macro photography market size in UK

nass

nass

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Johan
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Hello,

I'm looking at some business ideas and trying to justify something - and really need some reliable idea of the size of the UK macro photography market. Bit of an obscure query, but if anyone has any data or knows of any, please let me know by reply or pm?

Thanks!!

-Nass
 
Of what? Insects? Coins? Crystals?
 
Google Lord V aka Brian Valentine
 
nass said:
... really need some reliable idea of the size of the UK macro photography market.
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Define "size".
Define "macro photography".
Define "market".
 
I'd like to know roughly what number of macro photography enthusiasts there are in the UK - not just "all encompassing" enthusiasts like myself, but how many dabble occasionally.
 
nass said:
I'd like to know roughly what number of macro photography enthusiasts there are in the UK - not just "all encompassing" enthusiasts like myself, but how many dabble occasionally.
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Me I have a macro lens and love using it. Mostly used for flowers and insects so far.
 
nass said:
Careful. Once you get started.... :)
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Lol I love it. I'm like a big kid in a sweetie shop with photography anyway. I took the macro lens to a butterfly house last Month and went back again a few weeks later, as I had enjoyed it so much. As someone who is a relative novice to photography, I actually find it easier to work with macro than while doing landscape for instance. There seems to be less to consider, so the margins of change are limited, making it easier for me to work on adjustments with ISO, shutter speed and aperture. That helps to build my confidence and of course that is a good feeling. Shame it gets shattered when I get back to outdoor photography, but it's all experience.
 
nass said:
I'd like to know roughly what number of macro photography enthusiasts there are in the UK - not just "all encompassing" enthusiasts like myself, but how many dabble occasionally.
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You're considering a product or a service and not "photography?" Then it comes down more to cost/value/perceived benefit of what you are offering... If it's a service, then your immediate market area is much more relevant than if it's a product.
TBH, I'm struggling with what kind of service you might provide... "training?"... I think that would be a hard one in a limited market area (i.e. clients come to you).

IMO, training/mentoring is highly undervalued these days... everything is free on youtube...
 
nass said:
I'd like to know roughly what number of macro photography enthusiasts there are in the UK - not just "all encompassing" enthusiasts like myself, but how many dabble occasionally.
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I don't think there's realistically any way of knowing that. I mean, it's hard enough getting data on relatively simple things like how many DSLR users there are. Whst they actually do with their cameras, and how seriously? Fat chance.

But also I'm really struggling to see where you're going with this. I mean, occasional dabblers and potential customers are not synonymous. I would count myself as an occasional dabbler (see below) but that doesn't mean I'm likely to want to spend money on products or services connected with my occasional dabbling. If I did that for all my occasional dabblings, I'd be broke!

My kind of occasional dabbling:
StewartR said:
I did an interesting non-bug macro project for my camera club last year. Using a Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x Macro, the aim was to capture everyday household objects at high magnifications and show off the detail and beauty in their structure. It made a fun guessing game for friends' children too.

Here are some of the thumbnails. When they were projected at the club meeting they were typically about 300x life size.
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Poppypix said:
Lol I love it. I'm like a big kid in a sweetie shop with photography anyway. I took the macro lens to a butterfly house last Month and went back again a few weeks later, as I had enjoyed it so much. As someone who is a relative novice to photography, I actually find it easier to work with macro than while doing landscape for instance. There seems to be less to consider, so the margins of change are limited, making it easier for me to work on adjustments with ISO, shutter speed and aperture. That helps to build my confidence and of course that is a good feeling. Shame it gets shattered when I get back to outdoor photography, but it's all experience.
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Butterfly houses are great fun as all the creatures are there and contained, but if you want to get out and about do consider "butterfly conservation", a charity for butterflies. Lots of walks throughout the summer and you learn a bit about them too. Quite surprised to hear that macro is easier for you than landscapes, for most it's the other way around I think! Great that you're enjoying it, keep at it, maybe I'll run into you one day.

In terms of the other responses, thank you. What I'm looking at is not a product or service, more a proposed event, so I want to know if there's enough of an audience. It's not something small like 1-1 although I may do that as well. Hence the question. I have organised events for 1000s of people before and I now have access to a nice area with 100s of acres and buildings, so I could do a really interesting event. But I need to know the size of the potential audience and all that. market research.
 
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Well I'd be interested in attending such an event, so that's at least one [emoji1]

Paul Ardron suggested we might organise some kind of conference for macro photography enthusiasts and entomologists alike a couple of years ago although we've not managed to get our act together and sort anything out. You might want to consider catering for the scientific community, especially with regard to the subject matter to increase your potential market size.
 
I know your extreme site and find it most useful and well written.

Gauging general interest in macro training or events is going to be difficult, I imagine most photographers dabble with macro to a greater or lesser extent, many fewer with photomicrography,

Currently I am playing with stereo macrophotography but can't imagine that I would travel any distance to a macrophotography event. Might do a residential course like Field Studies Centre though.
 
Cap'n Bill said:
<SNIP>
Might do a residential course like Field Studies Centre though.
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I've done a couple of FSC pure macro courses with John Bebbington and a couple more with a strong emphasis on macro. I could potentially be interested in something with a similar format.
 
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