Professional Nature Photographers Share Tips on How to Stay Relevant in 2024

We asked three professional nature photographers what inspires them and how they stay relevant and create happy clients in 2024. Here is what they said.

Bryan Lopac Started His Photography Business in Honor of His Mom

Hi Bryan,

You took 1st place last year in our 123Print Fall Photo Contest! We are featuring an article on our blog about professional photographers and are wondering if you can answer some questions?

“Sure, of course.”

Bryan Lopac, Michigan

#1 What inspired you to start your photography business, and how has your journey evolved since its inception?

“I do it in honor of my mother who passed away 7 years ago. She always showed me beauty in everything that surrounds us. I use to share with her places I went to photograph and now I want to share those same things with everyone else.”

#2 In a competitive industry like photography, what strategies have you found most effective for attracting and retaining clients?

“Approaching businesses and asking about their decor. When your pictures are up in a business, you get way more exposure.”

#3 Can you share a memorable or challenging project that you’ve worked on recently, and what lessons did you learn from it?

“Fall 15 project!  We have 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and I wanted to capture a fall picture in each county. I then placed the appropriate picture in its county to form the Fall 15!” 

#4 With the ever-changing landscape of technology and trends, how do you stay innovative and relevant in your photography style and services?

“Always trying new pictures, places, and looking at your surroundings more.” 

#5 Beyond capturing moments, how do you aim to create an experience for your clients, and what elements do you prioritize to ensure their satisfaction?

“I want them to have options, so I shoot water, sunrise, sunset, nature, weather, etc. I want to give the customer many options for what they put on their walls.”

You can view and purchase Bryan Lopac’s artwork at yooperexplorer.com.

Our second (Susan Chesnut) and third-place (Suzanne Burns) winners were asked the same set of questions. See how their answers connect in interesting ways while also defining them as individuals. Photography is a very personal industry; from the buyer to the seller, artwork triggers its own set of reactions, intertwining emotions with memories—logic and the irrational—the conscious and unconscious mind.

Susan Chesnut Finds Inspiration in Her Surroundings for Her Photography Business

#1 Susan, what inspired you to start your photography business, and how has your journey evolved since its inception?

“I’ve been taking photos since I was a young girl, and my dad got me my first camera.  I love just going out with no inspiration in mind and letting wherever I am inspire me in the moment.  I moved to the mountains about 20 years ago and was so taken with the beauty around me.  I took a great photo of an eagle that won first place and BEST in show, and one of the judges asked me if I’d sell a print of the photo to him … my dream business was born from that photo!” 

Susan Chesnut, Colorado

#2 In a competitive industry like photography, what strategies have you found most effective for attracting and retaining clients?

“Just offering what I have and hoping that clients and customers like my work. I let my photography speak for itself.”

#3 Can you share a memorable or challenging project that you’ve worked on recently, and what lessons did you learn from it?

“I have done Arts and Crafts shows for years but never organized them. Our HOA asked me to run the large shows up here, and that has been a challenge. People are the biggest challenge, not their art per se but their personalities. I just have to put that all aside and have learned to go with my gut. I can’t please everyone all of the time, so I just let it be.”  

#4 With the ever-changing landscape of technology and trends, how do you stay innovative and relevant in your photography style and services?

“I’m struggling with the AI component of photography now and how people can manipulate a photo to make it “perfect”.  I’m trying not to get “sucked” into it and stick to my principles of good and ethical photography.  So many people can and do take photos on their phones, and while I appreciate that and do it as well, it’s all in the composition that makes a good photo great.”

#5 Beyond capturing moments, how do you aim to create an experience for your clients, and what elements do you prioritize to ensure their satisfaction?

“I really enjoy shooting wildlife and natural landscapes because then I’m the “driver” and create my own photo.  But I do have clients for whom I do family photo shoots, grad photos, weddings, etc.  To keep these people happy, I sit down with them and talk about what they’re expecting and what they want, then shoot with that direction.  After doing that, I do creative photos with them that sometimes they like and other times they don’t, but I still get to play with the photo shoot a bit and have fun.  I want it to be an enjoyable experience for them and myself.”

You can view and purchase Susan’s artwork at fineartamerica.com.

From Fine Art to Photography

#1 Suzanne, what inspired you to start your photography business, and how has your journey evolved since its inception?

 “I started as a fine art painter, and the first thing my professor told me was that photography was an art form of its own, so why paint something you can photograph?  From that point my “business” was art and photography was a tool. “

Suzanne Burns, Washington

#2 In a competitive industry like photography, what strategies have you found most effective for attracting and retaining clients?

“In the past 20 years, besides my art business, I have become a movie maker of Havanese puppy litters.  The photos and video are taken from the birth of the puppies to their placement in forever homes.  Each week, I take photos and film footage to put together in movie format for YouTube.  As I am not a professional pet photographer, the way my photos compete is by telling a story over 12 weeks, using adorable puppies doing adorable things like learning to climb stairs or meeting new people and experiencing strange, scary noises in Home Depot.” 

#3 Can you share a memorable or challenging project that you’ve worked on recently, and what lessons did you learn from it?

“One of my first paintings was an oil called GARDENS OF LIGHT.  I recently re-created this painting in an actual garden.  Although this took great patience, the garden eventually became the painting. The most challenging part of photographing this was the changing light from dawn to dusk, as the colors and shadows moved, as well as the position of the light during each season.  I learned to use the light to emphasize the areas that were in their best bloom.”

#4 With the ever-changing landscape of technology and trends, how do you stay innovative and relevant in your photography style and services?

“I believe the best way to stay competitive and innovative in this field is to understand that drones, software editing, travel, and high-tech cameras are all part of the business. If one does not have the capability to acquire the skills for all of these tools, then partnering with those who do is a good way to stay relevant and have an income.”

#5 Beyond capturing moments, how do you aim to create an experience for your clients, and what elements do you prioritize to ensure their satisfaction?

I use music when I can to accompany the photos/videos.

You can view and purchase Suzanne’s artwork at burnsgardens.com.

Starting a photography business? We can help! Check out 123Print.com today!