Not necessarily. The only ones in direct competition with you are the ones at your level. If you're breaking into a new market, established still photographers shouldn't feel threatened by you. Some will. Some are very closed off with information. Remember, you can reach out to still photographers all over the country. The camera guild has a directory (it also has one for publicists, which is crucial for still photographers because it lists photo editors and VPs of photography, etc.). If you live outside of Los Angeles (which this person does) you want to do the research of the people who hire you, develop a mentor/advisor relationship through phone and email and then, as you get to know them pretty well, find out a good time of year to come out for a week of meetings. There's nothing like meeting in person, and people really respect someone who is willing to fly out to meet with them.
Los Angeles still photographers (or insert your classification here if you live somewhere else) may be more open to speaking with you because again, you are out of state and therefore, they may not view you as direct competition.
www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME
For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com
