Learn From Each Other
As a commercial photographer, partnering with others in my industry has given me the confidence to take on jobs that are a little beyond what I’ve ever done before because I know that I have a solid network to rely on to help pull it off.
Being alone anywhere is difficult, and there is strength in numbers. At first, it can feel like everyone is your competition, but the more we stick together, the more we learn from each other and the more of the work we’re able to share with one another.
Developing a strong network in your photography industry can help provide support during crucial times when work is slow. Being able to still assist, gaf, direct, storyboard, art direct or anything outside of the normal can be extremely useful.
Recommendations and Referrals
Creating connections with my peers in the photo industry has been one of the most rewarding and beneficial things I’ve done as a professional. I always always learn from my peers, and it’s helpful to have another professional I respect to bounce thoughts and ideas with. We subcontract each other for work; sometimes I’m the second photographer, sometimes they are. One of my best industry friends transitioned to video over the past few years, and now I hire him any time I have a client who has video needs.
Beyond that, my peers often recommend me for jobs they can’t do for any reason. In short, I highly recommend making friends with other professional photographers you respect in your industry.
Helps You Grow Creatively
When I was first getting started, I connected with other photographers in my city and did some second-shooting for them. I learned a lot about how to be a successful photographer by watching them, gained valuable experience actually doing photoshoots, and was able to grow my portfolio. Not to mention, having some consistent work at the beginning is extremely helpful financially when starting a business.
After that, networking and working with other photographers is extremely helpful because you can call on each other to help out with shoots when you need more than one photographer. This allowed me to step up my game from small photo sessions to larger clients.
Working with other photographers also helps you continue to grow creatively by seeing other styles and learning about how others differ from you during photoshoots.
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