Make sure you keep contacts at publications and agencies that have received your work. If you are lucky, they may provide feedback for your initial submissions. Continue to build your relationships as you grow your portfolio. Take business cards, email, or add your contacts through social media. Get your images seen by donating them to conservation websites or other nature related groups. Make sure to ask if they will purchase your images first before offering to donate any image for free. Make sure to study what your peers and contemporaries are doing. Never copy anyone’s work. You may even reach out to other photographers whose work that you admire to see if you can establish a professional relationship. If you have built an extensive body of work, find an agency that will promote your work. Make sure that you understand any commits before signing any contracts with your agency. While many photographers freelance, an agency lets you concentrate on the creative side of your passion rather than worry about the business aspect. Create a website, blog, and utilize existing social media tools like Facebook and Instagram to show off your talent.  Work with a graphic designer to develop a site that stands out from other photographers. Participate in online photo sharing forums.  Choose where you post your photos because you want to make sure that the audience is large enough to garner a following. Strategically post on sites that will showcase your talent. While you are most likely promoting yourself for free, the number of views for a photo can translate to visits to your site. Your goal is to get noticed by having your photos go viral. If you have the resources you can hire someone to help you manage your website. Otherwise, read blogs, forums, or invest in classes to learn how to create and manage an effective website. Sell prints, ebooks, video tutorials, calendars, or whatever else you can on your site. Once you begin to get traffic to your site you want to be able to convert views into sales. Selling art prints alone can be a difficult source of income at first so diversify your revenue streams. Submit your work to galleries, art fairs, and printed publications. Learn how to write an article to go along with your photos as magazines will often look for stories before they look for photos. If your work is published or featured at a gallery, be sure to make a note of it on your website. Visit exhibitions and award ceremonies. Network and learn what is at the top of your field. Many digital cameras also shoot video. Learning how to shoot and edit video can give you an additional stream of income. You can sell nature footage to broadcasters specializing in educational programming like the Discovery Channel or National Geographic. Make note that learning video can double your costs depending on how much you want to invest. While there is some photography equipment that you can use for video, there is also special equipment made specifically for video. Whether you’re talking about your equipment or software, sharing your knowledge with the public shows that you have a firm grasp of your craft and that you are a trusted voice in your field. You may even specialize in order to capture a niche market like underwater photography. There are thousands of aspiring photographers in varying levels who share the same passion as you. Creating a workshop where they can meet and exchange ideas helps cultivate your presence as an expert nature photographer. It allows you to share what you have learned to others. While you will need to image editing software, it is also wise to learn web development, word processing, and bookkeeping software to help keep your business afloat. You will have to be more than a photographer in order to turn your passion into a career. You must also learn how to grow your business and each new skill can mean eliminating an outside cost. Nature photography can mean a lot of extended travel and long hours growing your business. Remember to balance your professional life and personal life. Allow your personal experience to inform your creative sensibilities.
Establish professional links. Donate your images. Keep up to date with other professional wildlife photographers. Approach an agency. Build your social media presence. Monetize your site. Put yourself out there. Learn video production. Run photography workshops. Learn key software programs. Balance work and personal life.