Photography is a popular past-time for many people and for some it is their livelihood. Photography is not just about taking pretty pictures, mounting them on a bit of cardboard and having others view the masterpiece. There is much more to photography than buying fancy equipment and finding something pretty to capture. It is in fact one of the most influential bit of creativity that affects everybody in their daily lives, whether they are capturing the moment of a special event or developing their portfolio.



Photography is a very practical study of reality, capturing and recording pictures using lighting and light sensitive devices. The device commonly used for photography is of course a camera, in which there are many different types of cameras available for usage. The more one learns about the camera and camera usage then the more likely they are to take unusual pictures. This is useful for when displaying them on carefully selected exhibition equipment, which help to make your stand out and publicise your portfolio.

Exhibitions are an important part of working on gaining recognition of your work, however, how you set up a photography exhibition is a very important issue. Without a good set up and the right exhibition equipment, you are likely to lose interest from the crowd, no matter how brilliant your photographic works may be. Any photographer will know that keeping the setting simple and the colour scheme neutral with the right amount of lighting will enable viewers to appreciate the true quality of your work.

Most photographic exhibition equipment that are used are similar to that of a normal art gallery. Art galleries will have the pieces displayed in a plain white background, in a spacious room and plenty of lighting. The idea is to make them stand out as the centre of attention providing a brief detail about the artist and their choice of work. The work itself may or may not have a theme to it, such as capturing a specific area or human emotion. This will help people understanding the kind of style you take on board and why you work better with this concept.

One important part of setting up an exhibition such as this is the location. Depending upon the amount photographs you will have on display, getting the venue right is important. Some photographic exhibitions have been held in such places as the local library or museum, which is unpaid and tailored purely for publicising one's own work. If you are contracted with a business or organisation then they will suggest or select venues for your exhibition, so that you will not need to spend so much time searching.

However, you will need to use this time to view the venue, plan how the equipment will be set up and how much work can be put on display. It would be a good idea to visit the venue when other exhibitions are happening at the place, this way you can get a true understanding of what may or may not look good. You may even discover that you will need to frame your pictures; often leaving it bare is much more effective in gaining the right responses.

You will also need to allow yourself plenty of time to prepare, there is no point in setting a date too soon, as then you will not be able to prepare yourself for the day. It would also be a good idea to work from a strict plan or itinerary, which will organise time for specific events on the day, whether you will need to organise for refreshments, seating and basic facilities. Exhibition equipment are just one of the most essential things to plan, however getting basic equipment is equally as important.

Getting transportation organised is important to make sure that your work is transferred safely from one area to the other, especially if the exhibition is held in an area that is not local. Packaging the pictures is something that will need to be considered, for instance putting framed photographs in a hard plastic boxes avoiding any damaging to them. Mounted pictures can be easily stored in any kind of box as long as it is big enough.

Other factors to consider are how much you will charge for the exhibition and the publicity/advertising of the exhibition. If you do use frames, you will find that they can cost more than you expect, especially if you have numerous photographic works. You will also need to work out how much you are willing to sell your work for, which will take time. Bear in mind the amount you will be spending in comparison to how much you will be charging.

Create posters and flyers to help publicise the event giving details of the costing and information about the event. Always provide this information by posting in letter boxes or leaving them on the side of public venues.