Peter McKinnon is where I started.

I like John Branch. I appreciate his willingness to lay it all out and take you with him.

I used to have this line creep into the back of my head. I have been taking pictures as long as I can remember and every so often I would think “is it just that I have a good camera?”

Then I set my xt2 down on a table at my high school reunion. I had recently been taking pictures so the settings weren’t even all that far off but it wasn’t in auto. I looked over and saw a few old friends playing with it and taking pictures.

They turned out terrible lol. It was so validating.

Sharing knowledge and helping each other out is beneficial for everyone.

I am curious how exactly it would be beneficial for a photographer to share the secret to their success with you? And specifically via PM where the conversation would only be between you two, only you would get the info and no larger audience would see?

Many seasoned and successful photogs create courses and do coaching about this exact question. The privileged to receive one-on-one time and answers to your personal questions usually has a decent cost associated because their time and experience matters and they have worked hard to get to where they are.

Photography may be their passion, but it is also their business.

“Hey Aunt so-and-so! I do not any availability this year as I am totally booked out with fashion and commercial clients. Business is booming, yay! I am happy to refer you to a few portrait photographers in the area that have similar editing styles to the work I have done for you in the past.

Let me know if you’re interested in a few names!”

Let’s them know that

1. You don’t have time
2. You are a fashion/commercial photographer
3. What you do for them is work
4. What $$$ the “similar style” photographers charge and context about what the value of the free work they have been getting from you is.