How Is 2026 Really Shaping Up for Photographers? (Q1 Photography Marketing Survey)
With Q1 of 2026 now behind us, I’ve decided to create a short survey to understand how the first quarter has really gone for photographers.
I would love to hear from you about your experience, so please provide your input.
[Update: Interested in the results? Find them here]
How did Q1 actually go for your photography business?
I’m gathering insight into:
– whether enquiries are up, down, or unchanged
– which marketing channels are actually generating leads
– where photographers are feeling stuck or frustrated
– what people are planning to focus on next
The aim is simple: to create an honest, data-led picture of what’s working in photography marketing right now.
Why this matters (especially in 2026)
The way photographers get visible, and get booked, is shifting.
We’re seeing:
– increasing reliance on social media (with unpredictable results)
– more competition in almost every niche
– changes in how people search (including AI and search behaviour)
– a growing need for trust and authority, not just visibility
Which means that what worked even 12–24 months ago may not be working in the same way now.
By sharing the results of this survey, I want to highlight what is working for photographers now.
With knowledge of what’s working for other photographers, you can reflect on your marketing strategy and, if needed, make changes in the months ahead.
So, how Is 2026 Really Shaping Up for Photographers?
If you’re open to it, I’d really appreciate you taking 2 minutes to share your experience.
And if you know other photographers, feel free to mention this to them. Please share the link to this blog post (https://www.zoehiljemark.com/photography-marketing-survey/).
The more responses I get, the more valuable and accurate the insights will be.
The Results
Once the results are in, I’ll be sharing:
✔ Key trends from Q1
✔ What’s actually driving enquiries right now
✔ The biggest challenges photographers are facing
✔ What this means for your marketing going into Q2
All will be based on anonymised responses.
The more we understand what’s really happening across the industry, the better decisions you can make about your marketing, your visibility, and where to focus your energy next.
Please participate if you can spare a couple of minutes today, and thanks in advance for your help with this!
Zoe
