Before I dive into this topic and come off like a secret information hogging prick I should say a few things. I am absolutely honored that some people come to me for advice on photography. I also believe hardy competition is necessary and healthy for progression in our industry and personally to keep me from getting complacent. I should also state that just here in Vietnam a few of my best friends are photographers and also my biggest competition and we openly share. I debated addressing this topic for months but finally decided to write about it so here it goes.
Friends and Competition: How much information should we share? Where do we draw the line?
I’ve struggled with this question over the past few years as photography has become more than just a passion but it’s also the source of 100% of my income. When I first started building my career abroad as a documentary photographer I would share anything with fellow photographers, strangers and friends alike.
My first major published assignment came to fruition because Gary Knight gave me an editor’s contact at Newsweek and he was even kind enough to insist I drop his name in the email. People were wonderful to me as I started my career so I’ve always felt the need to pay it forward. I’m not saying I’m a success story or anything like that but I get a fair amount of emails about our business. I’m happy I can help but as the market shrinks and the competition increases I’ve noticed the questions getting more demanding and a bit more personal.
I’m as a competitive as the next guy maybe even more than the next guy, who is this next guy by the way he seems rather average at everything. It has always come natural for me to share, especially when it came to photography. One of the wonderful things about our photography community is it is filled with online resources littered with people who want to share and honestly I’ve tapped into it those resources numerous times, but where do we draw the line?
Being a freelancer is also being a business. Add to that many of us do more than just editorial work, we also do weddings and advertising shoots. Where do we draw the line about our livelihood? Should I answer the same question about pricing from a fellow documentary photographer if it was a wedding photographer asking the same question? Should it depend on if the person is direct competition or not? A fellow photographer might want to know the following?
What lens do you use?
How did you get access to that project?
How did you get a meeting with that editor?
How long did you take to work on that project?
How did you get that project published?
I feel all of these are fair questions and there are no big secrets here. Now how about these questions:
What is your contact information for the NGO worker who granted you access to that project?
What is the editor’s email for that magazine and how did you meet him or her?
How much did they pay you?
How do you tone your images?
A little more personal but not totally out of line. These are common emails I’ve received from friends, digital friends, and complete strangers. I’ve openly answered most of the above questions many times to people without hesitation. Occasionally I’ve been burned and over the years I’m become a lot more cautious about sharing editors contact info. I’ve personally asked a few editors I work with about how they feel about people giving out their contact information and most say if they need someone they will ask me. I respect their privacy so I don’t often openly share it so please don’t get angry at me or think I’m being a douche for not opening up my rolodex.
Within the online photography community there is a sense of entitlement to information and business practices. With everyone sharing so much people can think you’re an ass for not sharing everything about your business. What I mentioned above is more common but let’s consider some more extreme requests within the editorial world that surprisingly happen far too often.
I won’t drop any names here but the following is a true story and has happened to me quite a few times. I often shoot for a well-respected newspaper based in NYC; lets call them the The Blank York Times. I’ve shot many stories for them outside my home base of Hanoi. It’s not uncommon after the story was published to receive an email along the lines of:
“Dear Justin,
Great story in the BYT last week. really loved image 4(I’m awesome at taking image 4 by the way). I noticed you are based in Hanoi but shot the story in city X. Do they pay for the flight for you? How much do they pay you? I am based in city X and I’d love to shoot for the BYT, can you pass along your editor’s contact info?
Thanks so much,
Photographer X”
The way I translate that email is.
Dear Justin,
Blah blah random not well thought out positive comments about your photography because I’m about to be really rude but I’m trying to mask it with this sentence. I feel like I should be getting the work that you get in city X. I can save that publication some money and would love it if you could pass along their information so I can get the next assignment instead of you.
Thanks so much,
Photographer X
I’m not saying I should have a monopoly nor do I but seriously. If you feel you deserve the work that is fair enough but asking me to hand it to you is ridiculous. I’ve spent lots of my own money building my portfolio, entering workshops, building personal relationships, researching editors and publications, etc. Imagine someone doing this in the business world, they would be laughed at.
Over the years I’ve struggled with this because when it comes to documentary work I love to share and help and be helped. The problem occurs when these questions and helping out a fellow photographer spills into my business and into the commercial photography world. I feel like if you come from a documentary background people expect that same open book policy for your commercial work.
How did you get that hotel job?
Who did you contact?
What is their email address?
How much did you charge?
I no longer answer financial questions about my business because it’s just bad business. I spend a lot of time calculating my quotes and in marketing my business. I also spend a lot of timing researching new jobs and markets. I’m not saying I won’t share the contact info of the company that printed my business cards but asking me how much I bid on a specific project I feel is crossing the line.
I have a few photographers who read consistently read my blog and frequently ask me questions about the photography business. I don’t want any of you to get the wrong idea about this post. I love sharing my thoughts and answering your questions and helping if I can. I love blogging about the wonderful world of photography.
The point of this rant is to start a dialog about the gray areas of sharing and when helping a fellow photographer turns into helping a fellow photographer get your work. Some of you might argue that well in the end the best work will win out. That isn’t always the case, especially in the commercial market. Editors are schooled in photography but not all marketing VP’s are. I’m sure I’ve won jobs over better photographers because my bid was more sensible or because I did my homework on the company.
This is just another rant by me, don’t take me too serious or think I’m upset or annoyed. I’d love to hear people’s opinions so please feel free to agree or disagree with me in the comments section.