Adding Visuals to Your Communications

Photo-sharing, or the process of publishing digital photos online both privately and publicly, can enhance your business and social relationships. In this article, Linda provides links and ideas for professional graphic designers and photographers who want to share their work online.

Conclusion

You have three or four main goals at this point in photo-sharing if you are a professional photographer or designer. Building a foundation Web site is one goal, but many of you already have accomplished that task. The next goal, then, is to spread yourself around the Web, both socially and visually through social media tools and by submitting your work to contests and to other online galleries.

I'll expand on your opportunities in the next article. For now, I want to point out a specific that applies to how you present yourself as 2D and 3D designers.

f you are a professional photographer or digital designer, you have it a bit easier than many graphic designers, fine artists and others who work in three-dimensional formats. You have the ability to simply transfer your work from one two-dimensional space to another two-dimensional space. Granted, you may tinker with that work in some graphic space before you display it, but you don't need to photograph that work again to display it online.

Three-dimensional artists, however, need to create their work and then photograph it so that it comes across in the best light. The ability to photograph that work is a skill, and if you are not good at it, don't fret – there are plenty of photographers who might photograph your work for trade or for the ability to link to each photograph with their name or studio name when you publish those photographs online.

• If you are a three-dimensional artist and you want someone else to photograph your work, be careful about your choice – you may be linked forever to that studio or person through your uploaded photographs. While you cannot predict that one photographer might become famous or another become infamous, the skill level often is a predictable factor. If you like his or her work now, however, the possibility that work will get better over time with continued practice is fairly predictable (although not a given).

• If you are a two-dimensional artist and you want to build some links back to your work, offer to photograph some work for a three-dimensional artist who may be as hungry as you are for a sale. Offering your skills when needed is one way to build a successful social network – look at it like volunteerism, if you dare. Or, charge much less than you would for a client who can afford your work. In either case, you could be building good will rather than competition. Don't be offended If the three-dimensional artist turns you down, as your work may not suit that designer. Do not take this personally, as online vendettas usually do not bode well for the person who starts them.

Although all photographers and graphic designers are, in a sense, competitors, they also are adept at helping each other out. In the long run, this type of photo-sharing is something only you can do as a professional. The masses can continue to upload their images to Facebook.