Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 186 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
So, this week, I was asked how many photography genres can be monetized.
I’ve been adding to my list all week, and I’ve come up with 34.
You’ll find that many of these genres overlap.
Anyway, let’s start with …
Portrait Photography – This is where most photographers start, by doing practice sessions with family and friends. Like every type of photography, practice makes perfect. The better your work is, the more you can charge for it, and the better your reputation is, the more bookings you’ll get. There’s a lot of money to be made shooting portraits and family portraits.
Wedding Photography - After spending time understanding how to take portraits, many photographers feel the need to do weddings. There is excellent earning potential shooting weddings. Depending on your target audience, there is no limit to what you can charge. Anything is possible if your quality is high and your brand fits into the audience's lifestyle.
Event Photography – Covers events like trade shows, parties, and concerts. There is a ton of more to be made shooting events, especially trade shows where the organizers hire you. Shooting parties and concert earnings depend on the level of the event. Covering a party for 5-year-olds won’t make you as much money as a Christmas party for local business people.
Movie or TV Still Photography – a unit still photographer takes photos on set to promote a film or TV show. The images are used daily in the filming process by carefully recording all details of the cast wardrobe, set appearance, and background. This helps with continuity. It stops mistakes, like an actor walking through a doorway, taking his hat off, and in the next scene, he has his hat on again. Movie and TV companies are unionized, and the pay is excellent.
Landscape Photography – This is a hobby for most photographers, but for the top 1-5 percent, it’s a business. I think very few of the top landscape photographers make their income solely from print sales. Most have a YouTube channel or offer workshops to add to the print sales.
Architectural – Architectural photography is where you capture images of buildings that look great but, more importantly, are accurate. That is, all horizontal and vertical lines need to be 90 degrees to each other. Inside knowledge of the architecture market is needed.
Real Estate – This is a great genre to work in. Maybe consider adding video and drone.
Fashion Photography – Emphasis is on clothing, accessories, and models in stylish or conceptual settings.
Glamour Photography – Similar to fashion, but focusing on beauty and sensuality.
Fashion Editorial Photography – Fashion photography that tells a story for magazines and newspapers.
Boudoir – These images feature intimate, sensual, and romantic images of the subject. They are usually more suggestive than explicit.
Street Photography – Captures candid moments of people in public places, often focusing on urban life. In the past, I have said I don’t see where you could make money as a street photographer. Well, apparently, large corporations like Nike are hiring street photographers for their ad campaigns.
Documentary Photography – Tells stories or provides information about an event, place, or culture. Your market would be Newspapers and magazines.
Fine Art Photography – Creations that express the photographer's vision, often through creative composition or subject matter.
Sports Photography – Whether you are shooting kids or adult professionals, there is money to be made. You do need to invest in fast lenses with a long focal length for most team sports.
Product Photography – Showcases products for advertising or catalog purposes. You don’t need to be shooting products for large corporations. Start with local stores to get started.
Food Photography – Highlights food and beverages, often for commercial or editorial use. Get started working for local restaurants and coffee shops.
Commercial Photography – Creating images for commercial use, such as advertisements and websites.
Wildlife Photography – Capture animals in their natural habitats. Wild animal prints are way easier to sell than landscapes.
Underwater Photography – Focuses on underwater scenes, often involving marine life or ship wrecks.
Travel Photography – If you like to travel, this could be a way to pay for your trips. Travel photography doesn’t mean the photos are only about traveling. They can be anything that you can sell on your travels.
Astrophotography – Focused on photographing celestial objects like stars, planets, and galaxies. I'm not sure how big the market is for astrophotos. If you include, say, the Milky Way galaxy over a business sign or property, the owner might buy it. It’s not for me because it’s past my bedtime.
Night Photography – Capturing images in low light or at night, such as cityscapes. Not sure what that market is like.
Aerial Photography – Photos taken from the sky using drones or aircraft. The cameras on the latest drones are incredible.
Macro Photography – Extreme close-up photography, like insects or flowers. The market for people buying insect prints is not there. Flowers are easier to sell but not a big market.
Newborn Photography – Capturing newborn babies and their families is a big genre. Everyone wants photos of the new family member.
Pet Photography – This is a great market to get into. People treat their pets like children, and they are willing to pay you for a portrait.
Still Life Photography – Generally, inanimate objects like fruit or vases are photographed in a studio. One style is making the objects look like a Dutch Master painting. They look great, but I'm not sure whether it’s a money-maker.
Time-lapse Photography – This is capturing a sequence of images over time, which are then played back at a faster speed. There is a market for time-lapse videos on Adobe Stock and Pond5.
Photojournalism – A form of documentary photography that tells news stories through images. The decline in printed news media has shrunk the job opportunities for photojournalists.
Event Portrait Photography – Combines portraiture and event photography, capturing people at events. I’ve done this at dog obedience competitions. I didn’t shoot the competition; I had a studio set up, and when a dog won an award, they came to me for a portrait.
Branding & Lifestyle Photography – Capturing the moments of people in everyday life. Pick up a lifestyle magazine or check out a lifestyle website to see the types of photos. There is lots of money to be made shooting this style.
Automobile Photography – I’m talking about offering your services to owners of high-end cars or motorbikes. That’s where the money is. Giving them beautifully lit, magazine-quality images.
Headshot Photography – This could be a great genre to get into. Take a course and perfect your technique. Headshots are wanted by everyone in a management position, as well as by actors. It’s a great way to make a living.
Okay, those are 34 genres you can make money as a photographer. I’m sure I missed some. If I did, you can find me and tell me in the Facebook group, Instagram, and Bluesky.
I’ll be back next week with a lens case full of waffle. Talk to you soon. Bye.
