Niche Down or Stay Broke: The Business Case for Specialising

Every photographer I know started as a generalist. Weddings, headshots, real estate, whatever paid. That scramble makes sense in year one. It becomes a trap by year five. The argument here is simple: clients pay a premium for specialists because specialists reduce risk. A corporate client hiring a generalist is gambling. Hiring someone who shoots nothing but executive portraits is buying certainty. That certainty commands a higher rate, attracts better referrals, and eliminates the clients who want everything for nothing. If your day rate has been stuck for two years, the problem probably isn't your portfolio. It's that nobody knows exactly what you do.