Do you have specific niche in photography? Do you generally take people shots? Animals? Bugs? Still? Etc, etc, etc. How did you come to this conclusion and do you ever dabble outside of your niche?
My daughter, colors, rainbows and quirky toys seem to be a constant. And fruit and flowers. I try to go outside my norm when I can and time allows for some play.
Macro is certainly my favoured area and in particular bugs. During the warmer months pretty much all my shots are macros! I'm forced outside of my comfort zone during winter and pretty much just think of stuff to shoot around the house.
Flowers... because I'm rubbish at photographing anything that moves! Plus I recently bought a macro attachment for my camera which allows me to take some interesting close ups! And yes I do dabble outside my niche, I quite like taking photos of architecture and sunsets (again because they don't move!) and I have attempted some people photography but that's because my friends assume I am some sort of 'expert' because I own an SLR lol!
I like nature and take photos of architecture for work, but for this project I am making sure that I bust out of a genre. After looking over five months it seems that the word to describe me is color.
Lot's of scenery, such as sunsets, mountains, barns, decrepit buildings, etc. using standard and HDR techniques. Also I like odd stuff (you don't see that every day types of things). Animals sneak in there sometimes. Also, seasonal items, such as flowers and snow/ice. No people, no action shots.
I would say flowers, only because I think there's beauty in any and every one if you get close enough. I tend to decide I want to try something and then I work on it until I'm satisfied (though there is always room for improvement) - I did it with long exp. at night, though I grew bored of them... and now I do the same with cats, which I used to struggle with the few times I found one to shoot. I'm not sure what's next.
i take lots of pictures of babies and children...mainly because they're hilarious, and they're changing and growing all the time. i love unposed, natural, funny shots, when you catch them making some random, brilliant expression!
I am still trying to find mine. I have or plan to try quite a bit, though I am attracted to architectural type shots and "abstracts" where you get a piece of the whole. This project has definitely helped me break out of my comfort and knowledge zone and really grow as a photographer.
hmmm not really. Last year was the odd bit of colours popping, cliche i know. Then i peaked wit my light painting and night shots. Now drifting in to a bit of street photography when i can, mainly in London.
People. It's not necessarily because I'm "naturally" better at it - it could just be that people interest me more (generally speaking, not specifically photographically speaking). So, my photography has developed (pun possibly intended) in that way, and less toward animals, landscapes etc. And when it comes to photographing people, I'm certainly more skilled in certain areas than others. One of my strengths, I believe, is in black and white imaging - probably a carry-over from film, when I shot a vast majority of my images on b&w (like many of us, I could develop my own b&w's but never pursued the more expensive colour processing).
So, IMO, you become good at what interests you and therefore whatever it is you do the most. Also, IMO, good photography is learned, and anyone can achieve excellence if they desire it - natural ability makes very little difference in the long run.
I used to think it was nature, however I have learned that children are my forte. I love watching and capturing them in action. That is where I find my inspiration
not sure i have found my niche yet,i'm enjoying macro shots at the moment,kids are my fall back subject,i like candid shots of people, really i just like experimenting
I don't think I have a niche. I've only seriously taken up photography in the past year. I'm having a lot of fun learning new techniques and such.
I think my goal is to get into life style photography but I've never hd steady hands(which isn't so great in my actual career either! LOL). You really need to hve steady hnds to get the shot before the moment passes. With a tripod I lways feel like I'm missing something. Still practicing. Will master this.
Excuse the typing the A on my computer doesn't seem to want to work half the time.
I had a real hard time putting a name to what I do and I've been taking pictures for a number of years now. I've never settled on subject or style. I take pictures of what I see. I recently mentioned that most of my pictures do not include people but this month is full of people and in doing my look back series most of my pictures are people too. I had no idea. My fb pages are full of gardening, cooking, and photowalk pictures. I just had no idea. There doesn't seem to be anything to tie them together except for the fact that I took them. They were interesting or important enough to take at the time.
Recently a video link was posted here called 'HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON - Decisive Moment'. ( http://vimeo.com/20047490) As I watched this something surfaced. It was what he was saying about how he chose pictures. How he was trying to catagorize himself. He was told he was a documentary photographer. He took pictures of what interested him regardless of his assignments. So much of what he said really resonated with me. For the first time I fully understand that I am a documentary photographer also. I try to give a little different perspective on what I see.
I can go back through old photos and see that now. That is my niche. I document my world whether it's special events or the moon or food or my garden or whatever catches my attention at the moment. It really doesn't matter and I don't overthink it. What does matter to me is that I have someplace to share them like here for example.
oh god I'm totally stuck on having people i my shots. I do try to vary it occasionally but I always come back to it. I think I got into it as I'm not very technical and I'm using a phone or p&s and street/people shots are quite doable without a DSLR. I will get back into night shots once the days get shorter...
I tend to like "things"...very specific, I know. But not really into landscapes and flowers (I have been forcing myself to try to take more pictures like that) I like taking pictures of people if it is spontaneous or not posey. I have found more niche more with editing then actual shots. I love vintage processing. Grainy, b&w, selective coloring. I find myself constantly doing that.
Definitely love the landscape shots and anything outdoors really! Would like to take more photos of people but find it difficult, especially people on the street.
@manek43509 Awhile back you posted your instagram name and I follow you. So when I get on there I get even more random pictures from you. They make me giggle.
flowers, still-lifes and sunsets... and i'm totally addicted to hdr -- sometimes i feel like i'm in a rut so then i go out and take a stroll with my camera and find something else other than the aforementioned to photograph.
I don't think I have a niche. I take a lot of pictures of Dazzling, but that's because she's easy to photograph. I LIKE macro photography, but my camera's not the best for that. Other than that...nothing :(
a hundred years ago, back in film days, my niche was taking landscapes whilst driving. I have a collection of road shots all taken at 100kph. I still dig checking them out from time to time. But that is what I did. Then I moved to Papua New Guinea where everyone wants their photo taken, so I enjoyed taking Portraits and I have an album of 100 of my favourite people photographs from my time there. Last year, I photographed Birds, and now have a collection of over 200 bird species from the Tropics of Australia. This year, with my 365 project, I think you could say my niche is bugs, grubs and small creatures with a Major in Frotography.
I'm not too sure what my niche would be. I know I love macro, bugs and I'd much rather shoot outdoors than in. I seem to focus on one thing in a scene instead of the big picture...which I'm working on with not much success so far. Maybe that's my thing? Look through my album and feel free to let me know what my niche is, cuz I'd love to know! lol
I'd really like to start doing more people/street shots...just have to find good people on nice streets :)
But, just to be serious (!!) for a moment... Like @cfrantz, I find I take a lot of pictures of sunsets, flowers, clouds, etc. (Plus pictures of musical instruments, because I spend so much time with them.)
And I, too, use the HDR function in Photoshop WAAAYY too much!
I'm still waiting to find it...I'm all over the place when it comes to taking pictures! I really hate doing indoor pictures though....I could wander through the house for days and not come up with a single decent picture! I see a lot of pictures on here that others have taken of simple objects that are composed into really awesome pictures but I just have zero talent for composing these types of shots so I should probably work on that area!
I do landscapes, i also like to experiment on things like light painting, smoke photography. HDR is i do very often! (10 out of my last 12 shot have been scenery processed with HDR)
I would say that I have found myself getting very comfortable with flowers in macro. And now that I have realized that, I am feeling like I should branch out more for fear that they are getting to be "predictable." :o/
i was thinking about this the other day and i think the only "theme" of my project really has been a lot of brightness, happiness and humor lots of photos of my kids
but some day i do plan to dive deep into newborn photography!
I love photojournalism- events or people with a story. There is no demand for it though. Really interesting getting to know people, and I like to still ask why ? alot!
Self portrait and other people portraits would be my first choice. My second choice is nature. I can't ever do still life and I pretty much suck at animal and bug shots. I do sometimes like to try my hand at the shots I typically suck at, but they don't often make it to my project because I don't generally like them! haha
Mostly I take pics of my kids and flowers, but what I am really hoping to capture beyond that is magic moments of childhood. I love compositions that are reminiscent of fairy tales or fantasy, especially within nature that that are ethereal, enchanting and somewhat conceptual...this is my goal, obviously not there yet, but I have fun trying.
Mine are very much nature. ~ I hardly take a shot indoors. So I guess nature and buildings really. I'm planning to do some kind of theme, either a month long or possibly shorter. Haven't decided yet.
I mostly take pics of nature- flowers, plants, mushrooms and my children, oh and occasionally food. I would like to take more landscape photos, but I am addicted to my macro lens (which is also great for portraits) so I need to change lenses more often! I will snap at anything that is interesting really though...
@mariboo - I love that too- the magic of childhood has become my obsession as well, and I have found I love creating the shot- still trying to get better as well!:)
I think my niche when I started the project was mostly landscapes. But I've become much more used to macro, flowers, and "set up shots". I really hope to take more portraits. I 'm just trying to learn how to use my camera in every way.
@meggageg I take too many pics of things that just happen to lay around in my room, luckily the most random things will find themselves there, but still. Macro is my comfort zone... I like the white/light background. I have so many such photos. So I decided on the selfie thing and it wasnt so bad. I didnt die... :) well, maybe I did and now steal cookies.
I have been scared of water pics... never done one :O so will be doing one soonish. and then I also need to take on the challenge of landscapes. I guess what I love about photographing things is that I don't have to talk. I can just move it the way I want it. I can take my time and don't have to worry about making a model feel comfortable and at ease... I loose myself in it. Of course it can also be that I'm a bit of a perfectionist control freak - but I didn't say that :/
gah listen to me going on about nothing. anybody want to chip in?
i really don't know i guess there are lots of flower/tree shots in my album and lots of portraits and them random other stuff! Don't know what i am good at though!
@swilde- yes this name suits you -- shall we say a very inspired eclectica... who is always out and about esp at dawn and dusk in search of the perfect shot and will risk life and limb...
Macro nature is what I am naturally drawn to, mainly flowers because I love them so much anyway. But a lot of this & that too, and some documenting of my life.
I usually photograph whatever catches my eye. My album is full of flowers, still lifes, my kids, friends' kids..whatever has my attention that particular day.
I like to take pictures of flowers, especially with macro shots. In addition, I take pictures of birds, squirrels, and insects. I am not too good with landscapes and trees yet. I also like to take architecture shots. I do take pictures out of my niche to challenge me and to get my interest back when I am bored.
Mine is locale, my area, Northern England, trying to show something different to the community. I also stick within certain types of processing too, SOOC doesn't really appeal to me, I try to do something a bit different, and not stick on the same style for long without altering it slightly or challenging myself.
animales! my sister is trying to convince me to move to san francisco and open a pet photography business when I get done with what I am doing now... is there really a market for that?
My basic niche is macro, sometimes of nature and sometimes still life. But I do lots of other things and am trying to stretch the limits of my camera, editing and abilities. Definitely an old dog can learn some new tricks.
@ccenecua Good luck with that. I think maybe a big city may have more of a market, but here in our smallish town loads of folks want their animals photographed, but no one really wants to pay for our time. We do it occassionally, but it's been HARD to get biz where we're at.
I'll photo just about anything, but people are not high on my list. Actually, I'll expand a little and say posed people, or portraits. Snap shots work out ok, but I never seem to take a good portrait if I try.
Mine shows my life and my perspective in the best way I know how. The most enjoyable thing about 365 is veiwing other people projects and letting that influence my photos for a day or two, but ultimately it is my life, my eye view of where I am and where I am going!
Love photographing anything. But particularly enjoy motorsport, bright colours, birds and action shot. Its all about getting into a situation. Most of all I like to have fun... that is photography for me.
Happy stuff.....photography is my fun, me time and I want it to be joyful and not depressing or drama filled. I don't want to have to think about things too much--instead I want to go with the flow with no rules and no obligations.
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So, IMO, you become good at what interests you and therefore whatever it is you do the most. Also, IMO, good photography is learned, and anyone can achieve excellence if they desire it - natural ability makes very little difference in the long run.
I don't think I have a niche. I've only seriously taken up photography in the past year. I'm having a lot of fun learning new techniques and such.
I think my goal is to get into life style photography but I've never hd steady hands(which isn't so great in my actual career either! LOL). You really need to hve steady hnds to get the shot before the moment passes. With a tripod I lways feel like I'm missing something. Still practicing. Will master this.
Excuse the typing the A on my computer doesn't seem to want to work half the time.
Recently a video link was posted here called 'HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON - Decisive Moment'. ( http://vimeo.com/20047490) As I watched this something surfaced. It was what he was saying about how he chose pictures. How he was trying to catagorize himself. He was told he was a documentary photographer. He took pictures of what interested him regardless of his assignments. So much of what he said really resonated with me. For the first time I fully understand that I am a documentary photographer also. I try to give a little different perspective on what I see.
I can go back through old photos and see that now. That is my niche. I document my world whether it's special events or the moon or food or my garden or whatever catches my attention at the moment. It really doesn't matter and I don't overthink it. What does matter to me is that I have someplace to share them like here for example.
I'd really like to start doing more people/street shots...just have to find good people on nice streets :)
hehe, lucky you! (Considering how strange/random a lot of my Instagrams are!)
Actually, I think I follow you on Instagram as well. :)
And I, too, use the HDR function in Photoshop WAAAYY too much!
but some day i do plan to dive deep into newborn photography!
I have been scared of water pics... never done one :O so will be doing one soonish. and then I also need to take on the challenge of landscapes. I guess what I love about photographing things is that I don't have to talk. I can just move it the way I want it. I can take my time and don't have to worry about making a model feel comfortable and at ease... I loose myself in it. Of course it can also be that I'm a bit of a perfectionist control freak - but I didn't say that :/
gah listen to me going on about nothing. anybody want to chip in?
My newest *thing* has been probably wide-angle, architectural/landscape shots. So addictive. :D
My better half next to me says: "your niche is bokeh chairs and benches". Thanks Alex @mednez xD