5 reasons why a niche newborn photography business works well
I have spent my whole career as a photographer and have shot in a few different genres. Food photography, commercial photography, branding photography (before it was a thing), family portraiture and wedding photography. I very quickly in my career came to conclusion that niching and specialising was the best way to build my business. When I photographed both commercial photography and weddings, I had 2 websites, 2 emails, and 2 social media accounts. This worked well but was a lot of extra work for me to do.
When I started photographing newborns and created Mabel and Moose, I knew that I wanted to concentrate purely on babies, with a little bit of maternity. It was important for me to have a brand, an identity, something that would stand out from every other newborn photographer.
1. I only photograph babies from newborn to 18 months. Being a niche brand allows you to really master your craft and become an expert in what you do.
2. I don’t allow dogs or family pets in my studio. I absolutely adore dogs, but I want my studio to 100% clean. I don’t wish to be cleaning up after a doggy friend and I don’t want to find a stray pet hair on a newborn. Dogs, all animals, can be very unpredictable, and even though the family will tell you that their pet is very well behaved and gentle, I don’t want to take the risk that their pet reacts badly to an unfamiliar environment in my studio. It would take a split second for a dog to snap or scratch a baby and that’s a risk that I (and my insurers ) don’t want to take. I did it once, the photograph was adorable but I felt so uncomfortable during the shoot that I haven’t offered this service again.
3. A niche business has very set workflows. I have systems in place for client onboarding, during the photoshoot, editing, Reveal session and delivery of products. If you shoot several genres then you have to have several systems and pathways in place. Clients know 100% what to expect in a niche business. Think of visiting a niche restaurant. You know exactly what food you will be served and what the service and ambiance will be like.
4. I only include baby, parents and little siblings. My studio is set up to cater perfectly for this family scenario. I have toys and clothes for siblings under 5 years. If I was to cater for much older siblings and larger family groups it would negatively impact on the safe cosy space I have created. My posing workflow is designed around parents and one small sibling. I wouldn’t turn away 2 siblings under 5 years, but I wouldn’t show any images like this on my website or social media.
5. It’s what I love to do. I am so happy being a very niche newborn and baby business. If you do what you love then you will thrive. Every week I refer people to there photographers if they just don’t fit my niche. Parents who want lots of props included, or pets or older sibling or who want to wear bright colors, they are not my clients and so I am happy to guide them to the right photographer for them.