Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjustin/"}James Justin{/a}
Do you live in a place where there are a ton of photographers?
If yes, then you’ll need to specialize if you want to stay in business. All of course while doing something you enjoy doing.
This list features niches that work with photography as a service, although some of them could also be used as stock photography, naturally.
The best niche for you is:
- Something you have a passion doing – Don’t do something you don’t like to do!
- Something you have the ability to do – Face it, we’re never the best at what we want.
- Something that has demand where you live – Don’t specialize in nature photography if you live in New York!
Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brainteaser/"}Brain Teaser{/a}
Architecture Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting custom houses, indoors and outdoors. Charge for the creation of photos and for the licenses and sell them as stock, as well. If you live in area with a lot of competition there are plenty of profitable sub-niches like real-estate photography, restaurant photography and others.
Who’s the audience?
Design and Architecture firms, real estate agents and architecture magazines.
Corporate Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting executive portraits, corporate events and other corporate needs. High opportunity for recurrent work because once you prove yourself to a company, they will keep coming to you. There’s an infinite amount of sub-niches worth exploring!
Who’s the audience?
Companies CEO’s and owners.
Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21561428@N03/"}Las Initially{/a}
Product Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting products like cell-phones, cars or other products to be used on advertising or other end. This is a massive category, I advise you to break it into smaller niches like car photography or jewelery photography. Sometimes corporate photography can give you the opportunity to do this.
Who’s the audience?
Companies that create products.
Image by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robwallace/"}Robert Wallace{/a}
Wedding Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting weddings, engagements and all things related. This is a pretty big market with a lot of money to be made but also with a lot of competition.
Who’s the audience?
Engaged couples and their parents.
Family Photography
Image by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bass_nroll/"}Bass_Nroll{/a}
How to make money with it?
Shooting family portraits and also pregnant moms, babies or high-school seniors and selling prints and the rights to the photos. This is usually the first market and the easiest to explore.
Who’s the audience?
Parents.
Food Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting all kinds of food for magazines or restaurant advertisements. Editorial is still pretty healthy in this niche.
Who’s the audience?
Food magazines, chefs, restaurants.
Fashion Photography
Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/newyork/"}Cyril Attias{/a}
How to make money with it?
Shooting clothing and other fashion items to advertisements or fashion magazines (much harder to get into). There’s a lot of money to be made on this niche because there are constantly new products to be advertised.
Who’s the audience?
Clothing companies and fashion magazines.
Pet Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting dogs, cats and other pet portraits. It’s a profitable market because it’s not easy to do and there’s not too many people doing it.
Who’s the audience?
Pet owners and magazines.
Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davnull/"}David Murobi{/a}
Band Photography
How to make money with it?
Shooting band promos, album covers, live concerts and selling prints and license to the photos.
Who’s the audience?
Bands, musicians and record labels.
Nature Photography
How to make money with it?
Selling prints, stock and teaching other photographers the art of nature photography with workshops and classes.
Photo by: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiltti/"}Tiltti{/a}
Who’s the audience?
Photographers and nature lovers.
When it doesn’t pay off to specialize in a niche?
If you live in a small area where there aren’t many competitors. If that’s the case then it’s better to be a jack of all trades.
Do you know some more niches? Let me know in the comments!
Great article! Sometimes I find it hard to focus since there are so many opportunities for shooting.
Thanks Perry!
If you have plenty of opportunities then it’s okay not to focus.