After more than 10 years as a photographer, there is something really strange I’ve discovered. Depending of the country you are working in, being specialized can be something mandatory or not. Let me explain my thoughts.
I’m officially a wedding photographer. I know that for my current client in Europe (mainly Americans, UK, Russians a bit…), I have to be A WEDDING photographer. It’s my speciality and I do it well. Like a doctor can be generalist or specialist. You don’t pay actually the same price for each.
However, when you do wedding photography, you do many things during the day, and you have to be capable to deal with many situations, quickly, and be ready.

You have to do jewels pictures, details, shoes, dress… You shoot the emotions, as a documentary photographer, dealing with the light and the people the way it is.
You shoot decors and architectures with the set of the ceremony and the venue, and then portraits, with the group pictures.

You also do fashion during the couple session, and all of that while continuing shooting unexpected moments coming from nowhere and full of emotions.
Then the dinner, with food pictures, speechs, sometimes with the worth light possible (pink, green, blue…). You finish the day handling with the party, means darkness, crazy lights, and people moving.

Now, tell me a wedding photographer cannot do anything else than weddings? Actually we can do so many things!
And I love shooting decors, architecture, interiors for example. Why should I hide that, just to stay specialized?
Well, I decided to not!
I created different spaces on my website, different instagram accounts, and to promote these parts of my work too!

But if it’s something totally possible in the Middle East for example, in Europe and US, you have to stay discreet, and to keep saying “I’m a wedding photographer”, to keep the prestige of being specialized.
And you, what do you think about that?