Why Building Relationships Are Key To Your Success as a Photographer
At the start of the month, I created a TikTok video which accidentally went viral. I’d been following my own advice, and decided that throughout June I would upload to TikTok every day of the working week… mainly as an experiment! I’m fascinated by social media + the internet (I always have been) and this social channel doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Throughout the month, I didn’t see much progress… until the 1st of June. I put a 15 second video up explaining why collaborating with other creatives in the fashion industry is so key to progress…and it totally polarised peoples opinions!
As of writing this, the video has over 220,000 views, and a lot of comments. Some people are angry that I’d suggest that we should ask make up artist and hair stylists to work for free. Others understand that it is part of the process.
So it inspired me to write this newsletter today, to really explain why I’m such a believer in collaboration, and why it’s the key to true progress in your career.
Fashion photography is team work. It’s going to be pretty hard for anyone to build a fashion career without the help from others. We are the image creators, the experts in how the camera works, the magicians of light (I love to think of myself like that, haha!). The make up artists are the experts in make up, in making a model transform, making her/him look their best. The hair stylist is the hair expert, and the fashion stylist the fashion expert (you get the drift).
But not only are these people essential when taking images, they are a vital part of your network as a fashion creative. When anyone is starting out, the first thing I tell them to do is to find their team. Find a make up artist you love to work with. Find a hair stylist you adore. Find a fashion stylist you gel with. Form your team, and work with them.
Why?
Because these people will become your cheerleaders. Your support system. The people who “get it.” When they get booked for jobs, they’ll talk about you to their colleagues. They’ll share your name on social media and tag you. You’ll start to become established in your area and industry as a go to photographer.
And you’ll do exactly the same for them! Whenever I get booked for a job and the clients ask me for hair and make up recommendations, you better bet I’m recommending the creatives that I’ve collaborated with on jobs.
Of course, this isn’t only about networking and making money. Didn’t we all become fashion photographers because we love photography? And didn’t make up artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists also get into it because of the love of their craft?
Test shoots where all of us collaborate (aka work for free) are a chance for everyone to express themselves. To have no boundaries. To be able to try out new things. If every single job was paid, and we had to stick to briefs… we’d get bored out of our minds.
If you’ve ever held back from asking to collaborate with make up artists or hair stylists or any other creative person in your field because you feel like you have to pay them, please know that it is absolutely ok to collaborate with people on art. It is necessary. People will want to!
Of course, if you are being paid, if ANYONE is being paid, everyone should get paid or some kind value from the shoot. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise. But there is absolutely no reason that creatives cannot come together to create art for the love of art. It isn’t free work. It’s art, collaboration and love!
