What's Your Niche?

If you're considering photography as a serious hobby, then you should know that the majority of us are not good at every aspect of it. I'm a great example. I cannot take pictures of people if my life depended on it. I was once asked to take pictures at a gathering, and here's one fine example of my work:


The people in this picture and kind and wonderful. Sadly, I clearly lack the ability to capture emotion and meaning. I'm comfortable with this revelation. In fact, I've told several people that I will happily refer them to a someone specialized, such as James of James Woo Photography. Fortunately, this group never asked me to take another picture again.

So, how do you find your niche? My suggestion is to shoot early and often, with the equipment you have. It's important not to buy anything new, until you've determined your strengths. Some suggestions: flowers, action, nighttime, architecture, landscapes, interiors (such as your home), consumer products, even produce. You won't know what you can do until you try.

The beauty of digital cameras is that as long as your memory card holds up, you can have as many learning experiences as you'd like. That's right - there are no mistakes in this world, just learning experiences. I have some hilariously awful pictures at home where I THOUGHT I was a good architectural photographer, but was sadly proven wrong. I would show you, but I think I've embarrassed myself enough today.

What's my niche? Macro photography first, interiors second (particularly ceilings), and abstracts third. Anything else I do is for my own entertainment.

In summary, finding your niche is important, because based on your findings, you'll need to determine whether or not the camera you have is going to help you produce quality work. But that's a discussion for another day. :)