Create Your Niche Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 Finding your Niche When you first start out you will be a generalist. There is no way around it. You will shoot anything that you can, weddings, portraits, children, landscapes. It’s a very normal progression, in some ways, a rite of passage. Even Ansel Adams had to shoot portraits. The problem is: you cannot be successful in today’s highly competitive industry if you are a generalist. You have to create a unique niche. You must specialize, specialize, SPECIALIZE. And eventually your niche will find you.

Be Selfish

In order to become a great photographer you have to be a bit selfish. You need to shoot what interests you, things that you are passionate about. That is how you will decide what area of photography you will specialize in. When you are interested in your subjects, you will discover a deep well of creativity and passion inside of yourself. It will be apparent in your work and others will see it and admire it, because you will leave a bit of yourself in your work. On the other hand, if you are shooting assignments that do not interest you then your photographs will be lacking of substance. You will not create a market for your work and you will not attract clients to you.

Others Before You

There are a number of common and quite well known fields of photography and I will list them here: photo journalism, documentary, events, wedding, editorial, fashion, portrait, children, fine art, sports, nature, food, and commercial. These areas are fairly saturated as far as the number of photographers that make claim to each field. That does not mean that you cannot carve out a niche within these markets. In order to be distinguished in these fields you must make your mark, you must do something different. Here is a personal example; Leslie Fiet, a wedding photographer, attracts clients with a signature close up of the brides eyes, looking over the wedding bouquet. What makes this shot special is that the picture is entirely in black and white, except for the bride’s eyes and the flowers. Leslie, in a simple, yet powerful way, sets her work apart from others within a crowded field of wedding photographers.

Blazing the Trail Sometimes you must part with traditional methods and markets to make your own way. Most recently, popular new areas of photography include: lifestyle, pets with owners, pregnancy, social or Americana. Many of the old niche markets have also evolved: wedding now includes bridal, engagement, and even honeymoon. Portraits now include seniors, graduation, corporate executives, and social networking aids. Sport photography now includes drama clubs, swimming, gymnastics, and every sport conceivable. Don’t be afraid to part ways with conventional ideology and etch out a new market. Being successful is as simple as finding a need and filling it.

Making Your Mark

The more specialized you can become the better you will set your work apart from others. It helps you brand yourself and build a basis to generate revenue. The more specific the better. When you’ve created a look that is uniquely your own, customers will see out exactly what you will produce for them. It allows you to raise your prices to increase your profits. When you are here, you know you have made it.