8 Ways to Find Your Photography Niche
8 Creative Ways to Discover Your Photography Niche
When you are just starting out as a Photographer, whether it was your first love as a hobby, or you knew you wanted to go into business before you even picked up a camera. Somewhere along the line you realized you have to find your Niche. that can be overwhelming in a world full of options, and honestly, even more distracting is social media sharing beautiful images from every niche imaginable. It can make it overwhelmingly difficult to navigate all of that noise and find whatever it is that floats your boat. Read on for 8 Ways to Find Your Photography Niche.
Find Your Niche
8 Creative Ways to Find Your Niche in Photography
1. Try it Out:
You wont know until you try! Your mom was right when you were little, those green beans looked pretty gross when she said you won’t know until you try. Well, here I am at 36 years old and I still don’t like green beans, but that’s okay because I know what I do like as well. The same thing goes for Photography. If your just starting out, think about taking on or trying out, a session type for any niche that sparks your interest. You may be surprised at how much you fall in love with photographing dogs, or absolutely stressed to death over the pressure of posing a newborn perfectly. Until you give it all a try, you really can’t begin to narrow your search.
2. Be Okay with Saying NO:
If you are a people pleaser like myself, saying no to anything in life is difficult. I used to envy those who did so easily. Even more challenging, honestly, is saying no to a paid job when you truly need the money or are just starting out. But I am here to tell you, sometimes it’s just not worth doing. If you don’t love something, or it doesn’t ignite the light in you, don’t do it. The best case scenario is you say yes, and it goes well and now you have 100 more people lined up and inquiring for you to do more of what you didn’t want to in the first place. So keep things clear and learn how to say no from the beginning. This is assuming you’ve already dabbled in the above “ try it out” and know more about what you don’t want to do.
3. Find Your Inspiration:
What is it that gets you excited? I found over time that I genuinely preferred to work with families, outdoors, in a natural story telling way. I loved to photography genuine interactions amongst children and their parents, prompting them for natural poses and real smiles. Actually from this experience, I later went on to craft a Posing Guide using only Prompts for natural moments. I found I absolutely cringed at in studio, staging and setups. I felt my creativity was best used outdoors with freedom and natural light. As you go through different sessions, you will truly know within moments what gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, or rather, knots in your stomach instead. I graduated into Weddings over time, and focused solely on that industry for many years. Where as I had worked with many other Photographers over time that would absolutely NEVER do a wedding no matter how much they were paid. So dig deep, try things out, and find what makes you smile.
4. What Sets You Apart:
Everyone of us is different, from our love of music to our favorite fast food. Just be you! Don’t try to do what everyone else is, or it will be just as hard for you to stand out in the crowd. Find what makes you different, whether it be that your naturally amazing with children, or maybe your incredibly good at composing large groups of people ( which is actually very difficult ). When you find that one thing, that maybe isn’t SO EASY to identify straight away, use it to your advantage and really market yourself with that. For clients that have struggled in that past with their children being uncooperative, crying or fussy, maybe your magic with kids is what will get you hired every time over someone else. Remember, you don’t have to be like everyone else, just be you!
5. Think about your audience:
Think about the type of clients you want to attract. Understanding the needs and preferences of your clients is absolutely essential when it comes to crafting a photography experience that truly speaks to their hearts. Whether your passion lies in capturing the joy of families, the romance of couples, the thrill of adventure enthusiasts, or the magic of weddings, taking the time to truly understand their unique desires will allow you to create a personalized and unforgettable journey together. Let your love for photography shine through as you cater to their every need and create cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
Prompt Your Clients
Struggling to pose your clients? Drawing a blank while under pressure? This guide is jam packed with one liners that genuinely send people into natural reactions, giving you beautiful images with ease every time!
6. Be Willing to change directions:
Maybe you’ve grown tired of the same thing, or maybe on accident you’ve stumbled into a different journey in Photography. One that you had not initially set out on, and now find yourself torn between genres. Know that it is okay to change, we all grow as people and for you to stay happy and of course AMAZING for clients, you need to stay inspired. So change gears when needed, rebrand yourself if you need to. Don’t stay stuck out of obligation or expectations from those around you. In the end, your the only one living your life, remember that :)
7. Remember Nothing is Forever:
A bit of a continuation from above, remember, nothing is forever. I once had this brilliant idea when I was first starting out. Dress up a white pony as a Unicorn for a children’s mini session event. At the time, believe it or not, I had not yet seen this in my market. It was at the verge of the Unicorn Craze years ago, and I thought how fun would that be! Well, it sold out and I made a Shit ton of money from that event. So much that I had to host additional events, just to keep up with the craze. After ending that year, I knew, no matter how popular this event was, I NEVER EVER wanted to do it again LOL. I had a few to many crazy parents, attempting things that would endanger a Childs safety around an animal, and the internal stress and anxiety I felt all day long while trying to be the friendliest most fun photographer ever for those kids, was unbareable. I was constantly on edge, even with assistants helping, all while having to internalize those feelings to make sure each family recieved “THE SHOT”. When my last day wrapped up, I took the success for what it was and had to tell myself its over, and that’s 100% okay that I did that. Everyone is different, you may find a breaking point somewhere along your career journey, and when you do, stop, change directions. PIVOT- Move on, and accept that Nothing is Forever.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
8. Listen to Feedback:
As time goes on your going to receive feedback from clients, social media, or maybe even a review. Remember to never be defensive, and try your best to always hear what others are saying and use that feedback to improve upon yourself. Listening to their experiences and advice can give you valuable perspective on your strengths and areas for improvement. Take note of the aspects of your work that receive praise and think about how you can further develop those talents within a specific niche. Remember, feedback is a great way to grow and become even better at what you love doing!
In the end, rememeber your career in the Photography Business is journey to follow, just like our steps in life, its about the journey we take, not the destination. Allow yourself to grow, change and adapt along the way. Forgive yourself, embrace your passions, and follow your heart. When you do, it will always lead to success.
Have any more tips and ideas? Comment below to share with others !