Submitting your Photography Work to Grow Your Audience

Diving deeper into your journey of photography can seem like an excruciating one. Thanks to the advancement of digital photography and social media, everyone has access to capturing photos as simply as pressing a few buttons. If you’re questioning, How do you succeed in this highly competitive field? Or How can you differentiate yourself from other photographers bombarding social media websites? The simple answer is in submitting your photography work to grow your audience. Places like galleries, art fairs, shows, publications and juried competitions are always looking for new artists to showcase. Why not take your chance now?

Wether or not you feel that your work is good enough for the public-eye to see, it is a great way to get your name out into the world. Getting your work out into different outlets can challenge your abilities, help you grow a larger audience, and build your reputation as an artist. In addition to growth, you have opportunities to win monetary rewards, prizes as well as critique.

Growing your audience is equally as important to creating the work you make. Below are a few resources outside of social media that can help you grow your audience as a photographer.

CaFÉ™ (www.CallForEntry.org)

One of my favorite instructors at the Academy of Art University referred me to this particular website. They have great resources for submitting photography work into shows, competitions, artists residences, and more. This website is a one-stop shop for organizations and artists. The portal is easy to navigate and all you have to do is sign up, pay any necessary show/competition fee (if any) and upload your work directly on the site. CaFÉ™ is frequently updated to give artists of all mediums a chance to grow their audience.

C4E (www.CallForEntries.com)

My next resource for photographers looking into submitting work into shows and competitions on C4E. This site includes a list of shows, competitions, art fairs, and festivals. They also have submissions for publications.

This website is free to use and has great tools for artists.

The Art Guide (www.TheArtGuide.com)

TheArtGuide.com is a source for artists, art exhibitions, events, galleries and museums. They provide up-to-date extensive listings for exhibitions, events, and call for entries. I found this site to be one of the easiest to navigate around.

ZAPPlication (www.Zapplication.org)

Visit Zapplication if you’re looking to venture into art fairs or art festivals. This online portal advertises events held around the United States and is simple to use. The online application process makes it easy for submitting your work and everything is done in the site.

After browsing through some of the recommendations listed above, jot down ones that interest you. Narrow the list down and decide which ones you feel your art has potential shining in. Then, familiarize yourself with submissions guidelines and start getting your work out into the world.

Be sure to check out ‘How to prepare for Art Shows or Competitions‘ on how to prepare your submissions. Or have a look through ‘Preparing for Perfect Photography Prints’ for tips on how to make better prints.

Submitting your photography work to grow your audience can seem like a daunting task. Just know that it isn’t as scary as it may seem. The key is in finding the right resources, putting in the time, and submitting your work in a timely manner.

In the past, I was afraid to submit my work outside of social media. Overtime, I overcame the fear and was able get into several shows that I thought i’d never be able to. The best part is that my audience is growing!

Now get to work! Use the resources I provided and make your dream of becoming a professional artist, a reality and grow your audience!

Are there any resources you found helpful in this article? Do you have additional ones you can recommend to others? What was your experience like when you began submitting your photography work to grow your audience? I would love to hear in the comments below.

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