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Hi Reader,

The most successful stock photographers I know aren’t sitting around waiting for their dream shoots.
They’re out there creating their own opportunities.

Last February, I flew to Vegas (yes, that Vegas) to shoot… a dental office.
Scrubs, suction tools, and all. 🦷

But it wasn’t some stiff, fake-smile, posed nonsense.
I photographed real dental staff doing their actual jobs: appointments, procedures, interacting with patients.
No actors pretending to be hygienists. No plastic teeth.

Before the shoot, I did a deep dive on existing dental stock and… wow.
It was giving 1998 toothpaste ad.
All I saw was:

🚫 Zero diversity
🚫 Zero personality
🚫 Zero trust

And THAT was my lightbulb moment:​
There’s a massive gap in the market.

Dental offices (and a zillion other industries) need authentic images.
Not perfection. Just storytelling of Real, relatable people.

So I stopped waiting. I found a connection, pitched the shoot, planned it, and made it happen.
And now? I’ve got a high-performing collection that fills a real need because nobody else is doing it like this. My agency even reached out to rave about them!

This is exactly the kind of work my students learn to do.
We don’t sit around hoping we’ll “get inspired.”
We look at the market, find what’s missing, and go make it.

That same approach helped me work with:

• My daughter’s preschool
• Dozens of local businesses
• Real families

All of which have paid me more than if it had been a traditional client shoot.

Here’s how to do it in your own niche:

→ Find industries still using stiff, outdated stock
→ Research what local businesses actually need
→ Offer to shoot it (free or paid, I've done it both ways)
→ Build relationships. Rinse, repeat.

psst... I break it all down inside this guide:

$7.00 License it: The Guide for Turning Past Photo Shoots Into Passive Income For photographers who are done letting their hard drives collect dust and ready to finally get paid for the work they’ve... Read more Get it Now For Just $7!

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People say the stock photo market is saturated.
And sure it is... with boring stuff.
But authentic, intentional storytelling? Real people that we can relate to? Still wide open.

xo,
Aubrey

P.S. A self-study version of Stock Photography Academy is coming soon. If you’re ready to stop waiting and start building a portfolio that actually sells, this is your chance to do that AND save over $500 👀

xo,

Aubrey