| Re: Market Size
In a small market you probably have to diversify or learn to live on less. Most of what I see small market photogs doing is weddings, HS seniors and misc portraiture.
Success or failure seems to be more a matter of their business and marketing skills (and i suppose personality and actual talent are factors too).
How many full time photogs near me? I have no clue really as many work out of their own homes (as i do) and don't advertise themselves as full time or not. In my county of about 165,000 residents I know of at least 7 studios - as in main street or other deciated business locations, most are 1 or 2 people operations from what i can tell. One does mostly HS Seniors and spends a lot to get them, one has been in the county for over 100 years and every restaurant that has the old pics on the walls have that studio's name on them, so he sells more than just current ports, and I know he has contracts with several large businesses for corp head shots and the like.
I also know of at least 8 or 9 wedding photogs what work from home. Hard to say how many weddings they actually shoot, or if they do much else (seniors, etc).
About 50% of my weddings come from Pittsburgh, in the next county over with a population of 2 million or so. I have no idea on the number of studios and photogs there.
I did look at purchasing a couple of studios in rural locations (50-100k population in the county), one the typical mix the other the HS Senior powerhose of the area - both did 175k in sales with an income of around 45-60k aftger expenses, both had studios on their properties, and likley no mortgages or small ones (an assumption, but having owned their properites for 20+ years and doint some basic math I think it's a fair assumption)
Country folks will drive farther for services - they have too. But you cannot charge as much as larger markets but often your expenses are lower.  | 
Linear Mode
