Pros and Cons of working in a mid Market location for Photographers
Working outside of the major metro like LA or New York for photographers is not a terrible place to be and can actually provide some hidden opportunities. Let’s talk about a few of them based on my experience living in Kansas City, MO.
Kansas City is a population of 520,000 people and has several major sports teams such as the NFL, MLB, MLS, NWSL, and has venues that attract Big 12 conference among other events so it’s not small and does have opportunities around the city.
Travel & Cost of living equation
For clients that request travel to destination, living in Kansas City is no different from living in a major metro in terms of your ability to go and do this work. When you travel to locations across the US or across the world, the difference in distance between Kansas City and New York is negligible and then becomes an advantage.
eg. I traveled to Melbourne, Australia to work with Hyrox. Flying to Melbourne from Kansas City was inexpensive compared to many cities across the world. It turned out to be advantageous for me to travel from here.
Lower Production Costs
Models, stylists, location rentals, etc. are all less expensive than most metro areas so we are able to provide competitive costs for production of brand assets.
eg. Our setup for Louis Vuitton with Hunter & Tara Woodhall was quite efficient and we were able to set it up on short notice.
Caveat - Fit models are sometimes more difficult to come by. Models are frequently part time and of the models actively working, many of them do not work with fit concepts.
Caveat - Gear rentals are more limited - while we have large grip and lighting outfits, select gear rentals, one off needs, or last minute purchases are very tough and should be planned for in advance.
Caveat - Locations are limited. In particular, I have spent time evaluating our gym spaces for production and we are very limited in some of the spaces we have available.
Less competition - easier on ramps
Competition among photographers will always be high but this is lessened in markets such as Kansas City. While there is volume in photographers, great talents are harder to find and they are frequently busy. This gives space for a photographer to establish a business here and get access to unique opportunities.
eg. I received an email from L’Equipe magazine to work on an article covering Hunter and Tara Woodhall. This was an opportunity that surely would not have come across my desk if I was a major metro photographer because my work in the editorial space was very thin. L’Equipe identified me as a talented creative and booked me even though I had some gaps in my work.
Caveat - you can’t niche down as much in these roles because of the broad base of work you may need to cover to stay busy.
Final Thoughts
I have wondered to myself if Kansas City is the best place for me to pursue this career and my answer so far has always provided more positives than negatives. Of course I’ll never be sure how my career could have changed moving to a larger metro but I know that at least here, while I may have a smaller space to work within, I’m taking up more mindshare in it as well.