I watched this video by Sean Tucker the other day which I have to say has been one of the most helpful videos I have watched as a photographer in a very long time. In fact I personally think every photographer should watch this video.
I often torment myself, debating whether or not I am being niche enough as a photographer and with my content on YouTube and Instagram. Sometimes I do street photography in big urban cities, sometimes I do landscape photography and photograph big, open vistas.
On my YouTube channel, sometimes I'm on a hike and just having fun, sometimes I'm travelling the world, sometimes I'm in my flat and talking about anxiety and frustrations in my life.
My Instagram in particular these days is a mess of landscape photos, videos of me cooking my dinner, selfies and pretty much whatever else I feel like.
So I often worry that I should be more focused on one particular area if I'm to have any success as a photographer. Sometimes I'll think maybe I should quit landscape photography completely and just focus on street so then my Instagram and Youtube videos will have consistency so that people will always know what to expect.
I know however, that that will not make me happy ultimately because I love doing landscape photography. It brings me a lot of happiness. And so this video by Sean Tucker made me feel so much better, where he says that you should not worry about 'labelling' yourself as a particular type of photographer and just take photos of whatever makes you happy.
He uses himself as an example and the many different topics he discusses on his own channel as well as the different genres he photographs. Sometimes corporate head shots, sometimes street, sometimes colour, sometimes black and white.
He also gives examples of some of the best photographers ever and how the best photographers just shoot what they want without worry. He explains Don McCullin for example started photographing colourful landscapes around his home recently. When people said to him, this is not who you are, this is not what you do as a photographer Don simply replied:
"I don't belong to any particular genre of photography. I'm just a photographer!"
Seriously watch the video!