Community Over Competition

"Community over competition" is a saying that I have heard a million times, but never really given much thought to in a professional sense. I've always just associated it with drunk girls in a bar bathroom offering the crying girl a tissue. Although that is true--it has such a bigger meaning.

When I launched my LLC in the fall of 2021 I had so many other photographers cheering me on. Why would they do that? Why would they want me to succeed? Because they value community over competition. There are enough clients to go around. Each photographer has their own shooting style and editing style that are unique to them and their brand. We each have our own price points too. Adding me into the mix is not taking business away from them.

Whether it be on a professional level or a personal level--when you realize that other people aren't your competitors, you begin to flourish. You're no longer worried about being better than them. You're only trying to improve for yourself. And once you've established those motivates, you really will gain the confidence and the artistry you're hoping to achieve.

I think it's also important for photographers to learn when to say "No, I am not the most skilled person for this job." I have turned down a lot of opportunities because of lack of appropriate gear, time restrictions, distance, or overall inexperience with that genre of photography. At the current time I do not offer posed newborn photos because I have not done proper newborn posing safety education. I will gladly refer to other outstanding photographers in the area though.

Caitlin with One Sweet Kitchen mentioned how wonderful the baking community is in the Des Moines area. In the blog post she talked about sharing supplies with other bakers. Caitlin also talked about how she is constantly busy with custom orders. The photography community is very similar. I do not mind sharing locations or offer constructive criticism to other photographer's in in the area.

So, cheers to the photography community in the Des Moines metro. Cheers to building people up and working towards our individual goals.