Pinterest for the Creative Mind

Hi, my name is Carolyn and I'm a Pinterest addict. I remember being warned by a friend that, upon signup, "one gets sucked into the Pinterest void and may lose hours of one's life… maybe even days." Well, she was right. All of a sudden I could imagine myself as Martha Stewart, MacGyver, and Emeril all rolled into one. After a few crafty failures (aside from my rather decent wedding brooch bouquet, above) and the realization that I don't really like to cook, I started to be more realistic in what I pin, and have used it professionally as well. In the year or so since my first pin I've been able to take a step back and assess the ways in which it has helped and hindered my creativity as a photographer (expanding upon your skill set is great, but getting stuck in a Pinterest posing rut does nothing to enrich your creativity!). This week on my photography blog I address how Pinterest can actually cause rifts between photographers and clients, specifically in the wedding industry. I offer some suggestions on how to use the medium successfully in  conjunction with couples, but here I'd like to share some ideas on how to use it to continue your education and be organized in your professional life!

1. Inspirations: When you find someone or something that affects you, pin it to a special (perhaps secret) board with notes on why and how you find it inspirational. You may not have the time to follow up on that inspiration now, but better to pin it for later than to forget it altogether.

2. Location Research: Create a board devoted to places you'd love to shoot (and would realistically be able to do so). You can make it a secret board and include notes on the best times to shoot and what to watch for at places you've already been. It is far easier to carry along a smartphone with the location pin board than a physical binder full of printouts!

3. Outfit Suggestions: Clients often ask about what types of clothing will work for portrait or engagement sessions. You can create outfits on sites like Polyvore and then pin them onto a board that you can share with clients, suggesting styles, colors, and patterns that will show up well in photographs.

4. Sharing Your Work: Some people choose not to allow their images to be pinned, but with weddings being such a popular topic on Pinterest I decided to select some watermarked images to share. Pinning your blog posts or watermarked website images can draw traffic. With proper tagging, your next client might just find you this way!

5. Tutorials: If you follow photography educators on social media, you probably see tutorials popping up all the time. For me, videos are not always convenient to watch, so I collect those that interest me on a photographic education board. I find it so helpful to be able to look back when I do have the time to focus!

While those are some of the main ways I've used Pinterest to continue my photography education and help in my professional life, I know there are TONS of other ways to use it. Do you see anything missing from my list that you find helpful? Please share in the comments!