I am stoked that I had the opportunity to meet a ton of fantastic local photographers this past weekend at two separate events here in Kansas City!! The award-winning Jan and Marco from the recently re-branded PhotoMementos.com were the gracious hosts of one event where I met some great new friends! the very next evening, I got to hang out with a handful of incredibly talented photographer ladies at Black Dog Coffee House for another event that I learned a lot from. I can’t wait to meet with them again! Meeting these wonderful people and then being reminded of the events I have attended in the past, I have been a bit inspired for a kinda long diatribe that I hope you will read and enjoy. If you are a photo client, you have my permission to ignore this post!

As a wedding photographer producing a relatively new breed and style of imagery, I think that it is important to have a network, a local network, of people who shoot similarly to yourself and are treating business similarly to yourself. What?! Be friendly with other wedding photographers?! *gasp* Even share info?! Aren’t we in competition?! For heaven’s sake why, you ask?

Yes, I think we are in competition, but not with each other in the same genre, but rather we are against the currents of the traditional market. We are trying to forge a new path and this is easier done together than stumbling on alone. A wise man once said (and the amazing becker* recently repeated it in a podcast), a rising tide raises all ships. This new breed of wedding photography is fresh and is buckling the very foundational thought process in the arena of what was previously known as wedding photography. Rising above the petty competitive spirit within the old market, this new creative genre is allowing for those of us with like-minded perspectives to gain solid strategic ground as a whole business model. Isn’t that cool?!

What about competition? Aren’t you losing money? No! Each year, wedding photographers (the good ones) get booked quickly. There will always be an influx of surplus clients coming in. That is the nature of the business. For the rest of the year they then have no choice but to turn work down! If these wedding photographers then turn work to others that they trust/admire of a like mind, then the genre continues to grow and develop, and even the newcomers (like me) are able to gain a solid foothold into the new business model. The brides then get the photogrphy style they desire. the photographers grow their businesses and succeed. The new genre gains momentum. Everybody gains.

So, with the base of “enough business for everybody to gain”, why not then have the photographers gain in all other aspects of their business? If those of a like mind are collaborating, then not only are businesses growing, but the individuals involved are growing too! Challenging one another, Critiquing one another, Celebrating one another! Every post on another’s blog….every handy little tip…every piece of advice freely shared… It will all be coming back to yourself!

I look forward to helping my fellow photographers learn and grow…becoming better…and all the while helping me to be better, as well. If you have thoughts or questions to share, please do!

*becker — What?! You haven’t heard of him? This guy simply rocks. He (his blog, that is) reads so personally and forthright. I love checking it out daily. He is an astounding photographer, friendly with the lovely Jessica Claire, inventor of the famous shoot sac and whom I shot at the anti-workshop, and becker is also a fanatic (in a good way!) about helping other photographers succeed. Check out his new [b]school for more info. Photographers! Check out his [b] school blog for great tips and trick and subscribe via iTunes to his podcasts!

This month has already been insanely busy. I have had so much I have wanted to blog about but haven’t had a spare minute to myself to think, let alone share it with you! I have made a list of the things I am going to blog about and well, I am making time this evening for a couple posts.

Late January and early February was a “sick” time in my household. My youngest daughter, Jillian, and I shared the crummies. It ended up being a prolonged strep throat. Yyyuuuuck! That finally got over…
After a good 10 days of being all better, I looked back and realized I was still able to get a load of design work done. It shocked me.

Yeah, design work…I don’t often talk on my blog about the design work I get to do. I run a small design firm called Five Loaves Creative and that “day job” is my primary source of income and where I spend most of my time. We [read that as "I"] spend most of my time doing web and print design with clients from all over the globe and in all different fields, from movie agencies in Hollywood to businesses and organizations in my own back yard…well, in my city anyway.

For instance, meet Dale. He is not in my back yard, but he is a business owner that I did a fun set of projects with.Dale Hogan is a fantastic friend and a man that I very much have admired from a distance (I only say “from a distance,” because he lives in Ottawa, Canada and we have never met face to face). Dale is one of the first photographers at iStockphoto.com that really rocked my world in the lighting and portraiture department. iStockphoto is what originally inspired me to take my “hobby” photography to the level of professional. He (and dozens of others) helped me along and taught me the ropes.

Anyway, back to it…Dale has a small business… a photography business. He was looking to grow and expand his local influence with professional branding in every aspect. In his print materials, website, blog, proofing site, and even his vehicle. He came to me for help. he waned a feel similar to my sites and entrusted my design firm to help him get to where he wanted to be. So working together, hand-in-hand (but not in the creepy way you’re thinkin’), we did just that and his new identity and all things therein were born…If you live in Ottawa, he is the best photographer around. Check him out!

I think I will start sharing some design more often. I am really excited for my clients and the steps they take to grow their businesses. Cool [read "great"] design is important in your business and I like to think I can help raise the bar for you.

Fun Wedding Moments! – With the fast approaching wedding season of Oh-Eight, all you brides out there need to relax and catch a few glimpses of funny photos to lighten the stress of preparing for your big day. Check out this link from Divine Caroline for lots of fun (several pages)!