some blogs even prefer the story to come directly from the subjects of the shoot, stylists or other individuals participating.

4 | Do your research.

Make sure you’re submitting your images to a blog or magazine which features images of a similar style to yours. I would also find out if the blog or magazine you select is exclusive or non-exclusive. Almost all magazines are exclusive and most national blogs are as well. Being exclusive means you cannot publish your work elsewhere, not even your own blog prior to the publication. There are benefits to choosing either type of publication. If your work is published by an exclusive blog it may appear to clients to be more highly regarded. It will also increase your exposure on a national level. Submitting to non-exclusive publications means that you can put your work out there right away and likely gain more exposure at a local level. It is also better for your SEO (search engine optimization) because you can get published on multiple blogs. Plus, non-exclusive blogs tend to leave your work on the front page longer.

5 | Read the directions twice and then follow them exactly.

Make sure you follow all the guidelines for submission exactly as stated. Otherwise, the publisher might not even make it to your images before rejecting the submission.

6 | Be patient and good things will come.

Sometimes you’ll hear a quick response letting you know if your work has been picked up, but sometimes you’ll wait a month. Luckily, almost all publications will let you know one way or another.

Take Action:

1. Leave a comment below sharing with us one publication goal you have for the new year. It might be that you want to be featured locally with a popular media outlet. You might want to be featured either online or in a magazine, gaining national exposure for your business. Whatever it is, write it down. Be specific.
2. Next, write down three steps you will take to achieve this goal. You can either share these with us in the comments, or keep them private, it’s up to you. But again, be specific.
3. Then finally, take that first step!

Good luck to you and your publishing endeavors. I hope to see your work around soon!

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