9 Profitable Niches in Photography
Explore 9 profitable photography niches and discover how to turn your passion into a thriving business.
Business Guides | Learn | By Jeff Collier
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The global photography services market is worth billions. So, there are clearly some great opportunities for photographers just waiting to be uncovered.
But do all niches pay well? What sort of work should you focus on?
To help you answer these questions, we’ll take a look at nine profitable niches in the photography industry.
What Makes a Photography Niche Profitable
Credit: Charles Chen
There are different kinds of profitability in the industry.
For instance, weddings pay well. However, they’re seasonal and capped at two, maybe three days a week. So, you’d need to look for clients with deep pockets to make a wedding worth your time.
On the other hand, sometimes profitability comes from volume. Think of school or sports team photos. You could easily take a ton of those.
There’s also the reliable sort of profitability. If that’s what you’re after, you’re better off finding a job as an in-house photographer rather than chasing a specific niche.
- Also check out this guide: How to Make More Money as a Photographer
9 Profitable Photography Niches
In a rush? Check out this quick overview:
| Photography Niche | Average Annual Salary |
| Weddings | Nearly $100,000 |
| Advertising | Nearly $83,000 |
| Babies | ~$64,000 |
| Equine | $60,000 to $66,000 |
| Editorials | ~$66,000 |
| Aerials | Nearly $87,000 |
| Underwater | ~$42,000 |
| Stock | ~$62,000 |
| Jewelry | Nearly $71,000 |
Sources: ZipRecruiter, Comparably and Salary.com
1. Wedding Photography
Credit: Nghia Trinh
I had to kick the list off with wedding photography for two reasons:
- A wedding is the sort of occasion that makes people willing to splurge and pay a photographer up to hundreds of dollars an hour.
- Wedding photographers will find work as long as the wedding industry lasts (and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere).
The drawbacks? Doing weddings is a lot of work, and things will get slow during the low season.
2. Advertising Photography
Credit: Fachry Zella Devandra
Advertising photographers approach their work as an art, trying to capture a mood or feeling. They’re also compensated as artists, with a high average hourly rate.
Side Note: Commercial photography and advertising photography aren’t the same thing. The intent, style, and end-users are all different!
3. Baby Photography
Credit: Pixabay
If you choose the baby photography niche, your “clients” will be as uncooperative as can be (though also extremely cute). That said, the compensation is usually great.
ZipRecruiter puts the estimate at around $31 an hour, but Comparably says baby photographers make 97% more than the US average compensation!
4. Equine Photography
Credit: Kirsten Lachance
While I’m on the topic of uncooperative (yet cute) clients, I want to highlight the equine niche. It generally pays better than regular pet photography ($19 an hour).
5. Editorial Photography
Credit: Naeim Jafari
If you start as an assistant for a magazine photographer, you could make your way up the ladder and become an editorial photographer.
Side Note: There are a lot of sub-niches here (fashion, travel, wildlife, architecture, etc.), and you might end up doing more than one.
6. Aerial Photography
Credit: Gerritt Tisdale
Lots of photographers use aerial techniques, including real-estate photographers.
However, real-estate photographers make around $73,000 on average. Meanwhile, those who specialize in aerial photography make more than $86,000 a year.
7. Diving/Underwater Photography
Credit: Leonardo Lamas
Are you good at diving and willing to invest in underwater photography gear? If so, you could take shots of shipwrecks and marine life for a living.
While the salary estimates on ZipRecruiter are modest, Comparably reports that the average underwater photographer makes over $100,000!
8. Stock Photography
Credit: Lisa Fotios
A single stock photo can bring in $700, but the beauty of the stock niche isn’t just in the income potential.
It’s so diverse that you could still do what you love. For instance, street, macro, pet, underwater, architecture, and wildlife photographers can all make extra money from stock photography.
Find out the best stock photography sites for earning money here.
9. Jewelry Photography
Credit: Hosniye Sadeghi
The jewelry photography market checks all the right boxes.
It’s not supersaturated (yet), the clientele is usually loaded, and you don’t need a ton of time for each session.
- See also: How to Start a Photography Business
Final Thoughts
The saying goes: “When everyone digs for gold, sell shovels.”
Going by that principle, you might also want to consider selling photography gear or maybe courses if you’ve got the experience for it.
However, if shooting is your passion, why not give one of the above niches a go?
Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.
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Jeff Collier is an experienced film photographer who enjoys experimenting with modern digital photography equipment, software and apps. He’s also an ex-world champion triathlete and avid cyclist, clocking hundreds of km each week in the beautiful Tweed Valley of northern NSW, Australia.