23: Mike Moats: Award-Winning Professional Macro Photographer

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Image Shot By Chris Clor

Meet Mike Moats, an award-winning, professional macro photographer. His articles and images have been published in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, and Natures Best Magazine’s, just to name a couple (and there are many more!). He’s won numerous local and international awards, and was asked to join the Fuji “Pro Talent Team” in 2006 and listed as one of Tamron’s “Image Masters”. In 2006, He started offering Close-Up/Macro Photography Workshops. He also has a collection of books released, and offers a mentoring course online as well.

In our discussion, we talk about lessons learned throughout Mike’s career, as well as the importance of marketing your business and keeping your target audience in mind.

I want to give a huge thank you to Mike for taking the time to chat with us! I consider myself as much a student as the listening audience, and appreciate him sharing his extensive knowledge.

“People need a connection to your images. “

 

Top 3 Tips From the Interview:

1. Your target audience needs to have a connection with your work.

If you’re trying to sell your photography, it’s important that your audience has a connection to your work. Research and experimentation should be the starting point in learning what they like, and what style they’re more likely to gravitate towards. What may naturally resonate with you may not necessarily have the same impact on your audience, so do not make assumptions.

2. Put several streams of income at work for you.

The awesome thing about photography is that there are various ways you can bring in income. Your options include (and are not limited to) writing e-books about photography, teach online courses, leading in-person workshops, selling products at these workshops, and even selling your work at art shows. Mike took advantage of all these things at some point or another in his career, and because of his diverse methods, he’s able to pivot when the economy changes. This is a common denominator among many of the most successful photographers out there.

3. Put your work out there.

If you wait until people discover your work, chances are you’ll be waiting a very, very long time. It may be scary at first, but get in the effort of submitting your work to various outlets. Research what they want first, of course, and then send it to them. SUBMIT your photos to blogs and magazines that align with your business vision. Even posting your work to photography sites and communities is a good place to start. Get used to putting your work out there.

Mike Can Be Found At:

» Tinylandscapes.com: Mike’s portfolio website.

» MikeMoatsBlog.com: Mike’s blog website.

» MacroStoreOnline.com: Mike’s storefront, where you can find his books and workshops.

Mike’s Recommended Resources

» Lynda.com: Online video tutorials to help you learn software, creative, and business skills.

» Naturescapes.net: An awesome resource for nature photographers.

» 500px.com: An inspiring photography community.