Why most photographers stay broke chasing identity instead of income.
If you’ve been within 100 yards of a business podcast, a YouTube coach, or someone who just read Start With Why, you’ve probably heard this advice:
“You just need to find your niche.”
It’s always said with that guru-like finality, like it’s the One Truth™ of success. But here’s the honest take:
Most photographers don’t need a niche. They need a damn plan.
The Niche Myth
Niche obsession is rooted in branding advice meant for marketers, not creators. It works well if you’re launching a tech startup or selling protein powder. But for photographers? Especially early on?
It’s a trap.
Chasing a niche too early does two things:
- It paralyzes you—you feel like you have to “pick a lane” before you even start.
- It narrows your income—you box yourself out of opportunities that could build momentum.
And momentum—not identity—is what pays your bills.
What You Actually Need Instead
1. A Way to Get Paid Fast
Forget niche. Focus on income streams that actually move the needle:
- Offer mini-sessions to friends and local business owners
- Upload 25 solid images to stock photo platforms
- Sell a $9 PDF or preset on Gumroad or Etsy
Do that first. Learn what people respond to. Build your cash confidence.
Then—maybe—you start seeing a pattern. That pattern becomes your niche. Not the other way around.
And let’s be clear: shooting Instagram models for free and hoping it “leads to something” is not a business plan. It usually doesn’t. Free work leads to more free work. Exposure doesn’t pay rent. If you’re going to shoot for free, do it to create your own products or sharpen your skills—not to build someone else’s brand.
2. A System to Capture What Works
Start documenting:
- What kinds of photos people buy
- Which social posts convert
- What digital product people actually open their wallets for
Most “niches” aren’t discovered. They’re revealed through repetition and review. When something works, repeat it. When it doesn’t, move on.
You don’t need a niche. You need traction.
3. A Way to Scale the Results
Once you’ve got one thing that works—selling prints, booking product shoots, whatever—build the infrastructure:
- Templates
- Booking links
- FAQs
- Upsell offers
- A weekly system
This is what builds sustainability—not a tightly-defined niche, but a replicable process.
So… Do Niches Ever Matter?
Sure. Eventually. But not in the way most people think.
Your niche won’t be “I shoot moody portraits of musicians in abandoned warehouses.”
It’ll be:
“I know how to book 4 paid shoots a month with minimal outreach.”
Or:
“I’ve built a passive system that sells $300/month in Lightroom presets.”
That’s your niche: the money. The method. The repeatable result.
Once you’re earning, then you can define your creative identity. On your terms. Without the pressure of surviving on your art alone.
You’re Not Behind. You’re Just Stuck in the Wrong Game.
If you’re burned out trying to pick your niche, forget it.
Shoot what’s in front of you. Sell what people ask for.
Package it simply. Price it confidently. Promote it clearly.
Let your niche find you while you build something that pays.