Photographers, Discover How to Locate Your Community on Social Media
Finding your people can seem like an impossible feat in the sea of social media noise, but rest assured that there are supportive communities out there ready to rally behind each other and help one another move forward.
Photographers looking for inspiration often turn to social media in search of community. Joining this kind of network could open doors, lead to employment opportunities and spark creative inspiration – exactly what a photographer needs!
We were thrilled that over 250 of you joined in for our inaugural Twitter Space on this topic!
Read on for some great takeaways from our co-hosts and guests, including photographers such as Polly Irungu, Brayden Williams, Brent Lewis, Erika Rand and Aundre Larrow.
How can I find my photo community on social media? Transitioning into new stages in life often results in mixed emotions; feeling lost can often serve as the impetus to finding an engaged community of like-minded individuals online.
Polly Irungu, founder of Black Women Photographers, found her journey across the nation to start school in a different state disconcerting and daunting. This left her feeling depressed and uncertain of the road ahead.
After picking up a camera and sharing some of her photographs online, she quickly found comfort and connection through social media.
As soon as Polly discovered the power of social media and created various Twitter Lists to showcase her work, she began forming relationships and building communities of creatives online. By 2011 Polly had amassed hundreds of photographers who follow Black Women Photographers globally across Instagram (48,000+) and Twitter (20+). Today this global database now numbers over 350 photographers!
Polly provides five top tips for building your own photo community through this partnership with B&H.
Twitter or Instagram for Community Building? Undoubtedly, our guest speakers concluded that Twitter had emerged as a superior medium for creating photography communities. Following Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri’s admission last year that Instagram no longer specializes in photo sharing (focusing more on “Creators, Video Shopping and Messaging” instead), photographers have turned increasingly toward Twitter as the place where they share work and meet other photographers.
Twitter Threads have proven an effective means of increasing engagement and building a sense of community for Brayden Williams (aka Brayden Creations on social media), who thrives through high engagement. Being able to reply, tag along, and share work alongside others is something Instagram does not provide.
Retweeting photo challenge threads on Twitter is key for spreading them to a wider audience and reaching potential participants.