Making good connections

Technical knowledge in some form – at least on a basic level – should sit at the core of your photography practice, in my opinion. Do you know about shutter speed? Aperture? ISO? But the funny thing is, if you answered yes to even just one of those, then you’re pretty much good to go. Seriously.

So if it’s not technical prowess, then what is it? A bit cliché, I know, but it’s all about the connections.

There are a lot of really talented photographers, and there are even more photographers. I’m a photographer in Berlin. So are thousands of other people. Sure, different photographers have specific styles or types of photography in which they specialize. But there’s a ton of overlap between individual photographers that all excel in the same area/s.

(Enter the next cliché)

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It’s true of many vocations, but I think especially true in the world of freelance photography. You don’t even necessarily need to know the person who’s hiring you, but it sure helps if you know a person who knows that person.

So my advice? Meet (relevant) people whenever and wherever you can, and be a nice person in the process. Don’t be afraid to make it known that you’re a photographer. That way, when someone is looking for a photographer, you can already be in the top of their mind and at least have a chance at being considered for the commission/job/project.