Take a look through a bridal magazine, or visit a high 
school senior fair. There are dozens of photographers vying for the attention of just a few new clients.
Photographers seem to exist everywhere these days. Because digital cameras seem to make shooting easier, more people are trying to turn it into a career. Or at least a second or third source of income.
So the question comes down to: Can you really make a good living at photography, or is there just not enough business to go around?
Let’s look at a few other industries for a moment.
Have you ever looked for a web designer? In addition to full time companies, you also compete with freelancers, part time designers, and all of the moms/dads/sisters/brothers/sons/daughters that have ever taken a web design class and think they have the ability to create a dynamic website.
Lets move to the law industry. There is one lawyer for every 264 people in the U.S. Add to it the number of do-it-yourself law kits through office supply stores, and websites like nololaw.com that offer contracts, wills, and other legal documentation for reduced fees. Can you really earn a great living as a lawyer?
What about realtor? You can’t hit a networking group without running into a handful of them. Watch your mailbox, and you’re sure to get advertisements from a half dozen every week. And for the do-it-yourself crowd, you can sell easily on Craigslist, or with places like HelpUSell, do more of the work yourself and cut the sales commission down to next to nothing.
Yet in all these industries, I’ll bet you can quickly think of several examples in your area where people are making good money in the industry. I know a realtor that has been in business for over 30 years, and has dozens of listings today in the marketplace. I also know a lawyer that is one of the best in his areas of specialties, flies all over the country to meet with new clients, and can afford to be very selective about the cases he chooses to handle.
Starting up a business isn’t about how much competition you’re facing. It’s about how much passion you have. In every economy, in every neighborhood, there is always a way to make a new business work.
You have to be different. You have to provide something no one else can. You have to look at things just a little bit different.
Don’t copy. Pave your own path. And you’ll soon be at the top of your field, making what you deserve.
About Virtual Photography
