Your Niche and How Do You Find it?
Definition of Niche– “a place or position precisely suited to a person’s talent.”In this case, Photography is what you know and love. But you are asking yourself “how can my pictures be different from anyone else? How can I find my niche? One that could become my work and preferably one that no one else could fit into or create. Start by looking around you:
 Look at photos in magazines, books, the internet, and art galleries:
Do you imagine yourself taking certain types of photos? What time of day is it? What type of weather conditions is it? Do you like landscapes or flowers or sunsets or scenes along the water? Do you like getting really close to subjects to show their inner details? Do you prefer black and white or color images? Whatever is your niche, it will take some time to find it. Make sure you take that time because it really is the right thing to do. This is something that will not happen overnight. It will take however long it takes. Out Shooting...When you are out shooting, do not necessarily “think” about what you are shooting. Do not necessarily focus on the technical details (yes, I know there are obviously some). Do not get bogged down in trying to create the “perfect” shot...not yet. Especially not in the beginning as this will tend to inhibit your creativity and you may become discouraged.When you are out shooting “just shoot”. Shoot what you see and love, shoot what subjects please you, and shoot the subjects that excite you. This is not something you do just for one day. You will be doing this for several days over a long period of time. Only you will know what that time period is. Analyzing the Results...After you have been out several times (be that 5 times, 10 times, 40 times), gather all your images to begin the process of sorting them. This process will work regardless of whether you are sorting slides, prints or digital images on your computer. I am not going to tell you or even suggest to you how they should be sorted. Your own mind is going to do that. Likely it is something that is just simply going to evolve. Do not start with a preplanned method of sorting them into specific categories.You will find yourself starting to put images into certain categories sort of by default. Categories that you want the images placed in. Categories that please you. What you will likely find is there will be one or two categories that you particularly like and where a number of your images are falling into. Then at the end, there will be more images in these categories than in any of the others.
Out Shooting Again...Found your niche yet? Ok, now go back out shooting again at least a couple more times. Do not think about anything specific, but what is it that you subconsciously find yourself looking for and photographing? What area are you finding most pleasing? What area seems to make you happy?Whatever is that area, it will likely be your niche. Now, when you go out, you can start paying more attention to the technical aspects of taking the shots and creating the “perfect” photograph. How I Found My NicheI had been out shooting for years, covered a variety of subjects. When I set up the filing system, I did so based on subject material and never once thinking about “my niche”. Then when the opportunity to create my own photography website arrived I started to think about what kind of images I wanted to display.After pulling a number of images (slides and prints) from my files, and spreading them all over the dining room table. It hit me look at the images I have selected, they all fall into this one category. Then once I had loaded the images into the website I contacted several people to get their opinion. The one comment that hit home the most was “you take images of things that most people would never give a 2nd glance to and would simply walk right on past without even noticing”. Happy shooting!!!! Leave this niche page to return to the nature photographer page.
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Do not be afraid to experiment. Try different subjects, and ways of looking at subjects. Then, the next time you go out, do not say to yourself, “well I tried that yesterday, so I don’t need to try it again”. Yes you do, but this time, try it from a different perspective. Walk around your subject. Look at it from many different angles. 
Once you have done this exercise, I want you to look closely at all the images in that one special category. Study those images and ask yourself:
