Getting your photography published in magazines, blogs, or online publications is an exciting and rewarding way to showcase your talent, attract new clients, and grow your business. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned professional, being featured by reputable outlets can enhance your credibility and provide valuable marketing opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll share tips on how to get your photography published, based on my own experiences being featured in a wide range of publications ranging from little blogs like Red Oak Weddings and local publications like Philadelphia Magazine, to nationally recognized names like The New York Times and Insider Magazine.

These strategies will help you streamline your submissions, target the right platforms, and maximize your chances of getting published.

Start by Curating Your Work to Align with Your Brand

Like a lot of things we teach about in our Photography Business Academy, we often return back to our branding as a source is inspiration and direction.

When it comes to getting published, sure – any photographer, anywhere, could make a submission…but stronger submissions are going to come from those photographers who have a more established style, strong eye for composition and post production, and showcase photos that have consistency – whether that’s in things like photography technicals like lighting or, maybe even more importantly, consistency of subject matter.

These things take root in your branding, not just the visual side of your brand, but your underlying purpose and “why.”

So – before you even think about just submit your work to a publication, make sure your photography reflects your unique style and brand vision.

Why is this important at all?

Look – publications are looking for cohesive, polished work that tells a story. This is especially going to be true of online blogs and magazines that have bigger audiences (think: Martha Stewart Weddings).

One of the extra benefits of having this branding clarity is going to be the ability for you to also choose what publications to try submitting work to – enabling you to select ones that align with your brand, instead of stand in opposition to it. And, well, that leads us to the next point!

Select Publications That Align with Your Brand

Not all publications are the same, and it’s important to target outlets that cater to the type of clients you want to attract.

While, in theory, getting published anywhere could be good – the challenge is, if you are submitting work to publications that you have a brand clash with, most likely the time you are spending making these submissions is actually just wasted since you’ll receive far more denial messages as a result.

So, picking ones that share your brand’s values, style, and audience will increase the likelihood of your work being accepted, appreciated, and getting your photography published.

• Ask Yourself: Does this publication cater to the type of couples or clients I want to book?
• Overlapping Audiences: Publications with a similar target audience to your own can help you gain visibility among potential clients who are already looking for your style of photography.

For example, if you specialize in luxury weddings, publications like Carats and Cake or Martha Stewart Weddings are likely to have readers who value high-end services. On the other hand, if your focus is on alternative weddings, platforms like Green Wedding Shoes or Rock n Roll Bride might be a better fit.

Pro Tip: At the simplest level, look through the publication and see if the work they are typically showcasing looks anything at all like what you have to offer. If yes, you’re on the right track. But, you can go a little deeper here. Read more about the publication – who is their audience? What does their audience get attracted to? This is a space where, sometimes, looks can be deceiving.

Can you find some publications that align well to your brand and the client persona you created for your photography business?

Look for Local Publications

While national publications can provide a lot of exposure, don’t forget about local publishers too.

In fact, I’d actually argue that while it can be fun to get features in big publications like The New York Times and Insider Magazine, it’s the smaller, local ones that actually might be to your best benefit.

This is because, if one of your goals is to establish a reputation in your businesses market area, then getting features by companies in your local business market area is a great form of social proof that also resonates more strongly with the people who would look to hire you.

To give you an example from my photography career, as a Pennsylvania-based photographer, I’ve had my work featured in local outlets like Philadelphia Magazine and Lehigh Valley Style – both of which are region specific publications (that are still quite popular in those areas!). This has helped me reach an audience that is local to where I live and market my services.

So how do you find local publications like these to get published in? Start by researching local bridal magazines, city-specific blogs, and regional lifestyle publications that are popular in your area. These platforms can be excellent places to submit your work and connect with couples planning weddings nearby.

Get Clear on Submission Guidelines

I’ll be the first to admit, I have gotten plenty excited to submit my photos to publishers…then get plenty bored when I see a long form that needs to be filled out. If this is you, too, you’re not alone!

So here’s the thing – each publication has its own submission guidelines, and following these instructions carefully is crucial. Missing a required detail or not providing the right images can result in your submission being overlooked or simply denied. Before submitting, make sure you’ve reviewed the requirements thoroughly.

Here are some common things that publications often ask for in a submission:

• Associated Vendors: Publications like to credit the team involved, so you’ll often be asked to provide a list of vendors such as the planner, florist, makeup artist, and venue. Make sure you’re collecting this info from your clients!
• Background Information: Editors want the story behind the shoot, wedding or elopement. This could include the couple’s story, the theme of the shoot, or special details that made the event unique. This info will help them build out the copy for the blog or magazine spread to give the images some context and character.
• Gear and Techniques: Some might also ask about the gear you used and the techniques employed in capturing the event.
• Image Specifications: Pay attention to file sizes, formats, and the number of images requested. Some may require high-res images, while others might have specific file size limits. Some may want photos submitted via an online gallery, while others might want you to drag-and-drop into their own form.

Following these guidelines not only increases your chances of being accepted but also shows editors that your professional and pay attention to detail.

Focus on Storytelling in Your Submission

Show, don’t just tell…

Anyone remember elementary school when English teachers would tell us, repeatedly, not just to tell us what’s happening in a scene, but show us.

Up to this point in this post, we’ve covered a number of key things to look for in publications and even hit on the need to share information about the shoot (the “story”) – but now with this foundation in place, it’s time to shift our focus to the actual images you are going to share.

One of the best ways to prepare photos for a publication is to curate your gallery so it tells a cohesive story. How do you do that?

Start by thinking about the things that makeup a good story:

• Unique people
• Evolution of time
• Interesting setting
• Actions that move the story along

These are some of the simplest things that help contribute to a good story.

As photographers, and particularly those who place emphasis on portraits, weddings and elopements – showcasing people, and unique ones at that, comes pretty easily. In fact, most of the photos you are taking will already check off this part of the storytelling process…so that makes it easy!

Next, how can we show the evolution of time – well, I’d say particularly for weddings and elopements, this becomes easier when you can show different parts of an event. Photos taken during the “getting ready” portion, first looks, ceremonies, portraits, receptions, you name it. All these things highlight the passing of time, and help make up the story.

Now, having an interesting setting should also come easily – particularly for work you feel will be well suited for a publication. While it’s easy to see how an elopement in the Colorado mountains or Iceland would have an “interesting setting”, keep in mind this is where brand (your brand and the publishers) is also important. I’ve had simple, rustic, backyard barn weddings featured in small publications dedicated to showing off weddings that (you guessed it) features simple, rustic, backyards and barns. There is often a place for everything, if you look hard enough!

And lastly – those actions that move the story along. At a wedding, it’s easy to pinpoint moments that make the gallery seem to “move.” The first look when a couple is moved to tears together. The ceremony when they are exchanging their first kiss. During dancing at the reception, when it feels like you were actually there.

Those are some of the easy things (and go to things for your submission) – but you can also look to other unique “actions” that might happen during the session or event you want to submit.

Keeping these things in mind and aiming to tell a story in your submission, will make it more worthwhile and engaging for the publications readers.

Sometimes it just…happens

It’s nice to be in the right place, at the right time…right?

While you can control your own destiny by being pro-active and submitting your work to publications, there is also a (lesser talked about) reality that you may be able to benefit from over the long term.

Sometimes, publications will seek you out, and request that they use your work.

Or, sometimes you’ll meet someone, and they happen to have a point of contact…and boom!!

It happens.

In my decade of being a wedding photographer, I’ve actually had both of these things happen myself.

Keep in mind, I didn’t enter this industry with a range of contacts and someone I could refer to, I needed to network, and network I did. And sometimes, even networking won’t get you everything. Let me share a few examples…

I’ve had work featured as a result of photographing a bride who had a sister that happened to be an editor for a local magazine. Even before the wedding, I knew they wanted to feature these photos. Easiest feature ever, right? If only I could work for someone who has a sibling who is the editor at a magazine every time! 🙂

Another time I got a feature in the New York Times was a result of someone I networked with in the industry reaching out to me to be involved in this story they were already working with a NYT reporter on. Cool, right?

And another time still…a smaller publication popped into my Instagram DM’s and wanted to feature some of my photos. This came as a result of my normal marketing efforts.

I share these little stories not to gloat or anything, but to show that getting your photography published can come from putting in some work to make solid submissions…and can also come from just getting lucky from time to time (I call it “just existing”).

In practice, many established photography businesses will likely experience a mixture of these things over time.

So with this cleared up – let’s move on to more about those submissions!

Turnaround Times Can Be Long

One thing to keep in mind when trying to get your photography published is that the process can take time. Some publications have long lead times, especially for print features. It’s not uncommon for months to pass between submitting your work and seeing it published.

The key thing here is to simply…be patient. While waiting can be frustrating, it’s important to stay persistent. Continue submitting your work to other outlets while you wait for a response from publications with longer lead times.

And don’t forget to follow up…If you haven’t heard back after a few months, it’s okay to send a polite follow-up email asking for an update on your submission.

Best Places to Submit Your Photography to Get Published

Now that you have a better understanding of how to prepare for getting your photography published, here are some of the top publications and platforms where you can submit your work:

• Style Me Pretty
• LooksLikeFilm
• Bridal Guide
• Bridal Musings
• BRIDES
• Carats and Cake
• Green Wedding Shoes
• Junebug Weddings
• The Knot
• 100 Layer Cake
• Modern Weddings
• Ruffled
• Wedding Chicks
• Wedding Planner Magazine

Clearly, there are a ton out there and these are just some of the larger ones. Remember, even small publications and local ones too can be highly valuable to get your work featured in.

For more details on submission requirements and how to submit, check out our comprehensive guide to submission platforms.

Use Submission Platforms Like Matchology and Two Bright Lights

To streamline the process and increase your chances of getting your photography published, use platforms like Matchology and Two Bright Lights. These tools make it easier to submit your work to multiple publications with one submission.

• Matchology: This platform allows you to submit your work and get recommendations for publications that would be the best fit. If your submission is turned down, you can easily resubmit it to another publisher.
• Two Bright Lights: This platform connects photographers to hundreds of publishers. It tracks submissions and provides feedback, helping you stay organized throughout the process.

Using these platforms can save time and help you reach more editors, increasing your chances of getting featured.

What are the benefits of getting your work published?

After all this talk about how to get your photography published, we want to just quickly highlight why you’d want to put in the work to have this happen in the first place.

While everyone will have their reasons, we boil it down to 4 main ones:

• Social proof you can share on your website and in marketing your business
• SEO benefits from backlinks, which can help people find you more through organic search
• Exposure…while it doesn’t pay the bills, some outlets can get your work in front of a large audience, some of whom might even want to work with you
• It’s fun to see your work published – whether that’s online or in a magazine, in a major publication or a small one.

What makes you want to get published? Let us know in the comments below!

Quick Tips for Getting Your Photography Published

Before we wrap up this post on how to get your photography published, let’s highlight a few key tips that were shared throughout this post.

1. Tailor Your Submissions: Customize each submission for the specific publication you’re targeting. Editors appreciate when submissions clearly align with their aesthetic and mission.
2. Focus on Storytelling: Publications want more than just beautiful photos—they want a story. Whether it’s a couple’s love story, a unique theme, or standout decor, make sure to highlight what makes the event special.
3. Be Persistent: Rejections are a normal part of the process. Keep submitting and refining your work, and eventually, you’ll find the right publication for your photography.

By following these tips and targeting the right publications, you’ll be well on your way to getting your photography published.