Friday Photo Tip #19: BE YOURSELF

Here's another tip for photographers out there. It's something that could be read by professionals as "bad" but also "good"... I think overall it's just something that not many people want to talk about. But I will. I read somewhere that if you're a photographer, most of the hits you get on your website and blog are from other photographers. Although there's no way to truly quantify this, it makes sense, so I assume it's true, and I'm assuming many of my readers are fellow photographers. So who are you and who are you really marketing yourself to? That is the question. This week's tip is for aspiring photographers, or maybe just photographers out there who want to take a chance and try something new.

#19 BE YOURSELF

So you're a photographer.  But what kind of photographer?  That's usually the first question asked after telling someone you take photos.  Thanks to the way that marketing is constantly evolving and trends are always changing, I'm a firm believer that if you're good at what you do, it doesn't really matter how you classify yourself. I started my photography business three years ago with the hopes of being a pet photographer.  My dream was to only shoot dogs and cats and hopefully other little critters.  That dream faded fast when I realized that the market for a full time pet photographer wasn't as realistic at the time as I thought, and I needed another way to make money - or at least establish myself as a photographer first.  So I started shooting babies and kids.  I like them, and then weddings followed, and then events, and then headshots, and then everything else... Now that I'm a little further down the road and that I have a small "following" if you will, I've decided to now start honing in on my true passion - pets!! This doesn't mean that I'm going to turn down work in other areas - it just means that pets are my specialty, not my be all and end all.  I come from my own school of thought, where opportunity knocks in different ways - and it's up to you to figure out how to make things work to your advantage...because no one else will!  Don't limit yourself until you're ready!  ...Even then, don't lock the door. My point is - don't be afraid to explore different subjects in photography.  Sure, there are many different "categories" out there of photographers, but the principles behind them are all the same.  The way I think about it - Approach everything the same way - puppies, kids, events, food, babies, nature... if you have a strong sense of composition and you put the same amount of effort into each shot, you can make anything look good, doesn't matter what you're shooting.  Try it, it's true.  🙂 Here are some random photos that have helped me get to where I am today: