Interestingly, I am thrilled to have another photographer in Pocahontas even though I am still trying to grow my own business. It may be because of who it is.I met Nikki late last winter. She came for tea and to talk about both of us being photographers in such a small town and how to make that work. She is not native her Pocahontas, though her spouse is and in fact was a classmate of one of my daughters. We hit it off right out of the gate and before she left we had already begun discussion of how to best collaborate and what to make our relationship "look" like. A few weeks ago, during Heritage Days, she had her grand opening and in a show of solidarity and collaboration I supported her launch with an ad and open house on the same day.
I have been surprised by people who have said that I’m a "good sport" or questioned me about why I haven’t perceived Whitney Photography as competition. Surprised, in fact, to the point that I have questioned my outreach to her and wondered if I am a good business woman. As he usually does, my husband Ken explained something to me. He said that in the old days when you attended a professional school the message from your professors was that you are entering your profession to serve the public in contrast to serving yourself. He said that it was stressed that it was about the community and serving them and that in my inclusiveness of Nikki in the photographer’s community of Pocahontas I had served the public and in doing so showed that Nikki and I are professionals. And he said that losing that had been to the detriment of his profession and many others and that embracing it was taking the higher ground. I liked that.
So how are we collaborating and what are we making it look like? For starters Nikki does weddings, I don’t. So she will get all my wedding referrals. I have seen her work. She is good. I can recommend her with no reservations. Further I have worked with her already. I hurt my back doing a photo job in May and when, soon after that, I needed to go to the school to shoot cap and gown pictures I needed help with equipment hauling and set-up. Nikki was free and came along on the job and we split the profits from it. I have been shooting all the high school sports and groups along with prom for a few years and I hope to keep that. But I am helping Nikki break into the middle school sports and groups which there just happens to be a window to jump through right now. I also will not try to get the soccer sports and groups job anymore and will pass along the Santa pictures job to her which is a great place to meet parents of small children. This summer I got the Poky Rec sports and groups job which I hope to keep. Nikki is already exploring securing the school picture contract and is interested in my helping with that if she gets it. I expect Nikki will be professionally respectful of my accounts as I will be of hers and we will share like professionals.
