on working with other photographers

close your eyes and say this: "other photographers aren't my competition, they are my friends."  hold true to that philosophy and it will hold true to you.

i have came in contact with photographers who give selflessly without looking for anything in return and by sharp contrast those tuned into radio WIIFM (whats in it for me.)

i'll tell you one horror story in regards to working with another photographer but before i begin, here is some background information on how i like to photograph weddings. i prefer to photograph weddings as a single photographer with an assistant, so i don't hire second and associate photographers.  simply because its a matter of style and I want the photographs i deliver to the client to be consistent with my brand.

with that said, if a photog asks to second shoot at one of my events, i have no problem allowing them to do so. as long as they are kewl and will not make guests uncomfortable.

horror story: i once photograph a wedding, where a photog asked if she could second shoot to gain some images for her portfolio. the agreement was for her to deliver the images (details and photo-journalistic moments,) a day after the wedding.  so i allowed her to use on her memory cards. after the wedding i called, exted,emailed, and she never responded. the client later asked about their photographs and i had to be upfront and honest with them. the good thing was that i always shoot and capture beyond what the client expects and as a result  they were happy with the package nonetheless.

how i fixed that particular problem? whosoever, wants to come to my events and shoot along side me, has to sign a contract and use my memory cards. i take the cards directly after the event and mail them the images later.

with all that said, here it is: other photographers aren't your competition, they are your friends. yet there are some small measures that you need to protect yourself; which will differ from situation to situation. but most of all, be true, be genuine, give freely with no ulterior motives and don't look for anything in return, and it will comeback to you. psychological studies show that people generally feel the need to reciprocate. and also importantly build genuine relationships outside of business with other photographers.

photogs who I've  mentored, taught how to shoot, met and networked with, shared learning materials, shared my contracts, business tips, marketing skills, pricing structure, etc... in return has sent me leads and clients thereafter.

keep kewl!