The first step of the scientific process is making an observation. While I may not have shouted “Eureka,” I can identify the single moment where I decided to start Cryptid Photography. This field note is the information I gathered immediately after, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the process, it’s that there’s always room to learn more.
Location
Carrollton, Texas
& The Farmer’s Branch Rose Gardens, Texas
Subject of Interest
- Photography Industry in Dallas
- Different Photography Niches
- Competition
- Photography Business Forums
Objective
My goal was to take a look at the existing photographers in Dallas, the different marketing options available to photographers, and what it truly looks like to break into an established industry with very little existing network.
Initial Thoughts
The concept
It was an old 35mm film camera from a thrift store that introduced me to the concept of photography with anything but a phone. I had seen professional photographers, of course, but the magic of getting that dream shot and preserving a moment without having to be glued to a screen had eluded me. Of course, similar to when I switched to a computerized sewing machine, I soon graduated to a more professional-grade camera with a screen on it. The magic was still there, though.
Learning the foundations of photography, lighting, aperture and shutter settings, ISO, and focus, was also teaching me to be more appreciative of the world around me. Instead of just seeing a bird in a tree, I was seeing the way the feathers of a blue jay caught the sun as it searched for lunch. My newfound appreciation for birding was an additional bonus, but that’s a different note for a different day.
The concept of Cryptid Photography came from a personal root: the need for a wedding photographer. I started with just Googling photographers in my city and wasn’t in love with the styles I was seeing. I eventually started searching how to search for a photographer that fit the style I was looking for. More of the same thing, styles that were too stylized or not stylized enough, over and under-edited. Soon, the only thing that was showing up was frustration with being unable to find a photographer who felt equipped to tell my story the way I wanted it told instead of the way the photographer wanted to sell it.
Based on what I was seeing on Reddit, others were having the same problem. The worst part was not having quite the right words to describe the style of the photo. So many terms that describe a finished product, but different (or at least variable) definitions for all of them. And then an idea struck me! Find photos that matched the vibes that I wanted, search for photographers that matched it. Easy, right?
The Manifestation
It was The Surgeon’s Photograph of 1934 that did me in. This was precisely the “style” I was looking for. Not necessarily the monochromatic grain and lack of focus, but a picture that made people talk. It’s a picture that makes people wonder! There’s the nostalgia factor of watching different cryptozoology documentaries on TV combined with the magic of being able to pull off such a hoax 50 years before Photoshop was released.
As I complained to a friend about not being able to find a wedding photographer (as of the time of writing, I still haven’t), they jokingly suggested that I simply photograph it on my own. While that isn’t the ideal solution for me, it did jump-start the thinking that while I can’t reasonably photograph my own wedding, I could do someone else’s! But why restrict myself to weddings? And to make a few months of internal monologue and argument short, Cryptid Photography was born and Nessie got a spot of honor in the logo
Observations
The Competition
From my initial searching, I found that the photography market in Dallas is a robust one. There were quite a few talented photographers in every niche.
The best way to make money with a camera is by selling your camera.
That quote floated in my mind as the idea that the market may be oversaturated began to occur to me. A few things, though, jumped out.
- There were plenty of Reddit posts and other social media posts about people looking for photographers. Sometimes they just asked for photographers, other times they were looking for a specific style.
- If I was able to find a photographer with a variable style, it was usually a studio or collective, or someone with a subject-niche like only corporate or only pet photography.
- The prices were incredibly variable, but the more exploration visible in someone’s professional portfolio, the higher their prices usually were.
The market wasn’t missing a particular style or niche, it was missing adaptability. Dallas needed a photographer who would, and could, tell any story at an accessible price point. (A touch more whimsy also never hurts!)
The Opportunity
Luckily for me, though, I didn’t need to start making money with photography immediately. My day job is working in business development at a very talented marketing agency and there was one thing that I had always wanted to do while convincing businesses to engage an agency for services: experiments. Things I could never ask someone to pay to receive, because I wasn’t sure if it would work, and things that sounded just a bit too crazy to ask the other people at the agency to try.
So I made a list!
All of the different questions I had about the efficacy of certain marketing channels for a creative niche, all the crazy thoughts I had while looking at other organizations’ marketing, I would get to try them out on Cryptid. I would also get an inside look at the different operational procedures and requirements for running a business, determine what could be realistically done alone and what I should probably tap people in for.
Stay tuned for more Field Notes, and keep your eye on the Journal for more expeditions. See you soon!
Leave a Reply