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What’s a Collab? 5 Secrets to Connecting With Photographers on Instagram

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What’s a collab (i.e. a collaboration) anyway? Simply put, it’s when a group of people trade their expertise in-kind. In the case of bloggers and photographers, it usually means one models in return for photos, and one photographs in return for modeling and styling. A collaboration can involve as many people as you want – a makeup artist, second shooter, stylist, etc. but the concept is the same.

In 2018 I participated in 43 collaborations. All through Instagram.

Follow me on Instagram @theprimpysheep for more collab, modeling, and photography inspo.

This is the first post in a series I originally shared last year on lessons learned in my first year of blogging. Learning how to connect and collaborate with photographers has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the past year, and, I believe has been a big contributor to my growing following.

What’s a collab? Read on to find out.

As a blogger or social media influencer, high quality photography is an essential part of delivering a high-quality experience to your audience. If you’re one of those lucky people who already owns a professional camera and has a partner or good friend who’s a great photographer, that’s awesome. But when I started this blog in 2017, I didn’t have a camera, and my husband (whom I love very much) was getting understandably frustrated with the micro-managing art direction of someone who knows what they want but can’t achieve it on an iPhone.

2020 Update: I bought an Olympus PEN E-PL9 and a Nikon D750 last fall and they have seriously upped my content game. Now my husband shoots 100% of my content!

The best two cameras + accessories for serious beginners

But in the beginning, I’m so glad I ultimately took the pressure off him and started collaborating because it was 1) an extremely valuable learning experience, and 2) a wonderful way to meet creative people. This shoot was my third time working with the wonderful Jan Galvan, one of the first photographers I ever worked with, who I’ve now shot with many times.

But how do you start? Here are my 5 tips for connecting with photographers on Instagram.

You need good content to attract good collaborators

I paid for my first two shoots because I knew I needed some high-quality photos to get my blog started. What I discovered is that those two shoots helped establish my aesthetic, which appealed to photographers who saw value in the work I was doing – enough so that they wanted to collaborate.

State your intent

Put yourself out there – include, “DM me for collaborations” or “Let’s collab” in your bio. Use hashtags like (specific to the greater DC area) #dmvmodel, #baltimoremodel, and #portraitmeetdc that will show up when photographers are searching for subjects. And most importantly – find local photography meetups like Portrait Meet DC or Street Meet DC where you can meet local photographers in person.

Be proactive

Reach out to people whose work you admire – don’t just wait for them to come to you! Want to do a shoot on vacation? Do research beforehand. When I planned a trip to Miami in the spring, I started following #miamiphotographer and #miamiportraits to see who was shooting in the city. I found two people whose work I loved and reached out to them with my travel dates – and they both said yes to collaborations!

Be smart about how you make the ask

You’re selling your brand and everything you have to offer from the moment you reach out, so say more than, “Do you want to collaborate with me?” Mention what drew you to the photographer’s work – their composition, editing, or conceptual style, or talk about the kind of work you would want to do with them. I credit smart compliments, ideas, and questions, with how I landed one of my very first collaborations – when my Instagram feed was still pretty amateur – with the amazing local photographer Ian Bell. Everyone is in it to be creative, so be ready to bring ideas to the table and ask questions about the kind of content people are looking to create.

Photo Credit: Jan Galvan

Be picky about who you work with

Because a collaboration is “free,” it’s tempting to say yes to everyone, or you might feel rude saying no. But ultimately, it’s your time on the line and sometimes money too – hello clothing rentals, gas driving to and from shoot sites, etc. You’ll be more efficient with your resources by being a little picky.

First and foremost, put a high value on professionalism – top turn-offs include photo captions that are in bad taste, or any DM that makes you feel uncomfortable (be safe!). Even if that all clears, if you don’t see work you’re excited about on the photographer’s Instagram, or if their goals are different from yours – like you want smiling lifestyle content, but they want to shoot moody conceptual art – then it’s not a good fit for either of you. Aim to create mutually beneficial experiences.

So, what’s a collab? I hope this post helped clarify it, and that these tips serve you well in your creative, collaborative journey! Follow me on Instagram @theprimpysheep for more how-tos and style inspiration.

If you’re trying to build your online presence, you might also be interested in these posts:

4 Steps to Effortlessly Start a Blog in Just a Few Hours

5 Essential Ways to Grow Your Following on Instagram (and IRL)

Let’s Collab! 5 Tricks to Planning a Styled Shoot

Leave a Comment

11 Comments

  1. K. Thornton wrote:

    Hello! I love this post!

    How exactly do you approach a photograher to inquire a colabration or TRP experience without them feeling as if you just want free photos? Too me it would be an experience and an even better chance for continued growth!

    I look forward to your response!

    Posted 8.26.20 Reply
    • Vanessa wrote:

      Hi K, great question! As a rule, these collaborations should provide equal value to photographer and model; i.e. I probably wouldn’t reach out to someone who has photography business unless I knew they wanted to experiment with a new setting or style of photography. Once you find someone who you think would be into an artistic collaboration, you can say something as simple as: “Hi [Name], I love your [editorial/street style/portrait] photography and wanted to see if you’d be interested in a collaboration.” Then you can brainstorm ideas together – planning the shoot should be 50-50 work. Jump in and suggest different concepts or settings you’re interested in, and ask the photographer if they have ideas of what kind of new shoot they might like to try. If you’ll need special outfits or props, discuss that in advance too. The collaboration approach works best when both parties are trying to practice their skills or try something new to create different content. You can usually tell from a person’s IG posts but it doesn’t hurt to ask! If they say no, thank them for their time and move on.

      Posted 8.26.20 Reply
  2. Anna wrote:

    Heyy loved you essay…Honestly, until now, photographers only gave me dm and there are a series of photographers that I like to work with, but I am a little shy and sometimes I am afraid of hearing no and I feel bad if I ask them about collab and hear a negative comment. What do you think I should do?

    Posted 4.10.21 Reply
    • Vanessa wrote:

      Hi Anna, thanks for your question! I think that’s something a lot of people are probably shy about. The short answer is–you have to get comfortable putting yourself out there and making the ask. Keep your message short, polite and professional, and if someone says no just thank them for their response and move on to the next person. A good place to start that may feel more comfortable is to ask other bloggers/models/influencers you admire who they have enjoyed collaborating with. Then when you reach out to that photographer, you can say, “so-and-so said they loved working with you and I really admire your work. Would you be open to a collab shoot with me?” Hope that helps!

      Posted 4.13.21 Reply
  3. Thanks for the tips and tricks! Just followed you on Instagram!

    Posted 4.22.21 Reply
    • Vanessa wrote:

      You’re very welcome, and thank you for the follow!!

      Posted 5.3.21 Reply
  4. Hello!
    I love collaborating with other photographers! I’m putting together a styled shoot where several other photographers will be attending. I hosted a model call for this shoot. How do you suggest going about the contracts for this shoot? Do all the photographers involved sign the contracts?

    Thank you!

    Posted 1.3.22 Reply
    • Vanessa wrote:

      Great question – I’d recommend asking someone with knowledge of contract law as I am not an expert, but it may be easiest to ask each model to sign a general release form for the event.

      Posted 1.8.22 Reply
  5. Takata wrote:

    Hi I’m a Fashion designer here in the Philippines and I’m still trying to get on my feet on my passion and still can’t afford a pro photographer to help me release my clothes.And i moved to a country side and I don’t really anyone here.My questions is what way to ask a photographer if I can be also he’s model and not sound Narcissistic on my message to him.I hope you can help me cause it gives me anxiety on how to start a message as I’m also a trans ..
    Thankyou this tips is so far helpful to me!

    Posted 4.1.23 Reply
    • Vanessa wrote:

      Hi! Don’t be afraid to start the conversation with confidence–you can say you’re working on building your portfolio and want to see if they’re open to a collaboration. It’s all about the work and making something fun and beautiful together as creative professionals!

      Posted 4.1.23 Reply
  6. Helen wrote:

    Hey, thank you for the tips. I’m a photographer and have people reaching out to collaborate and your blog is spot on.

    Posted 5.25.23 Reply