In a civilised (business) world, I believe we treat one another with respect, no matter who we are. This includes clients, colleagues, suppliers, and other photographers. People naturally want to do good.
When I moved back to Sydney after studying photography in South Australia, I worked for a short while in a camera store. I was ridiculed for my backward, small town, polite customer service, instead of just selling on price. The last month there I was their top salesperson. All I did was listen to the customer, and not just simply ask what was their best price.
Competing on price means negotiations only go in one direction. That’s one of the many things I learnt assisting photographer Rob Tuckwell. By focusing on quality and service, I can use my strengths and negotiate effectively.
When working on magazines, I saw a long-serving staff photographer swearing at an editor. Despite his amazing talent as an architectural photographer, his social skills were clearly lacking. I’ve written before that people generally prefer to work with those who are easy to get along with; nice people finish first. At least that’s how it is here in Sydney, Australia.
As a photographer, my instinct is to help people and go the extra mile to solve their problems. However, if someone consistently disrespects me, my respect for them quickly fades, and they’re left on their own. With decades of experience in the business and having run the biggest professional photography association in Australia, my website often shows up in search engine results. Sometimes, it’s for wedding photography, and I’ll happily recommend people to contact. Other times, it’s for SEO services, and I’ll politely decline.
Specialised commercial photography areas like healthcare, social services, education, and childcare need people who are kind and caring. Naturally, photographing clients in these areas requires a lot of compassion.
You might think that other areas like industrial and corporate photography don’t require empathy, but they do. Many people I photograph on work sites or in offices think their jobs aren’t important and undervalue themselves. But that’s not true. The fact that I’m being paid to photograph them doing their jobs, shows that their work matters. Regardless of whether the person is the CEO or an intern, they, and their time, deserve the same respect.
