Photography Industry Resources
There is no shortage of advice for photographers, but not every resource is worth your time. Over the years, I've worked with photographers at every stage of their careers, and I've seen firsthand which tools, organizations, educational platforms, and business resources consistently provide real value.
I've put together this collection to help you navigate the business side of photography with greater confidence. Whether you're refining your portfolio, improving your marketing, learning about SEO, looking for portfolio reviews, or searching for industry organizations and educational opportunities, these are the resources I recommend most often.
No single resource will transform your business overnight, but the right combination of education, strategy, and community can make a meaningful difference over time. I encourage you to explore what's relevant to your current goals, continue investing in your professional growth, and revisit this page as your business evolves.
I'll continue updating this library as I discover new tools and opportunities that I believe are genuinely valuable for commercial photographers.
Podcasts & Webinars
-
Dear Art Producer connects the photography and video community with art producers in the advertising community. This podcast introduces you to different art producers, share the stories of their diverse career paths, explore what it means to stay relevant and examine industry topics such as marketing, estimating, directing, websites and more.
-
Listen to all kinds of female-identifying creatives - producers, stylists, photographers, directors, and more tell their journey of finding their true passion in this commercial world and learn more about the mission behind Focus on Women.
IG: Focusonwomen_org
-
American Photographic Artists (APA) is the country's leading non-profit advocate for commercial photographers. They organize events, negotiate benefits for our members, hold seminars, promote our member's work, organize photo contests, advocate for Artist's Rights and Copyright. Their goal is to establish, endorse and promote professional practices, standards and ethics in the photographic community. They seek to mentor, motivate, educate and inspire in the pursuit of excellence. Their aim is to champion and speak as one common voice for image makers to the photographic industry in the United Stated and the World.
-
A podcast by and for working photographers with Ren Fuller + Jennifer Chong.
IG: photodump.club
-
Sasha Wolf, author of PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice, holds conversations with friends, photographers she represents, and photographers she has always wanted to speak with.
This podcast largely centers around photography as an art practice, sure to spark inspiration.
-
Workbook Radio is a podcast for professional artists in the commercial advertising industry. From interviews to panels, Workbook Radio sheds light on what it means to stand out in the ever-changing landscape. Official podcast of the industry-standard WORKBOOK and Workbook.com.
-
Hosted by Mica McCook, an Austin-based food photographer who creates timeless, theatrical and flavorful art. Dive deep into Mica’s interviews with industry insiders—from seasoned food photographers to prop stylists and photo educators.
Organizations / Groups
-
America Photographic Artists (APA) is the country's leading non-profit advocate for commercial photographers. They organize events, negotiate benefits for our members, hold seminars, promote our member's work, organize photo contests, advocate for Artist's Rights and Copyright. Their goal is to establish, endorse and promote professional practices, standards and ethics in the photographic community. They seek to mentor, motivate, educate and inspire in the pursuit of excellence. Their aim is to champion and speak as one common voice for image makers to the photographic industry in the United Stated and the World.
-
The American Society of Media Photographers, is a professional association of imaging professionals, including photojournalists, architectural, underwater, food/culinary and advertising photographers as well as video/film makers and other specialists.
-
The Association of Independent Architectural Photographers (AIAP) is an Internet-based trade association with one primary purpose:
To promote the professional success of established independent architectural photographers.
IG: aiapofficial
-
The AOP is a not-for-profit trade association for professionals. The AOP has dedicated staff to help solve members' problems and offer guidance on a myriad of topics affecting your business as a photographer in a commercial environment. They can be consulted by either email or telephone and their expertise comes from years in the industry. Whilst they are not lawyers, they can often give enough information and guidance to defuse situations and prevent costly legal cases.
IG: assocphoto
-
-
“From producers, creative directors, and photographers to agents, stylists, and hair and makeup artists, we want women to have a seat at the table. By creating a comprehensive directory of female creatives and empowering them with valuable resources and access, we hope to expand their communities. Additionally, we’ll offer education, networking, and mentorship opportunities.” - Focus on Women
IG: focusonwomen_org
-
-
Diversify Photo is a community of BIPOC and non-western photographers, editors, and visual producers working to break with the predominantly colonial and patriarchal eye through which history and the mass media has seen and recorded the images of our time. Their international online database is used by editors at major media outlets seeking to diversify their rosters of visual storytellers. They also create networking, exhibiting, speaking, community-building, and resource-sharing opportunities for our members.
IG: diversifyphoto
-
Women Photograph is a non-profit that launched in 2017 to elevate the voices of women* and nonbinary visual journalists. The private database includes more than 1,400 independent documentary photographers based in 100+ countries and is available privately to any commissioning editor or organization. Women Photograph also operates an annual series of project grants, a year-long mentorship program, an annual skills-building workshop, and collects data on hiring and publishing statistics in the visual media industry.
Business Tools
-
-
-
-
Agency Access is the leading client database, allowing you to connect with hiring personnel at ad agencies, in-house brands, publications, and more.
IG: agencyaccess
Use code JULIE25 for a lifetime 25% discount
-
-
Mailtrack is an email tracking tool. It tells you if your emails have been opened or not, and how many times, through its pixel-based tracking system.
Mailtrack is great because it tells you when a single email has been opened (or if it hasn’t) so you know what’s being received and when - taking the guesswork out of sending direct emails to clients.
They have other services that may be useful, but the tracking alone makes it worth it the $0 price tag (not a typo, it is free to track).
-
This tool can save lives - it essentially turns your inbox into a functional to-do list, allowing you to set alerts and deadlines for yourself and others, add tasks to emails directly (instead of having a separate list), and tracks emails so you know they’re being opened.
-
SetHero aims to connect film crews together to make working on set easier and more productive. You can use SetHero to create and publish call sheets to your team and update them in real-time.
You can create your call sheet, send via email and/or text, and allow recipients to confirm receipt digitally.
-
Pixsy is an online platform for creatives and image owners to discover where and how their images are being used online, and pursue resolution if necessary.
-
Ads of the World allows you to see who has worked on advertising campaigns, and is a powerful tool for building your mailing list and monitoring your competition and the industry as a whole.
See exactly who is commissioning what kind of work and construct a targeted mailing list based on historical information.
-
Flodesk is a powerful email marketing tool that is my top choice for sending out newsletters. They make is easy to build unique and engaging newsletters, track analytics, and automate mailings.
Use this link to sign up at 50% off your first year.
Education & Skills Development
-
AskSternRep is a free and open forum for photographers to pose all their burning questions to a photo agent based in LA.
IG: asksternrep
-
Feature Shoot showcases the work of international emerging and established photographers who are transforming the medium through compelling, cutting-edge projects.
IG: featureshoot
-
A popular photo industry blog edited by Rob Haggert. The articles are in question-answer style with photos attached. It is a great way to learn how the photo industry works and what other photographers' experiences have been like.
IG: aphotoeditor
Portfolio Reviews
-
Over the past decade, the Palm Springs Photo Festival has grown into one of the most anticipated West Coast photo events of the year, featuring portfolio reviews from a truly rich array of industry experts and artists, as well as workshops, exhibitions, and evening projections in a beautiful desert landscape.
Follow along on Instagram for the upcoming schedule.
-
Yet another reason to join APA today! Members get expert personalized reviews from top industry professionals: creative directors, art directors, art producers, photo editors, in-house creatives and entertainment companies. These are folks on the front lines of hiring photographers and they know branding, marketing, and editing.
Reviews are scheduled throughout the year, so follow their Instagram or sign up for the mailing list to stay updated.
-
One of the most popular and growing agencies, Redeye Reps offers paid portfolio reviews for all photographers. Reviews are free for BIPOC community members and $300/hour for anyone else interested.
Sign up here!
IG: redeyereps
-
-
This annual (virtual) event is hosted by the New York Times and brings together 80 talented photographers with 80 top photo editors, publishers, curators and gallery owners.
-
Participants sign up for twenty-minute face-to-face reviews and receive candid feedback about their images, as well as information on getting their work exhibited and published.
Attendees walk away with connections that have led to exhibitions, publications, and the opportunity to network with their peers.
-
Feature Shoot offers many resources for photographers, including portfolio reviews with top industry professionals primarily in the editorial and fine art realms.
-
Every year, SPD brings together a curated group of top Design Directors, Photo Directors, and Visual Creatives from an assortment of publication and brands who are looking for new talent. SPD sets the standard for editorial excellence. This is your opportunity to put your best portfolio forward and talk with industry leaders and share your work one-on-one in their annual Illustration Portfolio Review and Photography Portfolio Review events.
-
“The Medium Review offers an intimate experience to meet with professionals from across the field of photography, allowing artists to build connections that advance their career. Medium is staffed by photographers actively working in the field today—allies who work on behalf of the artists we serve, here to see your work succeed.
We invite reviewers from across the field of photography to meet with artists for one-on-one conversations about their work, and how their organization can offer support. Our criteria for inviting reviewers is simple: we select individuals who are actively engaged in the field of fine art photography, and who have a track record of supporting artists with opportunities for exhibitions, publications, and expanding public awareness of your work.”
Directories
Artist directories serve multiple purposes: they offer validation, improve SEO, and get you in front of future clients that you may not otherwise have access to. Many offer marketing tools for photographers and benefits such as bidding support for projects.
Insurance
Tom Pickard (US) | website
Williamson Carson (UK) | website
R.V. Nuccio & Associates, Inc (RVNA) | website
Copyright Lawyers
Please note that some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Our reviews and recommendations remain independent and unbiased, and we only endorse products or services that we genuinely believe will bring value to our readers. We appreciate your support, which helps us keep this site running.