The advice I often hear online is: pick a genre of photography and stick with it. Instead, I wanted to give the idea of developing your style and shooting what you are passionate about. I’m not talking about approaching all trades, but developing your skills in a few genres that you enjoy and come naturally to you.
It is true that to a certain extent very specialized photographers are hired more than those who shoot a variety of genres. But what if you can’t commit to one or enjoy shooting multiple things? In this article, I talk about the concept of choosing and liking multiple genres but are related to each other and unified in style.
Shooting in a variety of genres: Benefits
Selling additional services to existing customers makes more commercial sense than finding new ones. Your wide range of expertise can make you a great fit for companies that also deal in multiple product or service areas. For example, because I love to photograph both interiors and food, department stores are great clients for me, as they often sell both homeware and food. The same principle can be applied to wedding photographers, who may later be commissioned by the same clients to take family photos.
If you’re a geek like me, the obvious benefit is capturing a variety of compositions. Getting to shoot more of what you love will make you not only happier, but also more skilled and flexible in how you approach your shots.
Shooting in a variety of genres can help keep you employed year-round; when it gets quiet in one category, you still have other types of customers to reach and rely on.
The importance of having a style of photography
Unless clients already know you, they tend to hire you based on your style. I believe your work should be unified by a style across genres. Photography style is determined by colors, lenses, composition, and other artistic choices. In some areas, such as fashion photography, the look of the photo also makes a big difference. Your personality will guide you. Maybe you like to shoot at wide angle and your style is quite dreamy, while you hate shooting with flash and 35mm lens.
My lighting and framing style is natural, and I have a rather limited palette, with neutrals and pops of color. For me, a straight flash is a no-no. I prefer the natural angle of view of the 50mm lens for most things, and I rarely use the wide angle.
What is your influence in photography and other art forms? Finding and defining your style is an ever-evolving business as you develop and shoot new things. I’m by no means the perfect example of having a coherent style, but for the most part, I know myself as a photographer.
One of the biggest influences in my practice is Bauhaus. I love the ideology of function over form and primary color in that art and design movement. Movies and stories are a huge inspiration to me, and I always aim to tell stories with my images: moments of peace in the kitchen, the joy of changing into new bedding or a hearty breakfast. One photographer I especially admire is Gregory Crewdson, whose work is elaborately choreographed but still almost lifelike. My still lifes and interiors are very carefully arranged and styled, and I like to stage scenes and put the viewer in other versions of reality.
Shoot the genres that suit you
There are too many genres of photography to list. For example, wedding photography and medical photography are very different and therefore require individual skills, but more importantly, different personalities. Some genres are typically shot at night, such as club and party photography, while product photography can get as close to 9-5 as possible. Certain hours and environments suit different lifestyles, and something as simple as that can define the genre you choose.
How social are you? Some genres require you to work with others more than others. In portrait and fashion photography, you direct people and need to be able to make people feel comfortable. Do you prefer to work alone or collaborate? I love collaborating on creative still life sessions with stylists and art directors.
Your personality, skills, and interests matter, but your resources and location may dictate more. If you live in a rural area, it is well suited for landscape photography. On the other hand, if you live in a city, you probably have many businesses that need restaurant photography. Resources include access to a studio or space to shoot at home or near the beach to shoot certain styles of fashion photography. Let’s face it: if you’re connected to an industry, it’s much easier to reach customers in that industry.
If you love cars or travel, you should spend some time photographing those for your portfolio. If tweaking the lighting for a shiny little product keeps you down, that’s a sign that it might not be for you. When you shoot what’s interesting to you, it shows in your work, both during the shoot and in the final images. Photography doesn’t need to be honed.
Instead of capturing everything, you should choose a few related genres. Weddings, family events, and portraits are examples of related genres. If you have completely unrelated work, keep it out of your website and marketing materials so you don’t confuse customers. What you include in your portfolio needs to be coherent.
The domains that you choose should be easy to use your core set. If they are too different and you need to invest a lot of money on separate specialized kits, it may not be financially worth it.
Shooting several related genres can bring you great income with many different clients. If you’re making a lot of money shooting one genre of photography and are happy to let the others go, maybe it’s time to specialize.
Let’s sum it up
You can successfully shoot multiple genres if they are related. Knowing you are a photographer and having a coherent style will make you attractive to potential clients. Photographing things that fit your lifestyle will play to your strengths and you will be happier overall. Finally, if you shoot what you love, it will surely show in your work.
