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Question: Why Are Photographers So Inclined To Help Each Other!?
It seems that so many photographers, both professional and amateurs love to help each other!. Why is this!? Isn't this bad for business - since you're giving advice to someone who is your competition!? Explain!. Thank you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I have not read the other answers, so I am sorry if this duplicates anything already said above!. I just don't want to be influenced in my answer!.

There is a line to be drawn between being a colleague or a competitor!. This exists in my profession as well!. Some colleagues, I would love to help as it elevates the entire profession!. There are only a couple that I know who I have a total lack of respect for that I would prefer not to help!. They are such arrogant buttholes that they deserve to go down in flames and that would be fine with me, especially since the source of the flames would be their own egos!. Other than that, it can only help to make the whole profession improve so that the bad reputation does not reflect back on me!.

In photography, there are pros and amateurs!. Why wouldn't one amateur help another!? For that matter, why wouldn't an amateur help a pro, if it was possible!? Even if I was a pro, why wouldn't I post an answer here to help someone in Peoria or Paduah!? It wouldn't affect my business in any way!. Besides, maybe the same thing would apply!. If wedding photographers get a bad name and I am a wedding photographer, I would be guilty by association!.

There is another component that I will admit to!. I like to help others partly due to ego gratification!. If I can tell them something that they didn't know before, it just proves that I am one step ahead of them and that makes me feel better about myself!. It's the opposite of tearing someone else down to make yourself look better, so it's a win-win arrangement!.

Besides that, the best way to learn more about a topic is to teach someone else!. You have to check and double check your facts and you have to be firmly convinced that you know what you are talking about before you pass it along!. If your "student" asks a question, it forces you to think, perhaps in an area that you have not considered previously, so you learn something by teaching someone else!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Good question!.

I have found in any professional business that practitioners are always willing to teach!.

I think it has to do with trying to create a minimum standard for their beloved industry whatever it may be!. If everyone is competent it helps the entire profession!.

From an artistic point of view it is irrelevant!. If you have style and substance you do not have any competitors!. What you are creating is unique as you are!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I've found that the photographers I've encountered feel more like a community of artists, and as such would rather help an artist create good art rather than suffer with mediocre or just plain bad art!. Even in the college I go to, we help each other more than anything else!. Business competition has it's place, pricing your work to get the jobs etc!. But the quality of the art is paramount!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's one of those hobbies or careers that most who practice have a passion for, and for me personally it feeds that passion to help or get tips from people who feel the same way about photography as I do!. They don't mind sharing their knowledge because the art holds respect!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

first, I don't have any competition because I no longer sell my pictures!. Secondly, we are not threatened by other photographers since we all have our own way of doing things!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

When you begin to teach, you begin to learn more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

because people want to leak juicy information to the press so they get paidWww@QuestionHome@Com