Yesterday’s post from Jay Lawrence Goldman brought out a familiar theme, diversity.  

A few months back Calvin Hayes sent me some images he captured of sushi for a client who owned a restaurant.  Eddie Tapp had a remarkable series of architectural images in one of the trade magazines a short time ago.  Kay Eskridge did a pet shoot in Phoenix last summer.  Dawn Shields holds a monthly networking meeting for anyone involved in the wedding business in her area.  Bambi Cantrell did a commercial shoot for Kenneth Cole.   Clay Blackmore developed a relationship with the PGA years ago and it’s ongoing.  

Notice a theme?  Clavin, Dawn and Bambi are primarily known as “wedding photographers”.  Clay is primarily wedding and portrait. Eddie Tapp can shoot anything, but he’s best known for his Photoshop expertise and was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame two years ago.  Kay is best known for children and family portraiture.   The list of professional photographers who are becoming more and more diverse goes on and on!

Throughout our industry professional photographers are doing projects outside their normal area of expertise and they’re having a blast doing them!  The bottom line is easy to understand – nobody wants to turn down business when it comes through the door.   So, when opportunity knocks will you be ready?  Will you have the skills you need for that project that takes you completely out of your comfort zone?

There’s a whole series of major events right around the corner with Mystic 5,  Imaging USA, DWF (hope to see you there – I’m doing a marketing workshop on January 10) and WPPI in March.   In the next few weeks you’re going to wrap up your holiday orders and you’ll have a week or two of down time.  Use the time to think about your weakest suit – where do you need the most help or the most training?  Then, sit down with the list of speakers at all of the various events and see who’s going to be teaching those topics that will help you the most.

Survival and growth in the next few years is going to be driven by diversity.  Those photographers who can offer all of their clients “one stop shopping” will have the best shot at a great 2010.