Targeting Audiences in Photography

Park, L. (2022) 'What Is A Target Audience And How Do You Find It' URL

Target Audience

What is a target audience? Target audience in photography refers to the specific group of people or individuals that a photographer intends to reach and communicate with through their photographic work.

Targeting an audience is important as it will determine the style, tone, and message of a photographic series. In your photographic process, you should consider who your work is for and what their preferences are to create photographs that effectively communicate your intended message and resonate with the audience. By taking into account the audience's perspective, photographers can create powerful images that connect with their viewers and leave a lasting impact.

To determine a target audience for photographic work, consider who it is for and where it will go:

Who

Interests
Values
Cultural background
Age

Where

Gallery
Café
Home
Street
Social Media

In the following photographs, who do we think the target audience was and why?

IMDB (2023) 'Dune Part Two' URL

Dune Part Two

This photo can be viewed on IMDB for the 2024 film, 'Dune Part Two.'

Matthew (2023) 'LTC'

Lake Tuggeranong College

This photo was taken by a student, during a class project in 2023. They were asked if the photo could then be posted on John's website and used for LTC promotional materials.

Ellis, R. (1978) 'Angus Young, AC/DC, LA' URL

AC/DC

This photo was taken by award winning, Australian photographer, Rennie Ellis in 1978. It shows Australian musician, Angus Young, the co-founder, lead guitarist and songwriter of AC/DC live on stage, performing in LA.

This photo has been shown at the National Portrait Gallery and was a part of an exhibition called 'Pub Rock,' which celebrates "the people, places and sounds of Australian pub rock and its enduring impact on our nation’s identity" (NPG, 2021).

Accompanying the image on the website is this text, "Two of the music industry’s highest-selling performers originated in suburban Australia. The Bee Gees started out in Brisbane, for instance, and AC/DC – whose Back in Black (1980) has sold more than 50 million copies – played their first gigs at a nightclub in inner Sydney" (NPG, 2021).

For Your Portfolio

Create a page in your portfolio, with the title, 'Target Audience in Photography.'
Write down the reference for the AC/DC photo.
Identify areas in the following categories that you expect could be the audience for this photo:

Age
Culture
Interests

Knowing that this photo ended up in the National Portrait Gallery, how might that change it's audience from when it was only part of Ellis' collection?