I\'m an open book, but only with folks who have integrity with their art, their businesses, and industry standards. The best situation is trading with someone with expertise which you can benefit from. One guy helped me with some tax work. Another works at Adobe.
I always ask prospectives what their goals are. If they\'re not committed to make a decent living eventually, forget it.
Personal litmus tests are things like: They don\'t advertise $1000 or lower on CL. They aren\'t Uncle Bobbin\' their friends/relatives weddings. (Or if they did, they really regret it.) Red flags: A lack of interest in business, portfolio full of obviously copied poses or work from shootouts and workshops.
Collaborating with your competition is great, as long as they\'re the ones RAISING the bar not lowering it, its all good. =)
Get togethers with your local market photographers are fun, but being selective with whom you\'re trading your unique experiences and insider knowledge with, is just smart business.
Also, an option is to offer paid one-on-one sessions or consultations.
-m
Jun 16, 2009 at 02:11 PM
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