You Don’t Have to Be a Wedding Photographer to Be Successful
In the field of professional photography, wedding photography often stands out as a lucrative and popular choice. But, it is a common misconception that you must specialize in weddings to achieve success.
The truth is, there are countless other avenues within photography that can lead to a fulfilling and prosperous career. Here’s why you don’t have to be a wedding photographer to be successful.
There are diverse niches available to a photographer. Before I ever had a camera land in my hand, the very first niche I was interested in was lifestyle photography. The name seemed attractive. I’ve shot some lifestyle works and I like it, but it’s not something I have specialized in. There were many niches availabe to me. And I had the freedom to choose anyone. I’ve shot weddings and shot in studios, and also created some fine art photos, which I love, and not sure I can stop creating.
I understood I was not obligated to choose any one niche, or do something because others were doing it. I wanted to taste. I wanted to see for myself. I tried different things.
You need to understand, photographer, you are not obligated to stick to one niche forever. A niche may not be lucrative where you stay or live, that is why you have the option to relocate to a new country or community. It is possible.
I’ve seen my photographer friends move from Ghana to different countries and the amazing thing was that they changed their niches. One moved to Tokyo and is now a landscape photographer. From portraits to landscape. From people to trees.
There are many niches available to you, yes, portrait, commercial, editorial, fine art, and event. When you hear event, you tend to think about weddings, but funerals are also events, and there are photographers who specialize in funeral photography. People marry every day, well, people die daily too.
I understand building a successful business is all about finding demand. If demand is not where you find yourself, move to where the demand is.
I know a woman who sold food in front of her home. When she noticed business wasn’t going so great, she moved the business from home to the streets where people were, and most importantly where demand was.
Having a great product and nobody buying it is a waste of time. Again; having a great product and nobody buying it is a waste of time.
Why am I speaking on the topic of wedding photography? Because there is this concept that rings in the minds of people, mostly photographers, that you ought to shoot weddings to reach success.
This is said mostly because of the geographic which one finds himself. Probably in another place, it is being a sports photographer, or a commercial photographer.
In the end, you know the success you want and you ought to know how you measure your own success.
It’s not only about identifying what excites you, but finding what is valuable and can make you money in the end. Keep shooting, keep creating and keep selling your services.
I’m almost done working on my new book for photographers, and it’s all about the basic of the basics when it comes to finances. Photographers need to understand the basics of money in order to earn, and invest, so they have good future.
The starving photographer must go, and the thriving photographer must stay.
See you in the next one.
