Photography Video Marketing Challenge: Something New/Something Special

Many photographers begin their careers photographing the things they love to shoot. But over time, it can feel as if your photography is becoming just a job. Sometimes you need to stretch out as an artist and explore new avenues — you need an infusion of creativity and fun. In other words, you need something new; something special.

For example, portrait photographers Sue Bryce and Felix Kunze decided to shake up their routine with a classic Hollywood-themed shoot — featuring fellow photographer Tamara Lackey — and turned it into a playful behind-the-scenes video that Sue featured on her blog.

Sue said, “I loved doing the Hollywood shoot, and when I did, I realized how many people loved it as a genre. If you offer something special, something new, something different from what you normally do, feature it as something great and new in your studio. Don’t be afraid to make a special video for fine art or specialized styling or a special look you have. The goal here is to find new, different, interesting, shareworthy content.”

Tips for making a great Something New/Something Special video:

1. Select photos that show your best work and illustrate the new or special subject you’ve selected. The photographs should tell a story and follow a logical progression.
2. Use text slides, or subject interviews to explain your concept or theme if it isn’t immediately apparent.
3. Experiment! Try new pacing or pick out a different song or video style. Stretch yourself and your creativity.
4. Link directly to your website using the Call-To-Action feature or add your URL in your YouTube/Vimeo description so people can go back to your site.
5. Add your logo at the start and end of your video.

A video about something new or something special can direct people to your business who might not have found it otherwise. It expands the scope of your brand, and may even offer opportunities for publicity or outreach to new clients.

Need more inspiration? Check out these examples:

Tula Lou at Black Rabbit Photographics is doing a series of short, documentary videos interviewing and photographing women who choose to let their hair go gray:

Portrait photographer Maggie Woo interviewed an instructor for a pole dance fitness class, using video clips and photographs to create a portrait of her subject.

Join us in the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook to share your video.

Portrait Photographer, Sue Bryce and Animoto launched a series of challenges designed to encourage, inspire and motivate photographers to start marketing with video. Participants create a video a month and post it to YouTube. This is an in-depth description of one of the 12 challenges.

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