It’s Who You Know

She’s So Shy, Hiding Behind All Those Branches

The other day, my good friend David, with whom the above photo was shot, put up an interesting post.  In essence, he talked about intimidation being a barrier to success that many photogs and photo enthusiasts face.

Honestly, as a photographer and small business owner, I can not stress enough the importance of having confidence in your product.  Obviously there is a difference between self-promotion and over-bearing ego, but if you’re not willing to tell the world about your genius, who will?  That’s a bit of a general statement, and there are a lot of parts of photography where it is applicable, but for now, let’s narrow it down to who you know.

Specifically, in his post, David mentioned that I was confident enough to reach out to him on a professional level and from that one email has blossomed a great friendship, one that I am truly grateful for both on a photographic and a personal level.

David Pasillas, Cali photog capturing New England

Beyond being a friend, David has been a great resource for me when I have technical questions, and we have helped each other build our brands by cross marketing.  In today’s saturated photography fields, having someone to help spread the word and to vouch for your work goes a long way.  It’s not the only item in a long list of small-business-to-do’s…but it’s important and it shouldn’t be overlooked.

I have been very fortunate to meet some incredible photographers via my own work on the web and in my community.  It is a competitive market, but building contacts and having a referral network can benefit you as much as it benefits the rest of the crowd.

For the coming year, I hope all of you feel brave enough to reach out to at least one or two photographers whose work you admire/respect.  You may get nothing more than a polite reply.  Or, you may spur a lasting friendship and help get your name out to another market in the process.

You can’t win if you don’t play, right? 😉

That being said, I wanted to just give you all a quick thank you for your interactions with me.  I enjoy chatting with you guys, reading your comments, meeting and working with some of you.  So far, this blog has been a great experience and that is 100% due to your support.  For those of you who already email me, I love hearing for you.  For those of you who don’t, but want to reach out, do it!

A Few Reminders…

~ I’m hosting a winter photo challenge for those of you interested.  I know the above photo is Fall…but sadly, the snow finally arrived here so the time is right for winter shots. haha

~ December 15 is THE LAST DAY to have your purchase through my online store benefit the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.  It’s easy to forget about the great need there when it’s not part of our everyday world…but Filipinos will be rebuilding for a very long time.  There is strength in numbers, and together, we can make a difference! www.zazzle.com/skalahan