This is an advice I really didn’t pay attention to when originally administered. A teacher had told me to make friends with Graphic Designers as they usually need photography in the course of their work. Historically, graphic designers and photographers have been nibbling at each other’s business. Designers do their own photography pretending to be pros (though some do it really well) and photographers pretend to be designers working on their promotion and website. Except for the few geniuses that can do it all, most end up with sub-quality work on both sides of the spectrum. Knowing your limitations is a good sign of intelligence!

Making friends with designers isn’t that hard. As a photographer, you have a lot to offer. An exchange of services can be profitable for both parties. The designer end up with quality work and much better results for his clients and the photographer can get professional looking material for his business like paperwork, business card, promo pieces and even website design. This will allow you not only to showcase your work professionally but also create new contacts as the designers clients become indirectly yours. But what’s great about this partnership is that both benefit from it. And as both business grow along, the better kind of work both can aspire to.

I didn’t follow the advice from the get-go, but once I got in touch and made friends with designers, I realized how much of a good advice it was in the first place!