Technical skills, creativity, an eye for detail, and passion make a great photographer. But, the tools and resources you use also play a key role.
If you want to take your photography and business to the next level, use the best tools to help you succeed.
Also, you may not need each of the following tools.
Think about where you are, so you’re only investing in the tools and resources that’ll move you forward.
Important disclosure: We’re proud affiliates for some of the resources on this page. This page contains affiliate links meaning we earn a commission if you use those links. Any commission we earn comes at no extra cost to you. We only recommend brands we use and trust.
The best stores for photography equipment
Cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, tripods, memory cards, and camera bags are several of your main tools.
Shop from trusted stores with excellent customer support and a lot of inventory. The following are the best stores for photography gear.
B&H
B&H is one of the largest photo, video, and audio retailers in the world. It’s located in New York and was founded in 1973.
At B&H, you’ll get the best prices for new and used gear.
Also, B&H has excellent customer service. Whether you have questions or want a refund, they’ll help you out.
Adorama
Adorama is another photo and video retailer in New York and has been around since 1974.
It’s smaller than B&H but remains an excellent store for your gear, as it offers a lot of choices.
Adorama also has a rewards program, which allows you to redeem points at checkout.
Focus Camera
Focus Camera is one of the oldest camera stores, as it began in 1966 in New York. But, they’re not as popular as B&H or Adorama.
There’s a wide selection of photo, video, and audio equipment at competitive prices.
Also, you’ll get fast shipping, a no-questions-asked return policy, and helpful customer support.
The best tools to edit and share photos
Aside from taking the photo, editing software allows you to alter the brightness, colors, textures, and sharpness. When you work with clients, you’ll need to send them the images.
The following are the best tools and software to edit your photos and send them to clients.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud consists of more than 20 Adobe applications, such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, and InDesign.
It’s everything you need to edit photos, videos, create logos, and graphics.
Adobe also offers a Photography Plan if you only want Lightroom and Photoshop.
DxO PhotoLab
DxO PhotoLab is excellent for raw image editing, noise reduction, and lens correction.
While DxO offers a basic version, the best benefits are in the $219 Elite version.
Since it’s a one-time payment, DxO PhotoLab Elite is worth it if you plan to use its robust image correction tools. It can be a Lightroom replacement, but not Photoshop.
Canva
Canva is an excellent graphic design tool with basic photo editing abilities.
As a photographer, use Canva to create social media posts, add text to images, or create PDFs.
Canva also has a premium membership that allows you to resize images or graphics, remove backgrounds from photos, and schedule social content.
IDrive
An online backup of your photos ensures you have the original and edited versions.
It’s an essential practice that every photographer needs to do.
IDrive is an excellent solution because it’s secure, fast, and offers competitive pricing plans.
Pixieset
Pixieset is the most professional and beautiful way to deliver images to clients.
After you create an account, upload the photos into a gallery for the client. Then, you can send a link to the gallery where the client can view and download the images.
The gallery looks stunning on a desktop or mobile device. Pixieset gives you 3 GB of storage for free. If you need more space, you’ll need to upgrade.
WeTransfer
WeTransfer is a secure and effective way to send images. It allows you to send up to 2 GB for free, and you don’t need to create an account.
To send a file, enter the client’s and your email address, add a message, and upload the files.
If you want to send more than 2 GB, WeTransfer offers pricing plans ranging from $12 to $23 per month.
Create your photography website
Your website is your portfolio and how potential clients will get in touch. It’s like your digital business card.
A professional, optimized, and beautiful website is essential. The following are the best tools and software to build your photography website.
Squarespace
If you want a professional website and don’t have experience building one, Squarespace is the best website builder for you.
It offers templates for photographers, which gives you a stunning starting point.
The templates showcase beautiful imagery and less text, making Squarespace excellent for photographers.
GeneratePress
Squarespace has a monthly fee but is superior for ease of use. If you want to use WordPress, which gives you more creative control over your website, you’ll need a theme.
GeneratePress is an excellent, lightweight, and fast theme that’s free.
There’s also a premium version, giving you access to professional and optimized themes. GeneratePress provides a lot of possible customizations.
BigScoots
With the WordPress platform, you’ll need a hosting service. Your host plays a crucial role in building and growing your photography website.
BigScoots is fast, reliable, and has the best customer support.
It manages your servers and keeps your site running fast and smoothly. Also, you can buy a domain by using BigScoots.
If you ask, BigScoots will even set up your WordPress site.
ShortPixel
ShortPixel is a website and WordPress plugin that compresses your images.
Before uploading a photo to your website, compress it to reduce the file size. It’ll make your website load faster.
With ShortPixel, your photos will have smaller file sizes while maintaining quality.
SEOPress
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key aspect of marketing your photography.
SEOPress is a tool that helps you optimize your site. The interface is intuitive, and it has many excellent free features. There’s also a paid version for access to more tools.
SEOPress is a great way to boost your online presence and attract clients.
WP Rocket
If your website has a slow load time, people will immediately leave.
WP Rocket is a premium caching plugin that speeds up your WordPress website. After activating WP Rocket on your website, you’ll see improved load times.
Also, WP Rocket provides a lot of documentation and support about how you can improve your site speed.
Titan Anti-Spam and Security
Website security is essential.
Titan is an excellent WordPress plugin featuring anti-spam, firewall, malware scanner, site accessibility checking, security, and threats audits.
It’s the ultimate website security and anti-spam solution. It keeps hackers out.
Legal and finance tools for photographers
The legal and financial aspect of a business is crucial for photographers. There are outstanding tools and resources to ensure you’re compliant and profitable.
The following are the best tools to run the legal and finance side of your photography business.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is a popular software for accounting with many plans based on your needs.
As a photographer, you’ll have expenses for gear, client meetings, education. Also, you’ll travel to locations for photoshoots.
With QuickBooks, you can track your mileage and expenses. It also allows you to pay estimated taxes and send invoices.
Iubenda
Iubenda is the ultimate resource to ensure your website is compliant with the latest privacy laws.
You can generate a privacy and cookie policy and terms and conditions.
A team of international attorneys crafts the solutions to ensure you’re compliant worldwide.
LegalZoom
If you need help with the legal side of starting your photography business, LegalZoom can register your business as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation.
LegalZoom also has a generous 60-day refund if you’re unhappy with their services.
Progressive
Insurance is a vital part of your photography business. Whether it’s protecting your equipment or a lawsuit, Progressive offers adequate insurance for photographers.
HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a robust and comprehensive client management software.
It’s fantastic for photographers because you can keep track of bookings, your calendar, invoices, tasks, contracts, and client communication in one location.
HoneyBook costs more than other small business customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, but it’s worth it.
Productivity tools for photographers
A photography business has many moving parts. Without efficient tools and processes, it’ll be overwhelming.
The following are the best tools for productivity and time management.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace gives you a professional email with your domain, calendars, Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Drive.
It’s everything you need to communicate with clients, organize your documents, and manage your time.
Also, Google Forms is excellent for booking photoshoots and receiving feedback.
Trello
Trello is an intuitive and fun task management solution. It’s free and an ideal choice if you want simplicity.
It has a drag-and-drop interface that organizes your tasks in lists.
You can move them around, add notes, and mark them as complete.
Market your photography business
To book more clients, you need to market your photography business. Recommendations and networking are excellent methods of finding clients.
But, digital marketing is another powerful method.
With digital marketing, clients can find your website and inquire about a session, and you don’t need to be present.
The following are the best marketing tools to grow your photography business.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is free and effective for getting leads and clients.
It allows you to create and manage your online presence in Google Search and Maps. Also, customers can write reviews.
It’s best if you provide services to a specific area because your business may appear when people search for a photographer in the area you work.
ConvertKit
Start building an email list with ConvertKit. You can create an opt-in for people interested in your work and collect emails from previous clients.
There are several excellent ways to use an email list. You can email your list about mini-sessions, new products, or referral bonuses.
It allows you to stay on top of your potential client’s minds.
