I wanted to thank everyone who stopped by and checked out the interview with Michael from MUSEA. It was a good time and I have received an enormous amount of positive feedback. I’m glad you guys seemed to like it, because I’m planning a ton more audio/video content going forward. Also, doing interviews and connecting with other sites is great for growing this site, so if you know of any people that you’d like to see interviewed here (or places that might be apt to interview little old me) please feel free to drop me a line.
I wanted to address a comment from our “getting your name out there” threads from last week.
So I have a question for you in reference to giving out images to other vendors. The wedding I photographed this past weekend had amazing vendors working for this couple and they are all on the same playing field as the other vendors at that wedding. My questions comes in to play that while at the wedding taking imgaes, I had all the other vendors ask for images of their services which I gladly responded that I would offer to them. Now my reasoning behind this is its a brand new market (geographically) than where I’m currently located so just getting my name out there I feel would be beneficial in starting a vendor relationship. Am I wrong to have said yes so willingly or is it simply a matter of having that “gut” feeling that what they need will somehow benefit your photography business as well. And if that gut feeling is good, then how exactly do you give images away to other vendors? Do you only give them watermarked images and give the option to buy prints if they want that, or just give them a cd of high resolution images to do with as they please in hopes to receive a photo credit with the image and referrals in the future?
Kristy, IVK Photography
I’m not against working with vendors. It is generally a good idea to work together and to try and be as mutually beneficial as possible. I do think that in most cases it is a good idea to try and build relatinoships with vendors who are working in the way that you want to work, so if they as (kindly!) for images I don’t think it is necessarily a bad idea to provide them. If this is a new relationship, and one that you would like to cultivate then I would make it a point to try and deliver them the images as soon as you can after the wedding while they are still excited about it. In cases like this I would provide the images that show their work well, but also that represent your brand.
I think this is where the wedding industry sort of went off the rails with detail shots. It is cool if that is your thing, but honestly it seems like many wedding photographers now view their job as product photography for the wedding with a little pesky portraiture mixed in. So if you are going to provide images to vendors try and find a way to do it in your style. It doesn’t have to be a traditional detail shot if that isn’t consistent to your brand – show an image of the product being used in the environment, or in the moment. Show it in the course of your typical work.
The reason being you are trying to build a relationship and cultivate a new fan of your brand. SO don’t just hand over images, make a statement about who you are and what you do. While we all like being nice people, the fact is their remains a Machiavellian exchange here – you are providing them something and hoping they provide you something going forward. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that – it is totally expected and welcomed in the business world. But providing images isn’t enough. Like I said, we are trying to create fans of our brand. So follow up the images with a meting/lunch/whatever. Ask them about the work that they do and the work they want to do – after all, you can’t refer the perfect business to them if you don’t understand what they view as perfect. And they have to understand your reason for being, so they can help to provide you the right clients.
After that it is simply an issue of whether that person believes in you or not. If they don’t. no amount of giveaways is likely to change that. So be clear about what you are doing in giving images away – it is the potential beginning of a mutually interested relationship where both sides help the other achieve their goals. If that isn’t happening, it isn’t a relationship
As far as deliverables I personally provide unmarked images for them to use for promotion. If they use them respectfully I know they are buying in and trying to support me. If they don’t it is a great indication that they aren’t on board. That’s just my way. I wouldn’t ask for a vendor to pay for small prints, nor would I watermark because that might compromise the use of the images. I’m trying to help, and hoping they will help me. I don’t really believe that a watermarked image of a bouquet (or whatever) is going to get me business – it is that vendor who believes in me and wants to see me succeed that is going to support me.
If been in situations where I gave away a ton of images, provided a lot of support, and referred a ton of business to a vendor and seen them consistently refer other studios for the work I wanted – studios who provided nothing. I’ve also worked with vendors who asked for nothing and promoted me all day long. Remember that the images are not the point – the mutually supportive relationship is.
Thoughts?
- trr
