How To Handle This (Tactfully)?

I'm always genuinely flattered when I receive "fan mail" from clients and other photographers who share kind thoughts about my work. I

know we all are. Creating a joyful reaction with our work is tantamount, if not in some cases paramount, to the money. It is very humbling

to me to know that others see the love and effort I put into my craft.

 

That said, I also don't always know how to draw the line when someone (namely a local photographer practically in my back yard) writes

with very flattering words but then wants to know everything about how I do what I do in the name of "helping a newbee" out. I do have a

formal paid mentorship program which is quite active, but not for people in my metro area. I also love sharing and bouncing ideas off of

friends / colleagues, but again, not so much my direct competition. In thinking about it, I don't think I would ever write and ask a

competitor (especially who I don't know) "tell me how you got that shot -- what ISO, what metering, what processing?" I feel that's a bit

disrespectful.

 

I know I have a competitive streak in me and so I may be a bit more guarded than most (a colleague of mine is totally laid back and would

not have a problem sitting down and opening her workflow to anyone). I know I'll politely thank her and give some sort of "canned" answer

about how much I appreciate her kind words and that it's all "practice, practice, practice."

 

I know we all have the "PC" way of responding, but I'm wondering how you REALLY feel about this and how much specific info. you

actually share.

 

Thanks :)

 

- Karen Lippowiths

When people found out that I fixed computers, they would say, "Really? Could you just take a quick look at a problem I'm having?" And I would say, "Sure, for $85 an hour."

 

On the other hand, I also like to teach and I find teaching makes me want to learn even more because I become encompassed in the subject. But knowledge still has to be paid for. You have worked very hard to create your style (and I love your stuff by the way) and it belongs to you. This person needs to work very hard to create their own style. I have the same problem in the graphic and video field (people rip off ideas all the time). But I pay for the knowledge I need, search the internet for answers and spend a ridiculous amount of time practicing and learning what I want to know.

 

If you have a paid mentorship program, then they should pay for the knowledge.

 

By the way, weren't you the one who had a competitor who wanted to rent your studio? Is this the same person asking? If so, then I'd stay far away.

Hey Rich:

 

Thanks for your reply. I SO KNOW what you mean about the computer stuff too -- I was a web developer in a past life

photographer and everyone would ask me to just "take a look at a file" for them or (even worse, my least favorite thing in

the world) help them with various hosting / domain / e-mail issues. Because information (especially about web /

computers / video / media) is abundant on the web, people think it is (or should be) free.

 

Yes, I was the person who wrote about an inquiry to shoot in my studio, but this is a different person inquiring. (I have

somehow "drifted" from the person who wanted to rent my studio -- she never got in touch again after I said "no" -- go

figure).

 

This person is seemingly innocent in her approach and, again, I am very flattered by her kind words. I want to be "nice"

in my reply to her, but honestly, these e-mails are starting to irk me. My mentorship program is not for people within 250

miles of me, otherwise I would steer her that way. In this case, I don't really feel I have much to offer her other than

general words of encouragement, which I am happy to share.

 

Thanks for chiming in. I love this board because it IS a place I feel comfortable sharing. :)

 

Best wishes,

 

Karen

Seems to me there is a difference between saying "I used such and such lighting set here and here, this shutter speed/ISO/aperture" ... and tutoring/teaching a seminar for a fee.

 

You can tell me how to make a fantastic shot, but that sure doesn't mean I can do it.

 

I don't hesitate to ask anyone anything and wouldn't refuse to tell anyone anything. I think better competition makes me be better. I think better skills and knowledge among everyone makes the craft better.

 

I don't criticize or judge someone who might take a different attitude, but I don't share that attitude.

I'd say something like:

 

Thanks for your kind words and interest but my livelihood depends on techniques and skills that I've developed and I feel I need to maintain control over them. I'd encourage you to find your own vision and inner voice blah blah blah......

You can always say you don't remember/you're not sure/it's not really important.

 

Or you can passive-agressive 'not answer the question': "Dear so'n'so, thanks for the really kind words about the images! -Yours, Karen."

 

Then if they email back and say "but you didn't answer my questions" you reply with "that's right! I didn't!"

 

The message will get through.

I'd give a specific, but not especially detailed, answer. "Oh, there's a softbox on the the left and grid for the hairlight. I

shot raw and up-ed saturation and shadows. Aperture was something like f/11 or 13. I can't remember the shutter

speed, but it doesn't matter anyway." She'll be satisfied and you'll come off with good PR. Frankly, if she knew much

about photography, she'd be able to figure most of that out on her own.

 

I don't worry too much about questions like this because it's never the technical stuff that makes a picture work. Even if

she was able to replicate the lighting and PP perfectly, the moment, color and composition are the important part.

Getting that stuff "right" is gut feeling and experience, and she'll never have yours. I've literally shot the same event, on

the exact same set of lights and at the exact same time (don't ask...we were being "creative"...), as a friend and our

takes were completely different.

Specifically (and I'm paraphrasing to get to the point here), this person writes:

 

"Your work is beautiful. I own XXX studio in XXX town. I was hoping you would share with me a few of your lighting

secrets: namely how you get the light in your subjects' eyes. Do you bring reflectors with you? Extra lighting? Or are

you just using available light? Is it the Nik or Efex filters that give your colors that extra pop? I'm always on the lookout

for new techniques."

 

This person goes on, but that's the crux. I think I like a combination of Howard and Alec's responses best and I will

probably say something like that.

 

By the way, I don't use anything other than my camera and lens. I probably could get some nice effects with reflectors,

tents, or flash, but frankly, I'm a less-is-more shooter. I also don't own filters or actions because I'm too cheap and too

lazy to get into that stuff (LOL), but who cares how you get the shot, really. If the client loves it, it doesn't matter in my

opinion if it's out-of-camera or highly processed. That stuff only impresses other photographers and they're not hiring me

to take shots of their kids. This is a BUSINESS after all, not "art for art's sake." I don't really want to know how a Big

Mac is made, but I somehow keep comin' back for more - LOL!

 

Thanks all :)

 

Karen

Hi Karen,

 

You've esentially just told us the answer that your cometitor is seeking. Go ahead and tell her the same thing, which is, "No. I don't use any of that stuff." Keep your friends close and your competitors closer. You're not really giving anything away, ie: technique, post processing, etc. You're answering her question and letting her down gently.

 

Just my 2c.

 

Ian

And whattaya know, Ian, that's exactly what I said to her (writing out the response here helped me formulate my response

:) Thanks for the confirmation that I've done what I hope is the right thing :)

 

Cheers!

 

Karen

1st in my book the age secrets died with the alchemy of the darkroom. It in some ways this reminds me of the film days. I

remember when I first started out my hourly rate was higher than my competitors but my custom lab costs were less. I had a

clients ask me why my rate was higher, Yet I did not charge as much for prints. Was I using an inferior lab service from my

competitors. The I gave was simple my rates reflect my time and skills I bring to a shoot, and by the way we all use the same

custom lab that was in town.

 

I come out of an environment in which, I shoot against the competition Face to Face on a daily basis. So for me the concept of

secrets is silly at best. I don't see an issue with asking the competition questions as wrong or rude. In the professional world of

photography, People Skills, Customer Service, and Photographic Technique are what counts the most. Things like bokeh,

window light, soft lighting and high key lighting are not secrets. How you put them together, and interact with the subject is

uniquely you.

 

If I was in your position, I might give a quick overview of how image was shot, f/stops, lenses and that I used photoshop to

process the image. I would thank them for their comments and offer them the Mentorship program. In the end they will be no

more a threat to your market place than they are now. If they try to copy your style, they will be a poor imitation. If they can build

from the knowledge you give them then they may become a threat, but they will always be a threat because they have that

potential.

 

By the way I looked at your images they very beautiful, and the way you interact with subjects to get those expressions is great.

And, not to totally geek out on you, here, Karen... but don't forget that most of what gets talked about here is very

quickly Google-able. So, when talking about you someone else's interaction with you, someone who's got an interest

in your career and approach to things might very well come across a conversation like this. Which isn't to say you've

been anything but decent and polite in your description of things, but some people forget that.

 

I've seen questions here along the lines of, "So, I've got this idiot customer, and..." doh! Google never forgets! Just a

reminder to all that if you use PN with your real name (which I think is smart), you will want to do so on the

assumption that your prospective customers AND your prospective competitors will read all of it. Just sayin'.

Hi Matt:

 

Thanks. I know how this board is a double-edged sword -- I've gotten good rankings because of postings, but D'OH once

in a while the very first meta content I put out years ago that makes me sound like a bargain-basement photographer

STILL comes up. That always hurts when I see it because now I charge top dollar (LOL). I try to walk that fine line . . .

trust me, there are many things I WISH I could say online but never do. :)

 

Thanks again. Always nice to receive your replies -- you're a buddy :)

 

Karen

Dear so'n'so,

 

I appreciate your kind commentary about my work!

 

The lighting techniques I've learned are far too extensive to address in an email, but I can recommend some excellent books, including ______________. You might also want to consider some formal coursework in photography. For instance, I attended ______________. I feel that was an excellent investment in my career. A bit closer to home, I hear that ____________ has an excellent program, and I am often impressed with the work of their graduates. Their program is quite affordable -- should only cost you about _____ per year in tuition.

 

I wish you all the luck in your new business. As you are probably discovering, photography is an extraordinarily competitive field, and there is no shortage of newcomers competing for a progressively diminishing clientele. Becoming well studied in your technique will help you to compete in this difficult climate.

 

Kindest regards,

Karen

 

(Delete any parts that don't apply or that you don't want to say.)

teach is another study, she asks you, because you stand front of her.

 

do not worry.

 

she will only follow you.

 

:)

 

Roc

There's no big secrets in photography. If there were, you could find the secrets on the internet. And one can only get technique from someone else. A style takes a lot more.

 

When people ask me, I always tell them what they want to know, as long as it doesn't consume a lot of my time. I even tell them when I'm doing a paid shoot and see them doing things wrong, I try to help them get better photos. Nobody's photos have come out like mine and nobody has ended up competing for jobs with me just because I told them how to do what I do.

 

I've gotten work because I helped people out. I even get asked to do stuff I won't do, like weddings, and I refer them to other people. It all works out, because just telling someone how I do things doesn't result in them taking photos like me.

 

I end up with friends and customers. Telling them I won't tell them would be unlikely to get the same positive results.

"I know I have a competitive streak in me and so I may be a bit more guarded than most (a colleague of mine is totally laid back and would not have a problem sitting down and opening her workflow to anyone)."

 

Does your colleague have any input on the results of her approach?

 

I once heard this piece of advice: you can share all your lighting secrets, down to the exact ratio, but the results from one photographer to another will never be the same. In a sense, I agree. I can look at someone else's photo and copy it to the nth degree, but the flavor just isn't the same. Perhaps, if you share some info, but keep the proprietary stuff to yourself (probably the post-processing), you can be "nice" but also guard your own personal style.

 

Just some material for rumination.

Hey, nice timing! My reply pretty much echoes what Jeff said, and I think he said it better.

You could them write something like:

 

"I don't use anything other than my camera and lens. I probably could get some nice effects with reflectors, tents, or flash, but frankly, I'm a less-is-more shooter. I also don't own filters or actions because I'm too cheap and too lazy to get into that stuff (LOL), but who cares how you get the shot, really. If the client loves it, it doesn't matter in my opinion if it's out-of-camera or highly processed"

 

Personally, I'd do the pay to learn route. Tell them for $3000.00(+/-) you'll spend two full days with them and teach them everything they want to know.

 

If you'd just simply rather not due to proximity, say that you're usually happy to teach or explain that kind of stuff for people that don't work in your market, for business reasons. They'll likely understand. Cushion that with the suggestion to point them in a general direction where they can do more research on their own. Close with you really appreciate their interest, yada yada yada, and if you can answer any other type of non-techinical questions, you'll be happy to take a few moments and yada yada yada.

One thing that I have learned after years of assisting some of the top photographers and cinema photographers in the world is

that anyone who "guards there secrets" or thinks that they know something that others do not and thus go to extremes to protect

it usually have some sort of insecurity complex (beyond photography). Often I wonder why art directors dont just shoot it

themselves...it is not like it is hard to learn! You are not special. Your photos are nice, you have a great eye, but no, you did not

invent any of your techniques! Go ahead, tell your competition your "secrets"! WHO CARES? Fact is, photography comes

down to way more than just lighting and photoshop... It is about being able to handle any situation or lighting condition and come

out with a winning image. From MY experience, no two shoots are the same and it is childish to think that you are guarding

some "big secret" that only you know. (EGO). Recently I did my first editorial fashion shoot (I dont shoot fashion). Sure I used

some of the techniques utilized on shoots I assisted on (Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, etc), but the lighting did not make the

shot! It was the combination of the clothing, setting, time of day, help of assistants, lighting, skill, collaboration, and my eye.

Earlier or later, I might have used another lighting style. Different location? It would have been an altogether different shot.

Every shot is unique in regards to models, props, lighting, location, direction, post, and most importantly (unless working off of a

comp) the photographers eye. Never-mind the art direction from the agency. For what you do you have nice work, no doubt. To

think that you are the only one is a massive inflation of ones ego. This is a phenomena I mostly see in the portrait/wedding world

but whatever...Point is that every shot is different and that even if they did copy your "secret" techniques and even art direction

(props, etc) the person would probably come out with a different shot regardless. Even if you told this person everything you

know, that would NEVER replace your eye (or minds eye) and that is the true difference.

And if you disagree, then follow the above posts about blowing this person off...

Yes, constant technical questions (and often) can be annoying and frustrating. I would just tell them to start assisting...or just tell

them the truth! (unless you suffer from an insecurity complex and truly think they will "steal" your work)

I grew up with a father who is a full time oil painter and I can not begin to tell you how many other artists he has met along the way where they share their techniques, styles, etc. I understand that there are people who prefer not to share this information however it is like a lot of other people on this page have said, even if you do share information with her there is no possible way for her to exactly copy and replicate your style, and your eye. You can always keep it to a very minimal explanation of what you do. The fact that she is right in your same location does make it a little tough because shes competition to you, however if she really is starting out then a lot of her questions really may be coming from admiration of your work, and a brief explanation of lighting used I don't believe is going to hurt you in any way. Post processing I think is a different story because for a lot of us it takes time and trial and error to make images the way you want them and over time you develop your own process to create your images. Keep the explanation short and basic, "I use natural lighting..... these are some of the lens that I like...... a good f stop in this lighting situation is..... I post process in photoshop......" these are all things that anyone can find in a simple google search and I think would answer her question and you don't even have to mention specifically what exactly you do.

Probably the 'for photographers' link in your website threw her off. You have a lot of things listed in there which apparently

you don't use as much. Love your photos though.

Hi Karen, I just looked at your website and i would say you have already told her enough (about your equipment, processing, etc). It sounds like shes a competitor that doesnt mind taking the easy option, rather than pay her dues like the rest of us. If you do give her more information dont be surprised if you see your work mimicked and used to take some of your buisness. A few years ago I had a guy call me up wanting to join my buisness and literally called about 5 or 6 times almost begging, he said he had all of the things he needed to work in my field except the website (it was doing virtual tours), this rang alarm bells so i tactfully told him no, a couple of weeks later i found out that he was already lining up clients in my area and he was needing a leg up to compete, not nice....

It's interesting to read the responses here and reflect on my own experiences. My first few hockey games was a learning experience getting the settings just right to capture everything well. Ice Hockey can be a difficult subject. However I found that while the camera settings are fairly straightforward, none of the other photographers were very friendly. They didn't want to share settings or ideas or collaborate thinking it might give them an edge. This is not a philosophy I agree with, just knowing ISO, Aperture, and Shutter speed isn't going to help me get good photos. It will help with exposure issues but a good light meter will tell me that also. Holding technical information close to your chest works well with cooking and recipes but not with photography.

 

I find that a good book on a subject can be good advice so recommending a book on lighting or exposure instead of explaining how I do something can be PC and still resolve the problem.

Hi Again, Everyone:

 

Thank you all for taking such time to respond. You're all great! I just want to clarify one point: in no way do I think I hold any "secrets"

to a great photo and I don't claim to have "invented" anything -- I have attended workshops myself (for $$$), studied under others (and

reciprocated by referring business), and like everyone, learned a lot by trial and error -- I don't feel I have some magical combination of

tricks or anything here and I'm not feeling that what I do is any different from or better than anybody else. I don't think this is a matter of

ego

here. It's a matter of, as Shane puts it, paving your own way and paying your dues. This is a business. Yesterday, I received a total of

four "how do you do this?" e-mails: two about photos specifically, one about my web site, and one about a blast I put out to my

constituency. I responded to all of them and put a little thought into the response, hoping to genuinely help the person while keeping my

day on track, time-wise. I have the "for photographers" link for somewhat of a hidden reason: I am very active in other chat rooms

having nothing to do with photography (baby-related, I have a 14-month-old) and I very often get the same questions about equipment,

technique, etc. but from very uninitiated perspectives -- it does NOT make sense to go into a discussion about white balance, actions,

etc. with a mom using a Canon Snapshot. I direct them to that page (but obviously, I titled the page appropriately) and other parts of my

blog that could be helpful to them.

 

I am competitive by nature and I know this about myself. I am also very giving. I received a call from a national outlet to do a little

work and I actually recommended my VERY DIRECT competitor to get a piece of the pie as well. I have a "shout out" to her (with a

link) in my blog. I offer a whole list of photographers (outside of my area, of course) as recommendations. I referred two pieces of

business just this week to people who I just think are more qualified. I just granted total access (as in, gave her access to my server so

she could download every file for herself) to

another competitor (and good friend) to my web site so she could build her own. I share my Welcome Packet (that includes offerings,

pricing, policies, FAQs, etc.) with my friends / colleagues all the time. I'm going to coffee with a "newbee" photographer who lives

literally down the street from me on Monday.

She has asked for my help with her portfolio and pricing. The point here is that I DO want to be part of a community, but one that lends

a certain reciprocal benefit.

 

SO, to sum up, here's my philosophy: I love sharing with you guys here, I share with trusted colleagues, I am friendly with my

competition, and I charge the rest (LOL). Thanks again and have a great day :)

 

- Karen