sharing a booth at the Orangeville Fall Fair a couple of weeks ago with good friend Jim Tsitanidis of Spirit Ridge K9 Training and Rescue, scruffy dog was received extremely well by the constant flow of fair-goers - horse and dog lovers alike … as was the wee morley man, mascot-extraordinaire.
however, i was also approached numerous times over the two days by people more interested in picking my brain on the aspects and inner workings of this photography business, and frankly it became a little irritating. it reminded me of all the emails i receive - whether via my flickr stream or elsewhere - from people wanting advice on shooting dogs or post-processing. the questions ranged from general photography to equipment, where did i order my business cards to who designed my website, how did i come up with my pricing structure and where did i order my prints and photobooks.
i possess the innate inability to say ‘no’, but clearly i’m going to have to learn fast, because honestly, all this business stuff i’ve had to work so incredibly long and hard at figuring out is not something i’m ready to just give away for free. and come on, isn’t this kind of like Joe Blow going into Mary Smith’s Restaurant, befriending her, asking for all her secret recipes, then asking for her list of suppliers, and going down the street to purchase the corner establishment and opening his own identical eatery? sure, there’s always room for another restaurant, but pet photographers? in this day where everyone with a DSLR fancies themselves a photographer?
don’t get me wrong. i’m one of the most generous people you’ll meet. throughout my writing career i’ve shared and taught and nutured other writers. with training and raw feeding, i’m constantly extending myself - hours at a time - via email and by phone to individuals across canada and the US with advice and direction. i also run a kind of raw-food co-op, helping to bring good deals on quality meat to other people who feed their dogs a raw diet.
i love sharing what i’m passionate about, and i’m passionate about dogs in every form, and i’m passionate about photography. no bones about it. i genuinely want to share it all. really. i, myself, have thrived on the generous advice others have given me - photographer friends and flickr friends - however, i am not their competitor in any way: geographically or stylistically.
but i have to start drawing the line. seriously. it not only sucks a lot of time and energy, but how do i know that i’m not helping to set up my direct competitor down the street? why should i hand them a recipe that i’ve worked so long and hard to develop? so i guess what i’m saying is, if you happen to catch me at an event or find yourself itching to email me for advice, please understand if i’m not necessarily too forthcoming with information or advice all the time. starting up a business is a TON of work, and sometimes you just gotta do that work and the research for yourself. i’m genuinely sorry but i’m far too busy to hold anyone’s hand.
