Should I niche down or keep shooting multiple subjects?

This is a common struggle—you may think you need a specific niche and brand identity, but sometimes your market decides for you rather than you deciding for them. You might discover that your actual buyers are different from your intended target audience (for example, targeting young male surfers but actually selling 80% to women aged 50-70). When you discover who’s actually buying, lean into that market. You can describe yourself broadly (like ‘coastal photographer’) while keeping multiple revenue streams active. Some work is for marketing and passion (like surf photography that builds community connections), while other work is your primary art business. Both can coexist and support each other, with your service or specialty work leading people to discover your fine art.

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Asked by a photographer struggling with defining their niche · Answered by Derek Emge and Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-09-06