Nine. Finding Your Niche

This is it! You’re in the home stretch and almost ready to go it alone. Now that you understand the lay of the land, it’s time to start thinking about the various types of photography that exist and how you might be able to grow your business in these areas. Should you specialize or be more of a generalist?

The case can be made to go either way, but the real answer lies inside you. Your passion will bubble to the surface at some point and lead you to your own discoveries as an artist. The path isn’t always clear. However, I would make the case that this entire endeavor should be a lifelong adventure for you.

In this chapter I’ll offer my own experience as guidance and inspiration to finding your true calling. And remember, no matter what you do, enjoy the ride.

What Is Out There?

The good news is that if you’re into photography, there’s probably a niche out there for every single type of photography you can imagine. That being said, the million-dollar question is this: Can you make money at it?

I think there will always be “projects,” so to speak. For me, these are things I’m passionate about, but I know there’s little to no business model to be built around them. For example, I know someone whose personal project was shooting garbage all over the world. Another photographer I heard about would shoot the inside of refrigerators. These ideas may or may not be your cup of tea, but if such ventures aren’t capable of sustaining your business, I qualify them as “projects” and not a business plan.

For the sake of this chapter, let’s focus on potential niches that you can build a business plan around. And by no means is this an exhaustive list.

Landscape Photography

I love landscape photography. It can be merged with travel photography as well. In my line of work, I get to travel all over the world. With my travels, we have pictures from Europe and all over the United States. The combination of traveling and my love of landscapes has turned out great for our home. Everything hanging in our home is from a place we have personally visited and an image we have personally created. It’s extremely exciting to have such connection to these images and to enjoy our personal artwork. Friends and family come over and love to look at the images. Great! But can we turn that hobby into a business? Personally, I don’t think so.

Today, everyone is a photographer. And the world is an increasingly shrinking place. Easy access to low-cost flights have allowed people unparalleled access to all corners of the world. Walk down the streets in New York City and every other street vendor you run into is selling pictures of major New York City landmarks. How can you compete? Really, you can’t—not on a large scale anyway. Sure, a few major artists have found success in this area, but they are few and far between.

Here’s my philosophy: If I can build my reputation as a high-end photographer and artist, at some point my plan is to open my own gallery where I can showcase my travel photography. I believe that once you establish yourself, selling travel photography or other various projects will become easier because you’ll now have a built-in fan base.

If you’re just starting out, this would not be the place to plant your flag. Even if this is your passion, you’ll find this a difficult business model to get off the ground. Go out there and shoot, but just keep it on the back burner as a personal project waiting to be unveiled to the world.

Things to consider: Landscapes don’t talk back. Peaceful. Slower pace. Near-impossible business model to create. Harder to create something unique.

Event Photography

This niche encompasses most events out there: sports, corporate, and dances, among others. I know several photographers who make a lot of money in these areas. I will tell you, this genre is not very artsy. These are usually high-volume events where you’re pushing out a massive amount of images in a very short window of time; in some cases you might even be printing on site. It has the potential to be a lucrative business model for you.

Events happen all the time, so you’ll have no shortage of work. The area is, however, very competitive. You’ll need a business plan that helps you stand out from the crowd. The good news is, it can be done.

Things to consider: Every day is a new and exciting challenge. Never a dull moment. High-volume business model. It’s overly saturated. Not very artistic.

Glamour/Boudoir Photography

This is a niche making a massive resurgence right now. Everyone wants to get their sexy on. Keep in mind—sexy doesn’t mean naked. That’s the beauty of this genre. All ages, young and old, want something that showcases them in the best possible light. The key is finding this client and establishing your niche. Be careful, though; depending on where you’re located in the country or the world, this kind of work can be taboo. We used to include this option in some of our wedding packages and we had some clients who loved the idea, whereas others nearly lost their minds in a very bad way.

Also, breaking into this field could be a little tougher if you’re a male. I’m not saying it’s impossible; I’m just highlighting the obvious. Your client base is going to be female. A female photographer has a much better chance at connecting with the client and any concerns they may have. But there’s a huge opportunity for you to establish yourself in your market. From my perspective, I wouldn’t advertise this area on your main website, especially if you’re also targeting kids, families, and seniors. There is sure to be a disconnect.

Finally, keep in mind that glamour/boudoir photography can be a somewhat seasonal part of your business. Christmas and Valentine’s Day are going to be the biggest time of year. Of course, if you establish yourself in this niche, you should be able to get business year-round.

As of this writing, we’re exploring this option for our business. We’re creating an entirely separate line of business to ensure we don’t scare away other more conservative clients. I see this as a huge opportunity right now.

Things to consider: Seasonal business. Potential to be frowned upon. Very popular right now. Great way to expand your core business offering. Business model should be low volume, high service.

High School Seniors

This one is near and dear to my heart. Photographing high school seniors is a great way to start working with teens. I find them to be eager to do something different. Seniors love showcasing their personalities. Getting started will take a little time, and you’ll need a business plan—possibly in this area more than any other. High school seniors can be a finicky market and demographic. These are the elusive teens. They are picky. But if they love your brand, they control the purse strings.

Along the lines of being finicky, you need to understand this is a brand-aware group. They see all the magazines and all the TV commercials. If your brand looks or feels like a mom-and-pop operation, they’ll reject you. If you ensure that you’re plugged into all the trends and fashions, they’ll be loyal to your brand.

Targeting this market involves more than running a few ads. You’ll need a “senior ambassador” program in place. You hire kids to represent your studio in the schools in return for free pictures or a similar arrangement. I’ve put together an entire program on this, and it will be the source of one of our next books.

We photograph 100–150 seniors per year. On average, they spend about $1500 in our studio. If you love working with kids and love creating something fashion forward, photographing high school seniors is a great option for you. Also, it’s a recession-proof niche. Every year, there’s a new crop of seniors looking for great images.

Things to consider: Seasonal business. Barrier to entry—need an ambassador program and advertising program. Teens are picky. Always something new. Very fashion aware. Very brand aware. Recession proof. Very profitable.

Families and Babies

Another area with great potential is photographing families and babies. Many new photographers start out in this area; you may be one of them. You wanted some pictures of your kids and family, so you picked up a new DSLR and now you’re a photographer. Though there’s nothing wrong with that approach, studios like ours see the most competition from the everyone-is-a-photographer crowd.

Understanding that there’s a slew of competition in this area—from the box stores as well, which offer $9.99 portrait packages—approach this niche with caution. Having a solid business plan is essential. Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to shoot the budget client here. You’ll be doomed to price shoppers who will reject even a $99 session fee when they can go to a chain store and get an entire package of images for that price. You’ll have to find a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd in order to command the higher session and portrait prices. The question here is, what will make you stand out from the rest? What is your X-factor?

I don’t want to scare you away from this segment of the market; I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. A lot of photographers have made a name for themselves in this part of the market. You can, too, with the right plan.

Just be sure that you love working with kids and families. For me, there’s something about waiting 30 minutes for a baby to fall asleep to get that perfect shot that I don’t get jazzed about. I don’t have that kind of patience. I don’t enjoy it; therefore, our studio doesn’t offer this kind of photography. Better stated: We don’t advertise this. We’ll shoot families for our existing clients, but we aren’t looking for new clients as part of our growth plan.

Things to consider: Extremely competitive. Year-long business model. Can be very profitable. Requires patience with your clients to get the right shot. Requires a clear level of separation to establish what makes you different.

Weddings

Lots of professional photographers shun the thought of being a “wedding photographer.” For some reason, it has this perception of being at the bottom of the barrel for photographers. Not sure where that comes from, but I can tell you I absolutely love weddings! We built our business on it. Here’s why I love weddings. First, from a business perspective, it allows me to forecast. In other words, I can look out to next year and tell you, here’s the minimum I’ll make because I have X amount in contracts. No other niche works that way. I want predictability in my business. Second, I love the excitement of the wedding day. It’s a little crazy, but I like it that way. It keeps me from getting bored.

Economically speaking, photographing weddings is yet another recession-proof industry. Every year is a new crop of brides who have been waiting their whole lives for this big day, and they want their dream day documented for generations to come. That’s where we come in. We offer our wedding clients a high-end experience with high-end products. This approach allows us to stand out from that weekend warrior handing out the DVD of images.

And yes, wedding photography is a competitive niche to go after, but one that’s extremely easy to stand out in. Keep in mind that photographing weddings, too, is a seasonal business. Yes, you’ll get the occasional winter wedding, but many people are getting married from May through October. I say that with the understanding that, depending on where you are in the country or world, you may have a different experience.

If you’re looking for a low-key and low-stress industry, wedding photography is not the area for you. Things get intense during the day, and the client will need you to take control of the day to ensure things stay on track. No, that’s not what the planner is for. Most weddings we shoot don’t have a planner. And even the ones that do have a planner I find to be equally disorganized. I’ve worked with very few planners who are on top of things. Either way, it’s on you as the photographer to ensure you get the time you need to create great images for your client. You can’t blame the bride and groom when you don’t have time. That’s your fault.

Not only do weddings allow you to forecast your year, they are profitable. Half of our studio’s business income is derived from weddings.

One of the final things to consider is this: We have developed lifelong relationships with our clients. When you book a wedding, you’re typically working with these clients for a year or more leading up to their event. It’s natural to become close with some of your clients. We love that aspect of this part of the business.

Things to consider: Seasonal in nature. Very competitive. Potential for controlled chaos. Lifelong relationships with clients. Very profitable. Recession proof. Must find your X-factor.

Fine Art Portraiture

Fine art portraiture is an area making a massive resurgence in our industry. As a result of all the garbage photography out there, it has become clear that there’s a demand for high-end photography and products. Fine art today can be applied to any niche. To me, it’s just a higher level of service offering and product offering. And with that comes a higher price point. You have to create a limited supply for this model to work. It’s not a mass production business model. You’re looking for elite clients looking for a specific experience.

Personally, I don’t believe fine art portraiture is something you can open your door and start going after. You’ll need to refine your business model and ensure you can meet the demands of these high-end clients. Our studio has developed our main brand for the last four years, and now we’re pushing away from mass production and getting more into the fine art realm.

By doing fewer sessions per year, creating this model of exclusivity, and offering a product line of luxury products, we’re able to start charging significantly more for our services. But if no one knows who you are, you aren’t going to be able to charge those higher prices. Why? Because they’ve never heard of you. You have to build a luxury brand first.

So, what goes into a fine art business? Look to the marketplace for the answer. You have to offer elite products. Your post-production has to border on artwork, not two seconds in post-production. Single-click edits or filters won’t cut it here. Your products must be something not found anyplace else. We offer fine art paper and albums to our clients.

Your shooting style has to change. We shoot very big shots showcasing not only the subject but the surrounding landscape as well. It’s not just about them; it’s about the entire scene. Fine art doesn’t come in a 4x6 for us. Fine art comes in larger wall art like 20x30 and bigger. The final product is hand delivered to the client at home, exquisitely packaged as it would be from the highest-end retailers in the world. This is an experience like no other, and it’s one that clients are willing to pay a premium for.

Things to consider: This is the ultimate in our craft. You’re targeting a higher-end client, one who sees the value in artwork. Price point must start higher. Must offer higher level of product or service. Can be applied to any niche. Lower volume is more susceptible to economic issues. The sweet spot here can be extremely profitable. Must offer unique value proposition.

Miscellaneous

By no means do the topics covered so far constitute an exhaustive list. A host of options exist out there—everything from magazine staff photographers to food, music, and pets. Basically, the list is endless. The question becomes: Is there a market for it? Will people pay money for those types of images?

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things; you might be surprised. Also, keep in mind that not everything you photograph has to make money.

Whoa, mind blown alert! The business guy just told me it’s okay not to make money? Yes, I did. Everyone needs a personal project to keep their sanity. I have seen some pretty crazy personal projects. But hey, to each his own. But the point is clear, get out there and find your passion.

For me, I love travel photography even though I don’t make a dime at it. I find it therapeutic.

Where to Start?

Getting started is sometimes the toughest part of this whole thing. Where do you get experience, how do you get the word out, and how do you build your portfolio? All great questions. And if that weren’t enough, how do you decide what niche you want to go after? These are all the challenges we faced when we were starting out. And as always, the only way I know how to teach is through my own experiences.

The biggest mistake I see newbies make is they have their camera and they’re ready to go. Start shooting. Figure it out on the job. Make mistakes and learn from them. No! That’s a horrible idea. Do you know of any other industry that works that way? You’ll destroy your reputation. Sure, you’re going to make mistakes, but some are avoidable and others can be absolutely disastrous to your business and your reputation.

Instead, consider an apprenticeship like every other craft out there. Learn the business from someone who is doing it every day. Work for free if you have to. Do whatever you need to do to learn the ins and outs of the business. And it’s not going to be easy. Photographers are a paranoid bunch. They don’t like to let others see behind the magic curtain. Maybe consider going to another market to get some training. Pay for that training. We have had plenty of people come through our studio who want to work for free in return for learning. And yes, they do the grunt work. What better way to learn? If that’s not your cup of tea and you think it will take too long, then consider working with a consultant. We do weeklong consulting for new and existing studios where they come spend the week with us, and it’s like a mini boot camp for them. It can jumpstart your business and help you avoid countless mistakes that will cost thousands in the end.

Yes, I do want you to get out there and start shooting. I want you to experiment day in and day out. Try new posing, new lighting, new locations. Try every niche you can. Find your style.

When I started out, I tried to be everything to everyone. Anyone who would pay money was a potential client. My, how times have changed in just a few short years. (More on that in a minute.)

Let’s say you’re interested in weddings. How do you land your first job? Here’s how I landed mine back in 2007. I ran an ad on Craigslist. Mind you, this was back in the day when it was perfectly legit to run an ad there. The ad read something to this effect: Local photographer looking to expand into weddings. Looking for two young attractive couples getting married in the next three months. Must send current picture. Will photograph your wedding for $500 with digital files.

Yep, I was a shoot-and-burner—for two weddings, anyway. Within 24 hours I received over 20 emails from potential clients. I narrowed them down 100 percent superficially, of course. Hey, I wanted attractive couples. The goal was to get my feet wet and build my portfolio. The clients knew it and I knew it. This allowed me to get out there and learn a ton about weddings. We sure have come a long way since then. Today, our average wedding client spends over $10,000 with our studio.

I never put myself out there as a top photographer; everyone understood what they were getting into. Both clients were extremely happy and both ended up purchasing albums from us. From my perspective, they were both successes. We then took those images and built our own sample albums to showcase at our first bridal show, and the rest is, well, history. We are one of the top wedding studios in the area now. Are there things I’d like to have done differently? Sure, but I wanted to get into this business badly. I wanted to quit my day job. And this gave me the opportunity to do it. Two things to note: Notice how I wanted the wedding within three months and that I did this wedding for next to nothing. The goal was to build my portfolio. The sooner you get your portfolio together, the sooner you can get your marketing and advertising going.

This strategy, by the way, can work for every single niche you’re targeting. Your goal in the beginning should be to build your portfolio as quickly as you can. From there, you’ll have the images to put on your website, blog, flyers, and so forth. You need to show your work in order to attract clients.

The next question should revolve around finding your personal style. How do you identify what you love and are passionate about? That took me about two years to figure out. Finding what you’re passionate about is very important for the overall success of your business and for your own personal creativity. The last thing you want to do is go to work every day doing something you hate.

Generalist or Specialist?

Should you be a specialist or a generalist? That’s a question only you can answer, but I strongly lean toward specialization. Like I said, it took me nearly two years to figure that out. In the beginning, I was trying to be everything to everyone. Anything or anyone who would step in front of my camera I would gladly photograph. And the truth is, I hated most of it but didn’t know any better. I just assumed that’s the way it was.

Babies were the worst for me. It was not my thing. There has to be something you just don’t love. My advice: Stay away from it! I had no one guiding me at all. I had to figure this all out on my own. I wish I’d someone to guide me or had a book like this. Back then, this was all taboo. No one would talk about the business side of things, and if they did, it was always cryptic. If you do what you’re passionate about, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Let’s explore both business models: generalist and specialist.

As a generalist, you’ll be able to photograph everything. So, if one niche slows down, you can invest your time in a part of the business that’s really picking up. However, as a generalist, you’ll have a difficult time establishing yourself as an expert in any given discipline. With that expertise comes a bigger payday. Think about this in the real world. Experts or specialists always make more money than a general practitioner. Plus, how do you ever get to do what you love doing? Most people don’t love everything. There has got to be one or two things you’re just giddy about. That’s where you should spend your time—become a specialist and focus on that niche.

As a specialist, you’ll become the expert in that field, and as the years go on, your portfolio will reflect that. You’ll showcase your talent in a focused way, sending the message to your clients that you know this field. Everything you do should be focused on becoming an expert. You need to understand trends in the market, and in some cases, try to set the trend yourself. You become fashion forward and your clients will be willing to pay more money for that level of service and vision.

I just want to reiterate: This is where I made some of my biggest mistakes when I was starting out. I’ll be the first to tell you that the only way to know what you want to do is to try a bit of everything, but you have to figure that out as soon as you can. This strategy will allow you to develop a business model toward your client base and get laser focused. My recommendation is for you to spend the first 6–12 months shooting everything you can. Every day has to be a learning experience for you. I think this holds true even if you’re an established studio looking to branch out into a new niche. Get out there and experiment.

Once you know what you love, a business plan has to be the very next thing you tackle. How are you going to grow this part of your business? This plan is paramount to your success. You can’t just say, “Yay, I’m a wedding photographer now!” It doesn’t work that way. You need solid business principles in place. You need a portfolio to show perspective clients.

Style

The final topic I want to discuss is style. Let’s say you take my advice and go through this whole process and you end up being a high school senior photographer. Within that framework, you’ll still need to define your style. It truly is a two-step process. One step is figuring out what you love. The next step is determining what your style will be. Will you be a traditional photographer—shooting in the studio or on white backgrounds—or will you be a natural light photographer shooting on location? Or are you one of those photographers who loves to bring out the flashes and lights on location?

The big challenge here is to understand that how you shoot will ultimately impact your brand and the type of clients you attract. For seniors, we don’t shoot in the studio. Everything we do is on location. We don’t attract those clients who are looking for studio sessions. Our clients are passionate about our style; they’re looking for on-location urban architecture. If you don’t define your style, you run the risk of trying to be everything to everyone in the niche. Doing so leads to disappointment among your clients. They’re frustrated because they come to you for a certain type of session and then you don’t meet their expectations because you’re all over the map with your style. You have to be consistent!

Every client who walks into our studio or visits our website sees a clear and consistent style. Love it or hate it, they know what they’re getting. We attract the right kind of client, one who appreciates our artwork and our vision. If you’re going to be successful in this industry, finding the right clients has to be your number one goal.

Next Steps

So, where do you go from here? The future is yours! Your best bet is to get out there and just start shooting. And for the record, I don’t care if you are a 15-year veteran in this industry or you’ve just grabbed a camera for the first time. Try a bit of everything to get a sense of what you love and then go after it full force using the tools and techniques you learned in this book.

I’m like any other photographer; I get burned out and I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration. Well, recently, we started playing around with the idea of adding glamour photography to our studio. What did I do? Scheduled a few shoots with past clients to see if it’s something we want to get into. And though I’m not sure if it’s something we’ll add to our studio, the point is that we’re always exploring new options.

You constantly have to try to reinvent yourself to ensure you stay relevant. Good luck on your journey, and I hope this book has helped you define—or redefine—your own path.