Despite Instagram being pretty lame, I do find it useful because if I'm shooting an event or location I can tag relevant people or organizations and have them see my work. They usually end up sharing on their end and that's a great way to get more eyes on my images and profile. For example, I've been shooting a lot of burlesque shows recently. I'll tag each performer, they'll share, their burlesque friends will see them, and I'll get hired for even more gigs. It works out.
Outside of that I share on Facebook for my friends and family to see. I've also started printing photo zines at home to sell at zine shows. And having someone complement my work while flipping through my zine is a pretty big ego boost, to be honest. Eventually I'm hoping to have my work displayed somewhere, a small gallery maybe.
It’s probably thanks to my grandfather and his shelves full of National Geographic magazines. He also had a dark room in the basement. My dad also had some nice camera gear, along with a very early HP digital camera. I got all of my early gear from them. I was lucky enough to take some trips abroad in high school and college and I loved capturing them on film. It’s also a shared hobby of me and my wife (a wedding/portrait photographer) so it’s a nice thing to bond over.