The Niche Notebook
I have taken a special interest in photography niches... Niches actually picked by real-life photographers and photo studios. Whenever I stumble upon photography niche ideas, I scribble them down in my special notebook. I think of that particular Moleskine as "The Niche Notebook." This list is my digital version. Tomas :)
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Photography Niches
For inspiration and to see what is possible, check out these photography niches! For each photography niche on the list, there is also a business case: A real-life freelance photographer or small photo studio targeting that particular niche.
| Targeted niche | Type of niche | Company size | Business example | Positioning | In business since | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 degree product photos | technology specialization | 2 | PhotoSpherix | Put a new spin on your on your product photography | 1998 | |||
| 360° panoramas & virtual tours | technology specialization | 2 | Jean-Pierre Lavoie | Panoramic photography | 2007 | |||
| Abstract photography that looks like paintings | signature style | 1 | Laria Saunders | Fine art photographer specializing in unique abstract art | 2009 | |||
| Aerial photography | technology specialization | 1 | Jason Hawkes | Aerial photographer | 1991 | |||
| Alaska imagery | horizontal | 1 | Patrick J. Endres | Alaska stock photography | 1992 | |||
| Americana | horizontal | 1 | Dawn Heath | Americana photography wall art for your home and office | 2016 | |||
| Animals | horizontal | 1 | Gandee Vasan | 1998 | ||||
| Antarctica | horizontal | 2 | Pat & Rosemarie Keough | Lives of Romance and Adventure | 1986 | |||
| Architectural photography | vertical | 1 | Glenn Daidone | Architectur. Interiors. | 1999 | |||
| Artistic child photography | the way you work | 1 | Rich Demanowski | Childscapes | 2001 | |||
| Astrophotography | vertical | 1 | Ian Norman | How to photograph the Milky Way - Astrophotography tutorials, tools, gear + inspiration. | 2013 | |||
| Authorities promoting Asia-Pacific travel destinations | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | David Kirkland | Specialises in capturing memorable promotional photographs for national tourism authorities. | ||||
| Automotive photography | vertical | 2 | Izmo Studio | Reach out to your customers with our automotive imagery and interactive media | 2002 | |||
| Babies | vertical | 1 | Anna Geddes | 1988 | ||||
| Birds | horizontal | 2 | Scott Bourne | 1998 | ||||
| Birth photography | vertical | 1 | Ashley Marston | Birth & lifestyle/documentary photographer | 2013 | |||
| Blade runner style | signature style | 1 | Liam Wong | Capturing real moments and transforming them into the surreal | 2015 | |||
| Bottles | vertical | 2 | We Shoot Bottles | We shoot bottles- nothing but bottles. Our specialiity is photographing bottles of any shape, any content, any size, at a price that makes everyone happy. | 2015 | |||
| Boudoir portraits | vertical | 1 | Julie Socher | Boudoir photography | 2011 | |||
| Boutique photo editing for wedding photographers | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | Marissa Lynn | Boutique editing services for wedding photographers | 2010 | |||
| Business headshots | horizontal | 2 | Hey Tuesday | The rebellious little headshot company, putting personality back into your business, LinkedIn and PR shots. | 2016 | |||
| Celebritity portraits | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | Sven Doornkaat | Celebrities|portraits & light painting photography | 2003 | |||
| Construction time-lapse photography | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | Michael e. Stern | Construction time-lapse photography and corporate portraiture | 1979 | |||
| Corporate events | horizontal | 2 | Ignite Images | Corporate and event photographers in London & Newcastle | 2011 | |||
| Cultures and environments at risk | umbrella focus | 1 | Beth Wald | 1991 | ||||
| Customized corporate photography commissionded by creative agencies. | vertical/horizontal combo | 2 | WorkStory | Your Business. Unscripted. | 2006 | |||
| Dating profile photos | vertical | 2 | Hey Saturday | Look good, date better | 2013 | |||
| Daytime long exposure photography | technology specialization | 1 | Darren Moore | Fine art landscapes | ||||
| Destination marketing | vertical | 1 | Kenneth Losurdo | 2008 | ||||
| Dogs | horizontal | 1 | Michael Brian | Dog photography | 1998 | |||
| Drone photography | technology specialization | 2 | Oklahoma Drone Photography | Your vision from a drone's view | 2016 | |||
| Endurance sports | related industries | 1 | Tom Robertson | Specializing in endurance sports (bicycling, running, triathlon) and outdoor living for editorial and commercial clients. | 2007 | |||
| Equine portrait sessions with people (mostly high school seniors) | vertical | 1 | Shelley Paulson | Welcome, horse lover | 2004 | |||
| Executive jets | vertical | 1 | Nick Gleis | Capturing aircraft ambience | 1974 | |||
| Fashion | vertical | 1 | Benjamin Kanarek | Fashion & beauty photographer | 1982 | |||
| Film photography, silver-gelatin-process | technology specialization | 1 | Dane Travis Jones | 1990 | ||||
| Fine art floral photography | vertical | 1 | Patty Hankins | Fine art floral photographer | 2002 | |||
| Food | vertical | 1 | Francesco Tonelli | Chef and food photographer | 2004 | |||
| Formula 1 | vertical | 1 | Darren Heath | Formula 1 photographer | 1988 | |||
| Funerals | horizontal | 1 | Rachel Wallace | Farewell photography | 2000 | |||
| Garden and plants | vertical | 1 | Philip Smith | 2008 | ||||
| Glamour | umbrella focus | 1 | Sue Bryce | 1991 | ||||
| Golf courses | vertical | 1 | Aidan Bradley | Golf course photography | 1980 | |||
| Google street view virtual tours | horizontal | 1 | Andrew Cunningham | We provide the Google Street View you are used to but taken inside your business premises. | 2010 | |||
| Haunt industry | vertical | 1 | Alyssa Schipani | Photography and web design for the haunt industry. | 2010 | |||
| Hawaii volcanos | vertical | 1 | Bryan Lowry | Hawaii volcano specialist | 2000 | |||
| HDR photography | technology specialization | 1 | Tom Lynch | 2008 | ||||
| Head shots | horizontal | 1 | Martin Richardson | 2010 | ||||
| Headshots for actors and performers | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | Mario Schwarz | London professional photographer specialising in actor headshots for the film, theatre and entertainment industry. | 2005 | |||
| Hi-end retouching for the advertising market | vertical/technology specialization combo | 2 | The Orange Apple | Creative imagery | 2005 | |||
| High-end senior photography | vertical | 1 | Amanda Holloway | The most sought after senior portrait experience | 2010 | |||
| Horror | signature style | 1 | Joshua Hoffin | Horror photography | 2001 | |||
| Horses | vertical | 1 | Terri Cage | North Texas equine, senior & portrait photographer | 2009 | |||
| Humor | signature style | 1 | Timothy Bailey | Commercial advertising photographer specializing in humor, entertainment, and portrait photography. | 2008 | |||
| Hunting, fishing, and camping | related industries | 1 | John Hafner | |||||
| Ice hockey | vertical | 1 | John Crouch | 2001 | ||||
| Imagery for arts organisations | vertical | 1 | Katherine Leedale | 2011 | ||||
| Industrial photography | horizontal | 1 | Gavin Jowitt | Corporate and commercial photographer | 1996 | |||
| Jewels | vertical | 1 | Edward Edwards | Photographer of high jewellery and watches | 1985 | |||
| Kids products and toys | related industries | 1 | Jeremy Lloyd | Creative and artistic commercial photographer specializing in kids products and toys. | 2001 | |||
| Landscapes: Atmospheric images of the south west of England | horizontal | 1 | Mark Bauer | Atmospheric images of the south west of England | 2003 | |||
| Light painting | technology specialization | 1 | Harold Ross | Extraordinary lighting | 1987 | |||
| LinkedIn profile pictures | vertical | 1 | Max Schwarz | Look like a boss. Photos that get your hired. | 2015 | |||
| Liquids | technology specialization | 1 | Martin Waugh | Liquid sculptures. Specializing in artistic and commercial photography of liquids. | 2001 | |||
| Medical and healthcare | related industries | 1 | Tim Zoltie | Specialising in healthcare photography, medical photography, lifestyle photography and commercial photography. | 2000 | |||
| Mega yachts, sail yachts and lifestyle (luxury markets) | related industries | 1 | Kristina M. Strobel | 1994 | ||||
| Mining | vertical | 1 | James Hodgins | Mining photographer | 1995 | |||
| Model comps & portfolios | vertical | 1 | Gordon Kent | 2014 | ||||
| Motor industry | vertical | 1 | Dean Smith | Automotive photographer | 2008 | |||
| Mountain sport (outdoor industry) | vertical | 2 | PatitucciPhoto | 1999 | ||||
| Movie & TV stills | vertical | 1 | Ursula Coyote | Movie stills | 2008 | |||
| Natural organic food photography | issue-driven | 2 | Mike Wepplo | Digital dimensions | 1990 | |||
| On-site photography for museums and publishers | vertical/technology specialization combo | 1 | Peter Harholdt | Specializing in large format photography for museum publishing projects | 1978 | |||
| Owner and pet portraiture | vertical | 1 | Brendan Burke | We specialize in capturing the bond between pet & owner in your own home. | ||||
| Park City stock photography | horizontal | 1 | Mark Maziarz | Premium stock image catalog of Park City photography for commercial, editorial, corporate and home & office use. | 1990 | |||
| Personal vacation photographer | vertical | 1 | Wayne Stadler | It's your vacation, you should be in the photos | 2010 | |||
| Photo editing service for wedding photographers. | vertical/technology specialization combo | 2 | FixThePhoto | Wedding season is too short to spend it on photo editing! | 2016 | |||
| Photo shoots and production services for artisans, designers and art directors | vertical/the way you work combo | 1 | Julien McRoberts | I am a commercial photographer who works with designers, art directors and marketing teams to create photographic imagery as original and genuine as the brands.they work so hard to develop. | 1997 | |||
| Pop-Renaissance | signature style | 1 | Dan Bannino | Mixing popular culture and Old Masters style | 2012 | |||
| Portraits for editorial publications | vertical/horizontal combo | 1 | Louise Haywood-Schiefer | 2005 | ||||
| Real estate agents | vertical | 2 | VHT Studios | A leading provider of professional photography, videos, floor plans, virtual staging & 3D tours for real estate professionals. | 1999 | |||
| Real estate agents | vertical | 1 | Matt Santos | Real estate and architectural photography | 1997 | |||
| Recruiting material for universities | vertical | 1 | Matthew Lester | Imagery for higher education admissions marketing. | 1999 | |||
| Resource industries (mining, oil & gas production) | related industries | 1 | Evan Collis | 1990 | ||||
| Rock concerts | vertical | 2 | Rockfoto | Specialised in concert photography | 2003 | |||
| Rockstars | vertical | 1 | Matthias Hombauer | Rockstar photographer | 2009 | |||
| Rodeo stock photo | vertical | 1 | Reed Settle | Professional rodeo photography | 2001 | |||
| Sable Island | umbrella focus | 1 | Damian Lidgard | 2006 | ||||
| Same-sex weddings | issue-driven | 2 | Cindy & Sharon | Documenting marriage equality one ceremony at a time. | 2005 | |||
| Same-sex weddings | issue-driven | 1 | Casandra Zetta | My mission is to provide a safe place for couples to share their love openly, and without worry. | 2012 | |||
| Scarring photography services for solicitors and insurance firms | vertical/horizontal combo | 2 | Clinical Photography UK | Nationwide expert personal injury photography | 2012 | |||
| Skateboarding | vertical | 1 | Arto Saari | 2001 | ||||
| Skydiving | technology specialization | 1 | Niklas Daniel | Skydiving photography | 2007 | |||
| Snowboarding/Mountain biking | related industries | 1 | Chris Wellhausen | 2005 | ||||
| Splashing/pouring liquids for advertising | vertical/technology specialization combo | 2 | Bill Cahill | Product and liquid photographer | 2003 | |||
| Sports | vertical | 1 | Bob Martin | A multi-award winning sports photographer specialising is shooting action, graphic, and editorial pictures for advertising, corporate and editorial clients. | 1986 | |||
| Still life photography | horizontal | 1 | Natalie Tkachuk | 2007 | ||||
| Surfing | vertical | 1 | Russel Ord | Ocean & Lifestyle Photographer | 1990 | |||
| Surrealistic iPhone photography | signature style | 1 | Cedric Blanchon | Surrealism Mobileartist | 2013 | |||
| Sweet sixteen celebrations | vertical | 1 | Ray Martinez | Sweet sixteen party photographer | 2012 | |||
| Tattooed brides | vertical | 1 | Mike Allebach | The original tattooed bride photographer | 2006 | |||
| The nautical world | related industries | 1 | Kat Hanafin | The nautical collection | 2010 | |||
| Tinder headshots | vertical | 1 | Max Schwarz | Get the most out of Tinder by taking photos of you that show your true self, or a slightly better looking version. | 2012 | |||
| 'Trash the Dress' wedding photography | signature style | 1 | Gregory Cain | 2012 | ||||
| Underwater photography (editorial) | horizontal | 2 | David Doubilet | Undersea images | 2003 | |||
| Underwater portraiture (surreal) | signature style | 1 | Jenna Martin | 2012 | ||||
| Vineyard and wine industry | related industries | 1 | Carolyn Corley Burgess | Vineyard photography | 2010 | |||
| Vintage neon signs | issue-driven | 1 | Bill Rose | Vintage neon sign photography | 2011 | |||
| Wild horses | issue-driven | 1 | Kimerlee Curyl | May Wild Things Be Free . . . Forever | ||||
| Wildlife photography | horizontal | 1 | David Tipling | |||||
| Wine bottles | vertical | 1 | Chris Potter | Be Smart, Look Smart. CSP Creative presents bottle photography as refined as your wine. | 2009 | |||
| Woman who thinks shes just not photogenic | vertical | 1 | Janice Robertson | Isn't it time to celebrate you | 2015 | |||
| X-ray photography | technology specialization | 2 | Nick Veasy | 2002 | ||||
| Yoga & Yogis (goddess portraits, feminine energy, women in motion) | umbrella focus | 1 | Ulrike Reinhold | 2016 |