If you’re skilled with a camera, a career as a photographer could be just right for you. But just what type of photography should you focus on? While some photographers try to be a jack-of-all-trades, it’s much harder to market yourself and stand out from the crowd if you haven’t got a specialty.
Taking the time to explore different photography niches and choosing one to predominantly target is something that is worth doing early. Below are just 15 different photography niches to choose from.
Portrait photography
From family portraits to passport photos, there are many forms of portrait photography – so many that you may even want to consider finding a sub-niche. In all cases, it involves taking pictures of people. This is often in a rehearsed setting in which subjects pose for the camera. Some portrait photographers prefer to photograph their clients in a studio, while others are able to work in different locations.
Pet photography
If you also love animals, a career as a pet photographer could be worth considering. More pet owners are signing up their fur babies for professional photoshoots. Working with animals does take some patience and it can help if you have some experience working with pets.
Infant photography
Infant photography involves taking pictures of babies. Like pets, babies cannot be easily told to pose in certain ways, and so this requires a certain level of patience. Having a lot of experience working with infants can help when choosing this niche. A popular sub-niche of infant photography is newborn photography which focuses on babies less than two months old.
Wedding photography
A wedding is a very special moment for couples and many people hire a professional photographer to help capture the magic on film. Wedding photographers are constantly travelling to new locations to take photos and need to be confident at taking both stages and natural photos.
Of all the photography niches, wedding photography can be one of the most profitable, although it is very competitive. This guide at photobox.co.uk offers some tips on how to become a wedding photographer.
Fashion photography
Fashion photographers predominantly take photos for fashion designers and clothing stores, often working with models. This niche is notoriously hard to get into, but it is worth trying to get one’s foot in the door. If you love fashion, consider getting in touch with local clothing stores and offer to provide a free photoshoot. You could also try connecting with local models.
Product photography
Product photography involves delicately staging products in order to make them look as attractive as possible. Such products could include anything from furniture to jewellery (some product photographers find it beneficial to focus on a sub-niche). You’ll usually need a studio of your own to take photos in, although some clients may prefer to take product photos in different locations. Check out more information on how to get into product photography here at hubspot.com.
Real estate photography
When selling a house or an apartment, it’s essential to take attractive photos of the property. Many realtors will hire real estate photographers to take these photos. Real estate photographers typically also help to stage homes, which may include helping to tidy them up and position furniture in certain ways. A background in real estate or interior design could help.
Travel photography
Travel photographers work with travel companies to take pictures of destinations for brochures and websites. This could include taking pictures of hotels, cruise ships, tours, excursions and local attractions. As you can imagine, travel photography is not an easy niche to break into. Having a lot of travel experience and taking plenty of stunning photos on your travels could help you to gain the attention of travel companies.
Related Posts
Sports photography
If you’re passionate about a specific sport, you could consider looking into sports photography. Sports photographers take pictures of sports events for newspapers, blogs, sports magazines and sometimes for sports venues or teams themselves. It’s not easy to get into sports photography – many people get their shot by working with local newspapers, small sports venues or small clubs.
Music photography
Love music? Music photographers take photos of live music events as well as shooting press photos. Most music photographers kick off their music career by hanging around local music venues and talking to local musicians. From here you may start to get some paid gigs and build up experience. As with sports and travel photography, it’s not an easy industry to break into, but with enough determination you can do it.
Drone photography
Buying a drone and learning to operate it could allow you to explore the world of drone photography. This could allow you to take aerial photographs for clients, which could range from photos of real estate to photos of events. You can learn more about drones at sites like drdrone.ca.
Underwater photography
Underwater photography is a more unusual niche that could be worth exploring if you have diving experience. Such photographers typically work for diving schools or with diving tour companies, which could mean relocating somewhere near the sea if you don’t already live by the coast. Obviously, you’ll need to own an underwater camera to experiment with this form of photography.
Photojournalism
Photojournalists take photographs which they then sell onto newspapers, magazines and news sites. Others may work directly for a newspaper or magazine, travelling to events as specified by the editor. Most photojournalists start off freelance and are able to build a name for themselves from there. This guide at masterclass.com offers more information on how to become a photojournalist.
Stock photography
There’s a huge market for stock photos that could be worth tapping into as a photographer. Stock photos are generic photos that are often used by companies, publications and blogs. These photos could be themed around anything from business to fitness.
The best stock photographers are able to make money by working out where the untapped demand is. For example, if you discover that lots of people are looking for photos related to plumbing but there are only a few plumbing-related stock photos, it could make sense to focus some photos on this theme.
Erotic photography
The adult entertainment industry is huge, but clearly not for everyone. For those who are not phased by this industry, erotic photography could be an avenue worth exploring. This involves taking pictures of glamour models and other adult entertainers – either contracted by the model themselves or an adult entertainment company.
