You are NOT James Bond…

True stories:

1. A bride made an appointment to meet with me to discuss doing her wedding photography. She brought a bridesmaid with her. Not an unusual arrangement. However, the bridesmaid commandeered the conversation and asked questions about WHERE I had my prints made (ie what lab) and what paper they were printed on and HOW I designed my albums and WHERE I got those printed. The bride barely spoke. Midway through the meeting I asked the bridesmaid if she was a photographer because she was asking me more photography business questions than wedding photography questions. BUSTED. She was. She talked the bride into bringing her along so she could see my price list, contract and offerings and then undercut me. The bride didn’t bother letting me know that she wasn’t going with my services and I didn’t bother following up with her. I didn’t want her as a client after that.

2. My phone rings. I have a Smart Phone that is synced to my Facebook friends list. The name of a photographer that I was “friends” with on Facebook and had met at a speaking engagement I had several months before popped up on the screen. I figured he had some questions. Instead, it was a woman. She began asking me questions about my wedding pricing and offerings. She did not mention that she was the photographer’s wife (and business partner).

3. A photographer friend is an award-winning boudoir photographer that has recently relocated and is searching for models in her new location. She received an application from the wife of a… you guessed it…boudoir photographer.

Come on, people! Seriously???

In this day and age of Facebook, the www and other technological advances – you cannot hide. We WILL figure out who you are and you will forever be on our shit lists. We will tell our local photographer friends about what you did and it will take you a VERY long time to redeem yourself in our eyes and the eyes of our peers.

Don’t do it. It’s NOT classy at all. In fact, it’s downright insulting.

In the second example above – I told the caller I was confused, that it looked like she was calling from the number of a local competitor. She ‘fessed up and apologized. And you know what? I told her everything she wanted to know and sent her some links in an email to some suppliers I use that carry a specific product she was asking about. I ignored her faux pas and treated her as if she had been up front with me in the beginning.

I’m a soft touch like that. Other photographers probably won’t be.

So – if you wanna know something, just ask. Don’t be all private-eye-like and think you’re going to fool us. You won’t.