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There is a lot of talk about what will grow your client base faster, should you specialize in a particular genre of #photography or be a #generalistphotographer?

I think both have their benefits, I think it’s just a matter of what the clientele that you serve want. The thought is if you do one thing, you do it better than trying to spread yourself thin. Personally, for me it is all about the passion and desire the subject  creates that drives the outcome of the photo. I tend to get bored easily so a variety of subjects has always worked better for me.

I was lucky enough to be the staff photographer at an amazing community newspaper for 18 years, yes I said ‘the’ which means, the only one, aside from sports. That meant you had to be well-rounded in many disciplines of photography, from #breakingnews to #portraitphotography. A generalist is known for going on any shoot and bringing back three above average shots for the next issue of the paper. Since leaving the paper I have narrowed down the subjects quite a bit,  but still enjoy a diverse group.

My publisher was gracious enough to give me a large warehouse space, both heated and cooled, with a 12 foot ceiling, ideal for a studio, where I housed all my lights, light modifiers and table tops. It was ready to go in the flip of a switch. We often created #covershots for one of the 12 Magizine covers we did a year, then I would go off on a two week shooting tangent, using every free moment in the studio. Now my #studio is on wheels in the form of a 38 ft toy hauler.

I do think my days of shooting at the paper taught me so much in the way of a generalist photographer, from research, to adapting to a given subject, to summarizing a highly empathetic feature story in a heartbeat in order to visually tell the best story. As I said earlier, my focus has narrowed. Todays shoots consist mostly of #portraits, #eventphotography, #rodeophotography, and commercial work with my wife, Lisa at Pro360virtualtours.com

My summarization of the original question, I believe as long as you’re staying enthused with what you’re shooting and continue to give more to that discipline, specializing is for you. Like me if your ADD flares up a lot, a more general approach my be best!

For Lisa and I, we both make our living as full-time, professional photographers, but it is our entertainment, as well. When we travel, we are both looking through the lens, trying new techniques and having fun. Our date night usually consist of dinner and #streetshooting somewhere, or a Sunday morning sidewalk before breakfast. This is when the generalist comes into full swing, when there is no pressure to produce, no deadline, no art director, Just flow and be!

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