One of my favorite things to do is email or call up other local (and sometimes international and exotic!) wedding vendors and ask how I can help them. I ask them things like, ‘Is there anything you ever wish you could ask or say to a wedding photographer, but never had the chance?‘ Or, ‘what’s one thing I could do as a photographer that would make your job easier?‘ Or, ‘Could we schedule a photo shoot or maybe a brainstorm session to give both of us some creative marketing material?‘ In a world dominated by social media (Instagram! Facebook!) having fresh, amazing photos or videos in your feed is SO IMPORTANT to having a healthy and thriving business.
Now – I won’t lie. A small part of this is selfish. I love getting my name out into the community. I love taking photos in a controlled environment like a styled shoot. I love having the chance to visit amazing venues without a wedding day timeline, and being able to send amazing images to the venue, free of charge. It’s amazing when there’s some sort of reciprocity like a referral, but the important thing I emphasize is: It’s not what you can get in return, but how amazingly and perfectly you can give. And honestly I get a lot of flak from some of my best photographer friends for that – but it’s one of the biggest things that set me apart in this industry, and I’m 100% okay with that.
Speaking of working with some AMAZING vendors – I wanted to share a few photos from a recent photo shoot we coordinated with the talented girls at Ivory and Beau! And to answer the big question – why I collaborate with other wedding vendors so much – It’s exactly because of this shoot. Full of unexpected amazingness and happy surprises – like a pet piglet showing up at the photoshoot!!!
Some of the amazing vendors on this super creative shoot:
Vision and Styling: Ivory and Beau
Gown: Joanna August
Skirt Overlay: Maggie Sotter Designs
Model: Mariah Pelton
Venue: Georgia State Railroad Museum
Pig: 🙂 Oliver The Traveling Pig!
3 Comments.
Not sure whether I should comment on the stunning photos or the great perspective first… Let’s go photos. 😉 I saw a couple of these pop up on instagram and absolutely loved them. (Plus, how can you resist such a cute little pig?! What a unique and terrific addition to that shoot!) But I think what is more impressive is the servant leader attitude you bring to the industry, offering to your other vendors before asking, listening before telling. Definitely a great takeaway from this post!
This comment means so much, Megan. Seriously!
That pig is irresistible. Lovely photos too, with an unusual approach – I love it!
And I agree with you – it’s the friendships and relationships that we build up that will help carry us. And it is good sometimes to just do photography for the fun it – recapture the magic that sometimes slip away when we are hard at work.