How to Build a Business as a Niche Photographer with David Pidgeon
Dave Pidgeon is the owner of Creative Sports Photography, providing athlete and team portrait experiences unlike any other in the south central Pennsylvania region. He’s a self-taught photographer and business owner with an affinity for environmental portraiture. He loves the challenge of using off-camera strobes to create athlete images in their home stadiums, parks or courts.
Before starting his portrait business, Dave worked nearly two decades in newspaper journalism and public relations/crisis communications. Today, he lives in Lancaster with his wife, Alison, and their three sons Ryan, Liam, and Finn.
Dave and I connected right at the start of his business, and he hit the ground running! He joined The Six-Figure Studio and my level-2 mentoring program Amplified, and it's been so much fun watching him grow.
HIGHLIGHTS
Dave's thoughts on being "too niche".
There is no local service quite like Dave's. Because of that, he's had to educate people on what his business is and what it provides. The fun part for him is to watch people's reactions to it. He loves showing the athletes and their parents sneak peeks during the sessions, and it always gets them excited for more.
It takes time to grow a business. Dave claims that what he's learned in The Six-Figure Studio helps him stay accountable but also learn from his mistakes and keep moving forward. He loves the community aspect and the fact that everyone is welcome in the group, no matter where they are on their journey.
Finding Your Unique Style
Clarity and finding your unique style as an artist is something many photographers struggle with. Why? Comparison steps in and makes them think they need to be like everyone else in their industry! Dave and I chatted about how he was able to find his signature style that is so loved by his clients.
Dave knew he wanted a dramatic look in his images. He says the athletes' dreams and ambitions are as big as they may ever be, and they also may be as close as they'll ever be to achieving them. Even Dave's point-of-view is intentional—you'll notice in his work, most of the time the camera is looking up. The athletes are portrayed as strong and heroic, because they are and that's how they should be seen.
Dave likes to give the athletes some creative freedom. He wants them to feel seen and heard and give them some input on how they'd like to show up in their photos. Dave treats every shoot as a priority, so his clients don't feel like they're taken for granted. People can feel if you're interested in them and enjoying your time together, so he always puts in the extra effort.
How did you build a portfolio?
Dave received the advice to provide more value than you get. He knows photographers deserved to be paid fairly, but you also need to be real about where you are in your journey. Everyone starts from somewhere, even if that's taking photos for free! Building a portfolio from scratch takes time.
If you want to create market for your work, it takes some sacrifice. You must understand that you're not the hero of the story as a photographer—you're here to help your clients. That mindset shifts how you show up to put in the work it takes to build a portfolio.
Dave has never been so confident and comfortable in his work as he is right now. He credits a lot of that to understanding the business side of running his photography business. When you understand the business side, you know how to communicate the value of your work and that leads to confidence.
Follow Dave on his Instagram here!
