How to Become a Postcard Photographer
Being a postcard photographer is about more than just taking a pretty picture. It's about capturing the essence of a place. People buy postcards for several reasons, but the main purpose of a postcard is to show off their great vacation. It's important to take shots that present whatever you're photographing in the most flattering and welcoming way possible. There is an art to achieving this. Observe and photograph the destination at all times of day if possible. Decipher the best angles and lighting for the location. Once you've mastered that art, you will soon become a postcard photographer on a professional basis.
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Instructions
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Learn the basics of photography.There is always an art to photography. Some photographs fall more into the creative side of the spectrum, and some fall into the more commercial side. Postcard photography is fairly commercial, and that means you will probably be following the rules of photography more than you will be breaking them. "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson is a great book for learning more about photography. There are also many, many websites dedicated to photography, but you will want to focus on ones that are geared more toward landscapes and architecture. Those types of shots are the "bread and butter" of postcard photography. Links to these sites can be found in the Resources section.
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Practice. Practice, practice, practice. This can't be said enough. The best way to learn postcard photography is to do it. Keep practicing until you learn how to find the right angle and get the right shot. In general, most of your photography will probably take place in the early morning or early evening. This is because that is when the light is most flattering, but there are instances when you will want more direct sunlight or even a night shot.
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Create a portfolio book. Gather your best work, highlighting a variety of scenes and objects, and place it into a portfolio. Every shot included in the portfolio should be a great shot. Even if you end up with fewer images in your portfolio than you'd like, resist the urge to include only "average" shots in your portfolio. You can find books suitable for a portfolio at office supply stores, art supply stores and some photography supply stores. Unless you have a very defined style and/or logo, it's best to stick with basic black for your book and pages. Simply use self-stick photo corners to hold your photos to the page.
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Create an online portfolio. There is still some debate as to whether an online portfolio is absolutely necessary. While you can find work and get started as a postcard photographer without an online portfolio, it is advantageous to have one if you have the financial ability. A single page is sufficient. The idea is simply to show off your very best postcard photographs.
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Submit your work to printers and publishers. Contact local and national printers and publishers. Submit your portfolio to many. Try to arrange appointments with local printers so you can show off your portfolio. It's always best to seek work in person.
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Drum up freelance business by offering your services to local businesses. Tourist businesses may be interested in selling postcards of their unique items, or even their own customized postcards of popular attractions in the area. Other businesses may be interested in promotional postcards to send to clients.
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Keep trying. Rejection is common at first, but you will win if you stay in the game.
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Tips & Warnings
A good camera is a must. While a professional camera doesn't make anyone a professional photographer, it's hard to get the best shots without good equipment.
Avoid putting photos in your book portfolio under plastic. That looks unprofessional.
Don't count on making a lot of money right away as a postcard photographer. It generally takes years of building a reputation and making lots of business contacts to make a good income from postcard photography. Even then, postcard photography is still only a portion of most photographer's income.
Resources
- Luminous Landscape has great information about landscape photography.
- Photo Secrets has an entire section dedicated to postcard photography.
- Photo.net has a good tutorial on architectural photography
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