When you are new to photography, you will probably dabble in a wide range of different genres, which is a great chance to discover what excites you most. However, if you decide to make a living from photography, you will want to consider specializing in a single area. This fantastic video features an experienced photographer explaining four reasons why you will want to narrow your focus when you turn your attention to making money.
Coming to you from Pye Jirsa with Adorama TV, this awesome video discusses why you should consider specializing if you want to be a professional photographer. A lot of this comes down to the issue of being a jack of all trades and master of none. Cameras are everywhere nowadays, and the photography marketplace is absolutely inundated. As such, if you are a generalist, it can be extremely difficult to distinguish yourself, simply because you are good, but perhaps not great, and there are a ton of good photographers out there. By specializing and devoting all your efforts to one genre, you afford yourself the best chance to develop the sort of skills and creative style that distinguish you and catch the eyes of potential clients. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jirsa.
I always joke with Pye about the need to be well rounded and not pick a speciality too early in your career. I think his arguments for specializing are 100% on point and if you want to make the most money, have a specific style to offer your clients, and master a niche in the industry then specializing is the best route to go ultimately.
That being said, when we produced the Well Rounded Photographer tutorial, Pye thought doing a ton of genres wasn’t a smart decision and I agree with him. However, learning new skills from different photographers and genres I think helps you decide which genre to specialize in as well as take some valuable tips from photographers in genres you might over look.
I think it all depends on the photographer and their market. The smaller market will require the photog to wear many hats. As you move up, you probably become known for being a very good ________ shooter.
When I was in school the teacher said to have a "core" of work and some other things you also do. I did a lot of table top and location product shoots, headshots, editorial for magazines, local business and stuff that is now called "branding".
Eventually I followed the siren call of automotive work, a specialty with tons of sub specialties. Now that genre has changed so much I am looking to become a generalist again. :)
Agree on market size. The larger the market the easier it is to make a living specializing. A pro in much smaller market may have to be generalist just to make a living.
Yes very good point. My main case for not specializing early on is you can find so many useful tips in different genres as well as business tips. If you are a wedding photographer, you probably are never exposed to the concept of licensing your work. If you are a fashion studio photographer, you might overlook super helpful photoshop techniques used in product or real estate photography. I can't tell you how many times a gradient "wall painting" trick or a skin retouching action has come in handy for a completely different genre. My best argument for this is learning Peter Hurley's psychological approach to directing headshots and applying it to every single shoot I do involving a person. If I never worked with Peter I don't' think I'd be the same photographer I am today.