Can you have a successful photography business with multiple genres of photography? Yes, you can.
The word “consistency” is so often thrown around that many photographers believe they have to specialize in ONE area of photography to be successful. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen people tell others to “only post couples,” or to “only post images in one kind of lighting.” In my opinion that is putting yourself in a box. It’s totally possible to branch out and show all sides of our passion.
Don’t get me wrong, if you specialize in one area, that is amazing and I fully support having a niche area that you love. But what about the photographers like me, who are drawn to many areas of photography?
I’m going to tell you how I built a consistently successful photo business while photographing multiple genres.
I photograph a little of everything.
I’ve been experimenting with photography now for 15 years and it all started with senior photography. I absolutely LOVED it, but eventually I started exploring what else I was capable of and began offering family and portrait sessions. The world of photography and having a camera in my hand always felt very natural for me and I knew I needed to do it forever.
My business officially opened 6 years ago and that is also when I photographed my first weddings. I never planned on being a wedding photographer — the pressure seemed too high for me — however, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and it turned out that was the best decision I ever made.
It’s no secret that I love weddings and the powerful emotion that surrounds the day between family and friends. But on the other hand, I also love the precious details of a newborn coming into the world and seeing a mom hold her precious new bundle of joy. Photographing a young woman about to graduate and seeing her youthful glow and happiness is also something I will never stop photographing. And yes, I even do marketing shoots for businesses. I love photographing all of life’s big moments and I really value the variety that different kinds of sessions gives me.
To be honest, I have gotten in my head and questioned so much about my work. I would ask myself if I should specialize and just capture one genre or if I should only share couples on my feed. It can be extremely daunting knowing what to share, how to market, and how to portray yourself online to be successful when you capture a wide variety of subjects and events.
There is a common theme.
My “aha” moment was when I decided to stop thinking about my photography in segments and different genres and realized all my sessions have one thing in common — joy.
Once I began seeing that my business is centered around happiness and full-of-life moments, all of my worries about not being consistent faded away. I marketed my business around my love for happiness and capturing art. Knowing who I was as a photographer made everything easier.
It’s true that different kinds of sessions can produce different light and colors that may not fit into a consistent Instagram feed, but editing in a similar way each time will help. Just trust your vision — you see light and art in a way that is unique to YOU! You’d be surprised how cohesive a body of work can look, even if it’s full of brides, toddlers, babies and boudoir.
Shooting a lot of different photography genres is a huge strength. Being able to walk into different homes, wedding days, and locations comes with different and challenging light. The fact that we can handle that is amazing! Never be nervous or scared if you aren’t shooting at golden hour all the time. Show your community what you’re capable of!
Branding and marketing across multiple photography genres.
When you know yourself, your brand and your target market, you can successfully market your photography business across multiple genres. And, you don’t need to worry about everybody else, including those social media followers who aren’t in your local area.
Market locally.
It is always more important for me to market to my local area and region first. Gaining thousands of Instagram followers worldwide isn’t on my goal list because that won’t necessarily give me income from the area I’m in. Sometimes we need to let go of the stress of being seen on social media. Starting to think this way will really help ease uncertainty and help you understand what to show your clients.
Do what works for you.
I use primarily my website, Facebook page, and Instagram for marketing. And guess what! I post when is right for me and don’t stick to a controlled and routine post schedule. My husband is a paramedic and works very long hours and rotating shifts so nothing about my life is routine! I also have a little girl who just hit the toddler stage so I don’t stress myself with posting during strict hours of the day.
You have to do what is right for YOU, always — I am a firm believer if you put out quality work and show who you are through your feed, you ideal clients will find you. It doesn’t matter what time of day you post!
Be yourself.
Something that I do is bring ME into my online presence, whether it’s through images or captions. My goals are to always be relatable and to make my clients feel like they know me before even meeting me. Let’s be real — getting your photo taken can be a very scary thing! Right?! Even before I opened my business I knew I wanted to showcase my warm and bubbly personality, because that’s who I am. This makes people comfortable with me right off the bat.
I also show images of my daughter on a routine basis. I find that people adore her and relate to me as a mom. If you can connect with potential clients, that is one of the best things you can do! Your paid work isn’t everything when you’re branding yourself to stand out.
Know your target market.
Another important aspect to my online presence is “boosting” posts. If there is a certain shoot I am very proud of, I will pay to boost the ad on Facebook for a week, and I ALWAYS target the ad. I know my target market is primarily female since 99% of the time it’s women who reach out to me and book sessions (they are also who I enjoy capturing the most). These are common target markets I use:
— 17 to 18 year old females (to encompass young women graduating)
— 35 to 45 year old females (to include mothers who book sessions for graduates and families)
— 21 to 35 year old females (to include newly engaged brides)
Keep it fresh.
I also update my website on a routine basis with new images. This is very important! You want all of your marketing channels to complement one another.
Know your brand.
Something that really helps me with my business strategy and deciding what images to show online is my branding words. Choose 3-4 words that reflect your photography, and it will be so effective in helping you with logo design, color schemes for your website, and so many other decisions.
My branding words are: joyful, vibrant, fresh, and timeless. If I am unsure whether I should share a particular image on my feed because it is different, I ask myself, “does this image encompass my branding words?”
Honestly, 99 percent of the time it’s a yes and I hit the share button without worrying about the variety in my feed. I promise you, your feed will still be consistently YOU! Isn’t that what it’s all about? Don’t feel the need to only share what everyone else tells you to share in order to gain followers. If you share what you love, you will attract clients and future work you love.
Photographing multiple genres can be profitable.
Over a span of 6 years, my income as grown by 15-20 percent each year. I’m very proud of that and I want you to know it’s possible to build a successful photo business across multiple genres of photography!
COVID has obviously brought on an unforeseen challenge but I think it will make me stronger in the end. During this pandemic, I was happy and grateful that I offer many genres of photography and wasn’t solely relying on weddings, which were getting cancelled because of government restrictions.
In the end, you have to be true to yourself and photograph what pulls at your heart. If you want to shoot multiple genres of photography, do it! Attract clientele in your area and try not to worry about Instagram followers as a measure of success. You’re not alone and you will find those that love your variety and skill to capture all those different kinds of life moments! You got this!
My brand: Video (6 min.)
Hear Schae talk more about her photography brand consistency, how everything is connected and how she does it in this 6 minute video.
Photos by Schae Philpott
Other photography stories we think you’ll like:
Why studying other photography genres is good for creativity
Changing genres: How to transition your photo business
How to attract your ideal photography clients and create a business you love
How I found my unique photography style by doing these 5 things
How to attract your ideal photography clients? Make it personal.
I loved this article! So well said and encouraging.
I’m so glad you got use out of this!!!! Thank you so much
Wonderful article! As someone who has had the pleasure of being photographed by this lovely lady , I can attest to her excellence at what she does and particularly for how she can encourage an insecure or shy personality to unknowingly shine due to Schae’s relaxed and friendly demeanour. Schae Philpott is without a doubt, THE premier photographer in Medicine Hat and area for her style, creativity, and daring to be “out-of-the-box”. I am proud to know her and call her friend. (And her daughter truly is adorable!)
Inspiring!
Awesome article!!!