What would you say if I could increase the joy you feel about your business, and remove some of the overwhelm? Sounds too good to be true, right! What I’m sharing today will do precisely that. But it’s going to take some hard work also because anything worth doing is hard!
This simple concept and exercise is the key to zone in on your marketing, raising your pricing, and refining your craft, all of which will decrease overwhelm and increase joy!

This simple concept and exercise is the key to zone in on your marketing, raising your pricing, and refining your craft, all of which will decrease overwhelm and increase joy!

Ever heard the term the money is in the niche? Well, it’s true in business, and in photography.  Niching down is essentially picking one thing and focusing on it!  When niching down in your photography business this can look like specializing in weddings, or newborns, or family photography.  Each and every one of those genres of photography is vastly different from each other.  Wedding photographers mush excel at being quick on their feet, managing timelines, navigating the stress of a wedding day.  Newborn photographers are some of the most patient people in the world! It’s super important for family photographers to be able to make mom feel like a model, dad enjoy the experience and connect with the kids in less than an hour! 

you can’t be everything to everyone. 

 -Matt Cheuvront

If you try to do it all you’re not going to do any of it well.  When you’re first starting out I think it is actually important to try a little bit of everything.  How will you know if you are a magic baby whisperer if you never try your hand at newborns? You’re going to have to at least second shoot a wedding or two before you decide if you can handle the pressure of only getting once chance to get the shot and wow your clients. So shoot a bit of everything your first year, just don’t claim to specialize in newborns, families, seniors, weddings, mini sessions, boudoir, and nature photography. 

A place of abundance

Once you shot a bit of everything start to take a step back and decide what type of shoot gets you the most excited, what comes more natural to you?  Now start removing everything else.  Are family sessions getting you so excited! Awesome!  When someone inquires about shooting their wedding refer them on to someone who specializes in weddings.  It can be hard to do that! I get it! But you can’t shoot everything for everyone. Even in my own tiny town, we have about 1500 people. I would have to shoot four sessions a day 365 days a year to photograph everyone in our town.  There are more than enough people wanting photo sessions out there.

That doesn’t mean I don’t feel a pang of envy when I see other photographers picking up work I am capable of doing. But just because I am capable doesn’t mean it’s something I actually want to photograph and I have to stop and ask myself why I am feeling envious sometimes!

Increased profits 

Being specialized in one thing also means you can charge higher prices. This means you can make more money shooting fewer sessions, leaving more time for you to spend with your family and friends. You are also able to develop workflows that can help you complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. 

Stepping outside the box is okay too!

It doesn’t mean you can’t shoot anything outside your niche. Sometimes it’s fun to step outside your box every now and again.  Maybe your sister just had a new baby or you offer family sessions to just your past wedding clients! 

Easier to Market

By niching down you are able to figure out who your ideal client is, and start speaking directly to them in your marketing and branding.  The right marketing and branding messages will attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones, and that is going to make your life and business so much more enjoyable!  

So what is your niche? Did you shoot a little of everything while you were trying to find it?