Showcase Your Work

Last spring I submitted three images for a six-month exhibition at the Washington State Convention Center, called "Walking the Neighborhood: Images from Favorite Washington Places." It was a statewide competition to "highlight the creativity of our state's residents and those special Washington places, things, and people that inspire us to get on the move." This had Camera Walking written all over it!

I was honored to learn last week that one of my images will be among the 80 images selected. The Washington State Convention Center's art program is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. The exhibit will run from October 2017 through March 2018. Since it is a state-wide competition, they indicated that they might send the exhibition to the Spokane Convention Center (Eastern Washington) following its show in Seattle. That would be fun!

Obviously I was pleased and excited to have the opportunity to showcase my work. It also inspired me to enter more competitions. As I was reflecting about this, I remembered a post that I wrote two years ago this month that I never published. It seemed like a good time to review and update it.

Showcase your work:

If you are like me, you may post most of your photos on Facebook or Instagram and leave it at that. They are great places to get feedback on your photos, but if you want to take it to the next level, consider creating your own photo portfolio. Flickr, SmugMug, 500px, Behance, and Exposure are all great platforms to share your photos. And some of these sites will allow you to sell your photos if you are inclined. I have been using SmugMug for years. I am sure that there are other online platforms that work well that are worth exploring as well.

Participate in contests:

Entering contests can help sharpen your eye and skills. It can force you to be a better editor or curator. When I was reviewing my images for the contest, I had to sort through numerous images to find three that I thought were appropriate for the theme of this contest. It wasn't easy, so I asked friends for their thoughts, but ultimately it came down to my gut feeling. I thought that the image below would have been a strong contender, but ultimately the jurors picked my photo called reflections, which is one of my favorites.

There are many sites that host contests, ranging from National Geographic to ones sponsored by camera companies, but lately I have noticed my photography friends sharing their photos on ViewBug. According to their site, "From amateurs to pros, ViewBug is for photographers of all levels. Most contests even crown an Amateur winner in addition to Grand Jury and People’s Choice winners." I joined ViewBug and plan on submitting more photos. It is also a great place to get inspiration.

Whether you showcase your images on social media, create an online portfolio, or enter a contest, you can increase your visibility, learn from other photographers, and perhaps sell a few photos. So grab your camera and go out Camera Walking to capture photos that you want to share with the world. I love hearing from you, so comment below, post on our Facebook page, or send an email.