Is Photography An "Over-Saturated" Market?

A lot of people think that photography is super competitive. They lament an "over-saturated market". I think it's all about how you look at it. I certainly have not found an over-saturated market in my area!!! I have been searching and searching for other photographers around me because I am looking for community.

I'm finally making some progress! I've found several local photographers and so one could think, "woah! How are we all going to grow our businesses in the same area?" There are a couple of factors that will allow us all to have space while occupying the same general area.

#1 - Price Point. This is a big one. You can have four photographers all serving the same geographic area but at four different price points. Maybe one is brand new, one is a hobbyist, one has been working for 15 years, and one only serves luxury clients. That puts you at four different levels on the price scale and your clients will all be different. 

#2 - Style. What you shoot and how you shoot will draw clients or push them away. Maybe out of our four photographers, one does families, one does events, one does weddings, and one does business. One edits with warm brown tones, another edits with dramatic shadows, the third is bright and airy, and the last likes to use bright colors. Those things are going to have specific clients who are attracted to them or need their services.

My price point, style, and what I shoot put me in a unique position in my market. There probably aren't going to be as many people who's triad of elements line up with mine. Maybe a handful at best. But you know what?

I want to have a few people like me in my market.

Yes!! I actually desire that. Some people might think I'm crazy, but there are several benefits that I can see. For one thing, you have referral partner. What if someone contacts you for pictures and you cannot accommodate them? I want to serve people even if they cannot be clients and the best way to do that in this situation is to have someone you can refer them to! If they are contacting me, they like my style, want the kind of photography I do, and fit my price point. To send them to someone with a different style or price point would not be what they wanted or they would have contacted them in the first place! And speaking of price point, if you have several photographers with a similar style, odds are, they are at different price points, so people at all levels can have access to that style! Photographers raise their prices and sometimes past clients can no longer afford them. It would be so nice if they could find someone else who can serve them in the style and price they are looking for!

I still get so excited when I find someone local to me who has a similar style! I'm finding that "bright and airy" is actually kind of rare. However, I still want to foster relationships with lots of local photographers, whether they are similar to me in style or not. This industry has us spending a lot of time alone and everyone needs community. Plus, it's always nice to be around people who understand your job and can "talk shop" with you!