I am so glad I was able to attend the photographer meet-up that Katie & Emma put together this weekend at Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle. (Huge thanks to you two & the hotel!!) The meet-up was for local photographers to get together to talk, exchange ideas, and network. First let me say, the hotel is stunning…as you walk through the revolving door, you enter the lobby and the interior is a work of art. I had to catch the ferry back home so I missed the tour of their rooms, but judging only from the images on their website – they have serious WOW factor. For those of you on the Kitsap Peninsula, the hotel is only a very short walk from the ferry terminal on the Seattle side.

There were a few familiar faces from Katie’s workshop that I attended earlier this month, and other local photographers I hadn’t yet met. It was really great to be amongst such experience and talent – I am really looking forward to going to more of these meet-ups. We talked a lot about the industry, our lives, and array of other topics. However, two of those really stood out to me and so I wanted to blog about them a little bit.

Day Jobs
It seems no matter where you are, or what you photograph, being a photographer can often be feast or famine. Some photographers have another job out of necessity, usually for a more consistent income, which enables them to pursue another profession that they are very passionate about (photography). One thing is for certain, photography is not a hobby for most “Photographers”. Its taken very seriously, with a lot of time and money invested in equipment, learning (workshops, classes, books, forums), marketing materials, etc. After all – the time, talent, and skill involved in photography goes well beyond just taking a photograph…there is post-production, client communication, marketing, learning, researching, and on and on. Sometimes it amazes me how some not only have another part-time or full-time job and/or are raising a family, but also run a very successful photography business. So if the photographer you hire has another job, its fairly common and no worries, because you will only see true dedication to you (their client) and their art (photography).

Referrals
If you have ever had professional portraits done (except at chain stores), chances are you were given a few extra business cards with your prints or album. This is so that if you had a great experience with your photographer, you might be so inclined to hand out those cards to your friends and family which could be potential clients for that photographer. It seems the consensus is that this is the main way for a photographer to get business. We rely on referrals as our main source of marketing…granted there are a lot of other ways to go about marketing also, but referrals seem to be the most successful. If you had a great experience with your photographer, please let them know, and let your friends know too!