Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 74 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
You might know that I started shooting and posting a photo every day in 2022. Well, covid messed that up for 2 weeks and I thought I would be able to get back to it. Well, the covid cough got a hold of me and it’s not easy to compose a photo when you cough every 30 seconds. So I have missed a few more days.
I was going to give it up, but so many people have asked where the daily photos were, so I’ve decided to continue.
Ok, this week’s episode is …
Now most photographers that are just starting out shoot family portraits. They start here because it’s what they know. It’s the perfect place to practice and develop your skills.
I was on my local Facebook group yesterday and someone wanted a recommendation for a family portrait photographer. There must have been 15 different photographers mentioned in the replies.
Do you really want to be competing in that marketplace? If you niched down and picked a marketplace with very little competition, you could control your pricing and have lots of bookings. In a busy marketplace, you have to undercut your competition on price, and that is a race to the bottom.
I want you to think about this and expand on it. Finding a niche that doesn’t have much competition is a great place to start a business. It’s not easy but with a little work, it’s possible.
What is your day job?
If you have a job at the moment, what is it? In fact, make a list of all the jobs you’ve had.
Think about all those businesses you worked for, and all the times that they would use photos.
Maybe you work as a truck driver. The company would need photos of their fleet of trucks, or one of their trucks driving down the highway. They will also need images of the corporate offices for promotional brochures.
I spoke with a photographer that worked in the oil industry as a pipe fitter during his 20s. That knowledge allowed him to start a photography business shooting oil installations, corporate offices, and headshots for some huge oil corporations.
Think about your work experiences and make a list of all the photography needs for those businesses.
Hobbies and Interests
Do you have any hobbies or interests? If you do, think about how the hobby items you buy are presented to you.
If you knit, think about the wool, needles, knitting machine, and pattern companies. Even your local knitting supply store needs photos for advertising, and website.
Having a good knowledge of an industry is key to selling your services to these companies. If you can speak the language and understand all the terminology of that industry you have a great advantage.
Going back a few years when I was shooting Dog Agility, I tried to get into dog conformation shows. Westminster Dog Show and Cruft’s are the biggest examples of these shows.
I didn’t get to do any of the events because I needed to know how each breed should stand for a photo. If I had experience competing in these shows I would already have the necessary knowledge.
Kids sports?
When I bought my first DSLR it was so I could shoot my daughter's figure skating events. I knew how the events were run and what the parents wanted, and I was the only photographer competing for these events locally.
Do your kids play a sport? Think about how the photos are sold, and could you improve it.
So many sports clubs just accept what they have been given for years. A team photo and a single portrait. Trading cards have been around for decades, yes they sell, but wouldn’t a kid rather have a poster to put on the bedroom wall?
If you need to compete in a busy marketplace you need to stand out and offer more than your competitors. This will work, but the competition will find ways to catch up, so choosing a smaller niche is the way to go.
What if you can’t find a niche you are knowledgeable about?
If you don’t have a niche you can work in, try looking around at your local businesses. The bigger the better, and dig deep on them. Check out their websites, do they have a yearly report available? Do their brochures suck? Are their headshots taken with a phone?
Find a weakness and offer to fix it.
If there are lots of large corporations in your area find something that they all have in common. Your niche could be shooting Corporate headshots, or supplying images for year-end reports. Specializing in this type of photography will definitely take you out of crowded marketplaces.
What about creating calendars for large corporations? that has to be a small marketplace with potentially huge profits. I would think that printing companies would offer the calendars and then the corporation would then hire a photographer. If you offered the calendars and the photos, you would be more appealing to the corporations. Just one contact point, and one price.
Ok, I hope that gave you some ideas for your business. If you can find a niche the chances you will succeed are way better. It’s better to be a big fish in a small sea than a small fish in a big sea.
So think about what you know, and try to find a niche that will work for you. If you can’t come up with one, work on finding one locally. Think of all the different angles you can serve clubs, businesses, and people in your area.
If you are stuck, contact me in the Facebook group and I’ll help you out. I love brainstorming on this kind of stuff.
Oh, and I want to thank Doom Owl and Beachbum61590 for leaving me 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. That helps the podcast go higher in the ratings and get more downloads, so thanks again I really appreciate it.
Right then, this episode is officially over. I’ll be back next week with more waffle. Bye.