Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Top 5 reasons I don't mind competition

Hi, I am Sally and I am a photographer.

Oh, you are too? What... really ..... LIKE A FOR REAL ONE?!?!?!?


But.... you live in the same city as me... and you have the same style! How will I survive?!


Sound familiar?


I have some advice for you, are you ready to hear it? GET OVER IT.

There are billions upon billions of people in this world and you are upset that someone else has a camera? Has talent? Knows what photography is?

Sure, you have every right to be upset, complain (to other photographers in your photography group on FB) kick and shout.... but while you are doing that, that other photographer is booking all your potential clients.

It's 2015 and if you are still whining about competition in America, you might want to download the 'Reality Check' app.

However, if you are done crying and want to move on with your career, here are 5 tips to help you find something to like about your competition!

1.  They can refer clients to you. Yes, that's right! I have photographer peers refer work  to me all the time. My peers are not threatened by me, why? Well maybe they do better work or maybe they are the coolest people on the planet and people can't say no to them.... who knows but mainly it's because they care more about their survival then they do the opposition. If they spent all their time worrying about barriers in life, they would go no where. This is the difference between the successful and those who fail.

2. They are artist! Isn't that what you like about photography anyways, that it's an art form? You can always learn from them!! Is it that crazy to think that maybe the other photographer might know something you don't or vice versa? And is it crazy to think that the other photographer might actually be talented and inspiring? Not for me, I love my photographer friends and peers. If it wasn't for other artists and photographers I would not be in my current endeavors today. I'd still work some 9-5 office job or retail somewhere. Nothing wrong with those jobs, but I am an artist and I love creating art! I also love learning from others.

3. You can refer clients to them! Go figure! You never know when you need someone that has a similar style to yours. When I got pregnant I was so sick, I couldn't even get out of bed for 3 months. In that time, I had booked a wedding. I was hand picked for my style by the bride and groom. I would have been super screwed if I didn't have a fellow photographer friend with similar style who was awesome enough to cover for me with super late notice.

4. You can trade services!!! If you are a parent you might find that you are taking a lot of pictures of your kid, your kid and your spouse but not a lot of you in those pictures. Let's get real, even with a remote control, it's not as easy as letting your fellow photographer snap a few and agreeing to be paid with the same service.

5. If there was NO OTHER photographer in your area, you'd get all the clients. Okay, this doesn't sound bad at first. This means you get all the clients that don't want to drive 50 miles to the next town and they might like your work, or they might not. And if they don't, boy oh boy will word travel fast and the more unhappy clients you have, the more clients will be willing to drive that 50 miles to the next town. So, variety is good. Get the clients that work for you and the other photographers in your area will get the others.


Look, plain and simple, there will never be a day where you are the only one. I've helped other photographers in my area expand as an artist and with their companies. Yes, that's right, my competition. Why? Because, it's the smart thing to do. So find something to like about it and enjoy the ride!