So today's tip for aspiring photographers is to focus your photography- but I don't mean with a focusing ring... although that's important too! What I really mean is focusing your business on a type of photography.
There are many areas of focus that I know very little about such as travel photography, landscape photography and wildlife photography. The extent of my understanding of those focuses is that making a business out of them is more dependent on selling prints or stock photography.
So the areas of photography I know more about are centered around people. My secrets out! I really like people!!! I love the more obvious emotions that photographing people brings. If it involves people I've shot the vast majority of it but I'm not really a "people photographer" I'm a maternity and newborn photographer.
How did I make up my mind? It was a process of exclusion really and an introspective look at what I liked to do most. When I was starting out I did some weddings but they are often fast paced and I found it stressful to get all the shots I wanted to. I loved the emotions and the atmosphere but wasn't a fan of the fear that I might miss something- so I decided I wasn't going to market myself as a wedding photographer. Then I did a lot of model photography. Those shoots were awesome! I met some wonderful people who are still my friends and professional contacts... but there was an emotion lacking from the shoots for me. Then I did more and more maternity and newborn photography and I was frankly overwhelmed by the love of a family expecting a new baby. The love a mother has before she has ever met her child is one of the most profound things I've ever experienced. And working with the babies after they arrived just seemed natural to me. I knew what I wanted to promote and market about myself.
Focusing my work didn't limit me. I can and still do weddings, models and boudoir but I'm a newborn and maternity photographer taking a step outside my focus when I do those shoots. Often when I'm practicing lighting, I image how someone expecting or a baby would look in that light. I frequently shoot things other than my primary focus to develop skills and stay busy working. I enjoy every shoot I endeavor to do. I love to have people look their best and get the images they desire.
Focusing my photography helps me stay set on what aspects of my craft I want to develop the most and what marketing I should do. It even helped me pick a name!
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