Create Quick and Easy Custom Galleries that Sell Photographs the Same Day!
After speaking to volume photographers, it was clear that not all event photographers or seasonal photographers are aware of the “gallery” concept to sell images online-unlike the wedding and portrait photographers who already know they must sell images online and do it very well. This “gallery” concept means that you have a dedicated URL that holds a collection of images for a particular event. For example, you could have “www.willcrockett.com/anyschool/2013″ for each customer that is a link to a special page that includes a gallery. This page could even be password protected if necessary.
The concept of the “gallery” is often overlooked by the volume photographers. Here is an example. Say I am going to shoot a car show. Before I leave I already have a URL (web address) and gallery already set up on a web page. I can print up little cards that say, “www.willcrockett.com/napervillecarshow/2013″. Then as I go shoot the cars and/or the people with their cars, I will hand out those little cards, and tell them at 6pm tonight you will be able to see the images I am taking…and if you would like to buy them, you are more than welcome to that also.
To make your gallery look great, you can create a small hybrid intro (stills, video and music) that entices the viewer into the site. I call it the “glue” that lets people land on your web page and makes them want to see even more. They are “glued” to the page.
This is just a great way to, on the weekends, show off your work and pick up a few extra dollars at the same time.
Take a look at some web gallery companies that can help you put up galleries for this very kind of volume photography. My favorite is Zenfolio and also SmugMug, and there are a handful of others, which allow you to do galleries easily.
It is a quick and easy way to create custom galleries, shoot some images, and make a few bucks all in the same day.
Will Crockett
About the Author: Will Crockett
Will Crockett, pro photographer and photo technology innovator, and webTV personality is focussed on learning how to master hybrid imaging. The skillful blend of photo+video+audio is clearly the future of photography, but how do we shoot and shape and share and sell these hybrid "eProducts"? Dunno, but with Will Crockett as the technical genius and unstoppable force behind this transition from shooting still photos into creating pictures with depth and dimension we will surely figure it out! : ) Will is an open, honest, bright guy that shares what he learns here on this website about hybrid, eProducts, mirrorless cameras, and all the wonderful software tools that allow us to make better, smarter images for share or the sell. He's even the photo expert on GeekBeatTV! For years, non-pro photographers and pros alike have seen Will's videos, gone to his fun live events, and learned how to be a smarter photographer. Take a look at Will's current (and classic) images at willcrockett.com, his consulting work for clients big and small at CrockettCo.com, and the great info on hybrid eProducts and mirrorless cameras on discovermirrorless.comSubscribe
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Great tip Will!
I’ve been trying to decide what to do with my (lately neglected) SmugMug account, and this is a great way to put it to work.
Cheers!