Crowdfund Your Photo Projects

Don’t let a lack of finances deter you from pursuing your creative ideas and photographic aspirations

Photography is an undeniably expensive venture, and for many photographers the hardest part of the job isn’t coming up with fresh ideas, but finding the money to act on those ideas. If you’ve looked into financing your own projects, you’re likely to have come across the big-name crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The premise is simple: you set up a campaign page with a monetary target and timeframe for your intended venture, then receive many small amounts of money from a large number of people, or backers. Sound too good to be true? In return for cash, you provide them with perks, incentives or rewards, as well as plenty of updates along the way.

The internet is awash with sites dedicated to finding funds for creative and entrepreneurial projects, but which one is right for you? And once set up, how do you go about reaching your funding goal? Here we’ll answer these questions, explore the pros and cons of the process, and glean advice from the pros who know what makes a strong campaign.

Don’t ignore your creative ideas because you’re lacking finance. Until recently, photographers had to rely solely on loans, grants, borrowing and savings, but now the crowdfunding phenomenon holds potential for anyone with a good idea and a willingness to promote it. There’s no guarantee you’ll make your money, and a great deal of hard work is involved in the process, but by following our advice you’ll certainly be in a better position to take the plunge.