If I Use Floodgate’s Terminology, How Was I ‘Living in the Future’ When I Discovered the Solo Photoshoot?

Quick Background Information

I've spent almost 20 years working in the industry that creates modeling photos. Over that time, I've worked with lots of professional models. As a result, I’ve become good friends with some of them, so I naturally keep up with what they’re doing—whether it’s going on vacation, getting married, or celebrating their birthdays.

When I Discovered This Photoshoot, I Was ‘Living in the Future’ by Complete Luck

One day, out of the blue, while using the Instagram app for a few minutes during my lunch break, I noticed a few of my model friends posting photos on Instagram. Each photo had my friend in it. Therefore, technically speaking, these photos were social media photos; however, they resembled modeling photos, as each one featured a professional model.

Every Instagram photo I looked at had exceptional picture quality! At first glance, it appeared that these photos were created by a professional photographer and their photoshoot team of several experts (e.g., makeup artist, hair stylist).

However, within a few seconds, I noticed two things about these photos that most people wouldn’t pick up on, as they don’t have my background in the industry that creates modeling photos. Now, here’s what I noticed:

First, these photos weren’t created by a professional photographer and their team of several experts, like a hair stylist.

Second, my friends had taken the photos on their own. That is, they didn’t ask a family member, a friend, or even a passerby to take them. Instead, they used self-photography equipment, such as a camera tripod, to take the photos on their own.

Question: Now, how did I quickly figure out those things?

Answer: For several reasons, here are the main reasons:

First, there were no products—such as a dress, running shoes, or a necklace—being promoted in the photos. Of course, a company hires a professional photographer and their team to create modeling photos that feature at least one item they sell.

Second, since I’m friends with these models, I knew they were traveling solo when the photos were taken. They were overseas for work. They got hired for a traditional photoshoot job. As a result, I knew that no one from the model’s inner circle, such as a friend or family member, had taken the photos.

Also, several of these models had taken their photos on a tropical beach in a very remote location—essentially, in the middle of nowhere. For instance, there were no manmade objects—such as hotels, cars, or roads—in these photos. Not counting my friend, I only saw beach sand, palm trees, and blue water! Therefore, I knew my friends were at least several hundred yards away from the nearest person, so I was nearly certain they hadn’t asked a stranger to take their pictures.

As I looked at these photos during my lunch break, I was overwhelmed with a mix of amazement and disbelief. Shaking my head slowly, I quietly said this to myself: “Gosh, I cannot believe this, there is a new type of ‘professional photoshoot.’ For the first time ever, there are now two ways you can create modeling photos that are good enough for business use. For my entire life, these photos could only be created one way: through a traditional photoshoot, which involves a team of highly trained professionals (e.g., professional photographer, hair stylist).

After seeing these photos, I spent hours researching this new type of photoshoot. During that time, I learned about its parts—like the remote control and camera tripod—and discovered who invented it. I also found out that this photoshoot answered the 'Why now?' question for OnlyFans, a billion-dollar company. For example, the majority of OnlyFans creators use it. This company would disappear without this photoshoot!

Plus, I spent many hours closely watching how people use this photoshoot, which gave me a deep understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

One last thing…

When I discovered this photoshoot, I wasn’t actively looking for a good startup idea. Instead, I stumbled upon it by accident—in other words, I got lucky! Thankfully, I had an open mind to recognize it. Thank goodness I wasn’t too busy doing something else to notice.