How do you deal with this...

[ddphotography]

OK, this is so going to sound like I need to have my ego stroked, and maybe I do, but here's the deal...
I am in business, have the DBA, Tax ID Number, all my records are up to date, have filed my taxes like I should. I am not really that busy but then again I am not agressively marketing myself at this point, just kinda taking whatever comes along I feel like doing.
I have a good friend, who is a client and also a very good word of mouth source of business for me. She called me a few weeks ago and told me that local youth football coach had asked her to get in touch with me about doing his team's photos( group and individual). He stated he loved my work. She told him to get in touch with me and gave him one of my cards... So I waited for him to call, which as you can guess he never did. She asked him a few days ago if he ever got in touch with me(we haven't discussed it) and he said that before he could contact me his wife had heard about a lady who had done our high school football and volleyball teams and she wanted to call her.
The lady they are referring to is doing this as a MWAC, she is not in business, she has no TAX ID number, no DBA, not much experience as far as I know. The pictures she took of the hs teams were ok, but I did have some parents call me to have them redone as they weren't happy with them.
I really had a hard time with this... I know I shouldn't, I know I should have just let it go and let them learn their lesson. I guess you could say my feelings were hurt, I really got my nose in a knot(new saying, meaning I got upset) over this.
So I guess my question is, how do you react and deal with these people who are getting jobs out there that really have no business doing it.. this is a BIG problem in our community and I just want to SCREAM at them and tell them how disappointed they are going to be based on what work of these people I have seen.
I know I am just rambling, I went and walked two and half miles Thursday evening and really tried to work through it and ultimately came to the conclusion that I can't do anything about what everyone is doing, all I can control is what I am doing and how I handle things. I guess the thing that gets me is that this lady is doing this all for fun, she has a very WELL paying job and does this on the side and under the table so to speak. This IS my job and I am doing everything legally and still can't get these jobs.
I swear if you had come in contact with me on Thursday, you would have thought I had lost my mind... but it was just something I had to work out on my own, if you know what I mean.
The only reason I wrote this long post was to see if, in my mind, I am thinking it through the right way... because getting as upset as I did over this one incident is not going to help my business at all, because I am just going to be bitter towards that particular coach.
OH yeah, I might better add that he talked to me last spring about doing his daughters Tball team photos too, never called, I don't even know if anyone ever did those.
Man, it sure feels better since I typed it all out..

[dixonduke]

mwac??? I have know idea what this means???

Anyway....

You state that you are not aggressively marketing yourself, but you also state that you can't get work? Whom are you angry with? Yourself or your competition, be them valid taxid holders or amateurs that just happen to know the right people??

Was contacting the coach directly an option availble to you from your friend at the time you were told of his interest? Why let time lapse when this is something you were really wanting to undertake?

Please know I am not flaming you, I am just asking what I feel are relevant questions with the information you provided in your post.

As to how to handle the situation that you described. Chalk it up as a job not gotten, and relish that if the quality of the amateurs work are as poor as you elude, this coach will not use her again which gives you a chance to get the future work.

[texkam]

So I guess my question is, how do you react and deal with these people who are getting jobs out there that really have no business doing it

Vent, allow us to stroke your ego, pick yourself up and get back to it. Have faith in yourself. If you are good hopefully your talent will be appreciated. I looked at the few shots you've got posted. Not a whole lot of images there yet. Post some more stuff. If it's good we'll tell you. If it's not we'll tell you how it can be improved. :)

[texxter]

It's understandable to be disappointed in a situation like this. However, I think a shift in perspective is probably healthy. You said that you're not marketing yourself much and simply waiting for jobs that you enjoy to come your way. If you want to have more control of your business and reduce the probability of situations like this occurring, you may want to actually spend time doing marketing, finding your niche, building a strong portfolio with some area of expertise, and working your leads. The cruel truth is that the barrier to entry into the retail photography field is nearly non-existent - a $600 camera kit and a willingness to talk to people will get you to play. So in order for you to be successful as a professional photographer you've got to differentiate yourself from the amateur, and having a DBA is not enough, aggressively define and market to your target market, and have evidence that you can do better than a newcomer in some way - quality, customer service, professionalism, whatever.

Take this opinion with a grain of salt because I am not a full-time retail photographer. I just know what I'd need to do if I wanted to be a successful one - do work of a quality that most amateurs can't do, and target people that value this difference. Kid sport portraits is not too hard to do acceptably well, so this particular job you mentioned is understandably accessible to almost anyone with a dSLR.

So if I were in your shoes I'd use this experience to think hard about the kind of business I want to have, the kind of customer I want to target, and how I am going to go about it.

[ddphotography]

OK DUKE..Mom With A Camera .
And yes you are right, I am partly to blame for this getting away from me, but it won't happen again, I promise you... I am probably more mad at myself than anything( I am the only person I can be upset with huh!!)
Anyway, thanks for the advice...

Tex... thank you so much... I am not here enough to put my work up, its wierd I know, but I just don't feel comfortable doing that...

[danchez]

I didn't know what MWAC was either, thank you google:

MWAC Midwest Archeological Center (Lincoln, NE)
MWAC Mom With A Camera
MWAC Montgomery Ward Auto Club
MWAC Mum With A Camera
MWAC Moving Weighted Average Cost
MWAC Microwave Active Compositions
MWAC Milwaukee Without A Car (Wisconsin)

[texkam]

do Work Of A Quality That Most Amateurs Can't Do, And Target People That Value This Difference.

+1

[ddphotography]

Texter, you had some really good things to say, thank you so much!! I feel better already, I should have come here first!LOL!!

ddphotography added 7 Minutes and 41 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Duke, to answer your question about contacting the coach, there was another lady last year that would literally stalk the coaches of the youth league teams and bug them about doing their photos, she ultlimately got LOTS of work, got in WAY over her head and ended up providing HORRIBLE product, customer service.... I have picked up several of the teams that she did last year... I know all this because one of the teams was my nephew's t-ball team I saw the work first hand...
I made a vow then that I was not going to chase down coaches for work, if they see my work, like it, they will get in touch... I live in a VERY small town, (pop 1600) and we have unusually high amount of aspiring photographers here. Like 10, at least!!

[HotHolly]

This problem has always been there. You have to make it entirely clear why they should use you. If they cannot see it, they wont buy it. And it shouldnt be something you have to say. If you look at our bridals and boudoir, they have a unique feel to them. A MWC cant reproduce anything that looks like that. So they dont steal my jobs.

Ive also come to learn that there are 2 different personality types you are selling to with photography. The 1st needs the photograph, but cares nothing about the artistic element. They want it for the sake of having it - its a practical matter. The second group values photography as art in some way and they want something stylized - its a vanity issue. Vanity will cause the client to be more careful and more selective. Anyway, cheap or trendy appeals to practical folks, while that will repel the vanity folks. When you make your marketing plan and start pushing it, keep that stuff in mind. If you try to split it down the middle, you get no one.

[toverman]

Most people looking for youth sports photography are not looking for heirloom gallery wraps ... parents are dealing with multiple children in multiple sports for multiple years. It ain't art and won't likely hang over the fireplace. It's a ripe market for those who work to gain name recognition because the one hired will be the one known about. As long as the photos are well exposed and in focus, delivered on time and as promised, repeat business is likely. It's not all about price in that market, but that's going to be a factor, too.

It's laudable to know your limitations and not want to repeat the mistakes of others who've taken on more work than they can handle. But you having too much work doesn't seem to be the problem (it's not my problem right now). Pick a sport and age group you enjoy and pursue it; turn down the jobs that don't fit that niche or you don't want to do.

[ka5txl]

Deb.
I understand not making a "pest" of yourself as I can be intraverted at times. Of course the machiavellian in me might anonymously call the state comprtollers office to let them know that there is someone out there not collecting sales taxes. Someone told me one time they take a dim view of that. It might not stop her from taking business away from you but would get her to collect and pay the taxes

[StevenGWebb]

Lets see if I get this straight. You actually did nothing more than provide your card to a friend who forwarded it to a potential client. Someone else got the job. You've met all your lawful requirements to be in business but haven't done much to go after and follow-up those leads. Someone else who didn't do the legal eagle end is going after the business. And your feelings are hurt because you didn't get a job you never had and never cultivated. Isn't that about the size of it?

Getting work means much, much more than forwarding a business card thrid party and just sitting on your laurels. If the job meant so much to you, why weren't you all over that lead? Why didn't you contact the prospect yourself? You didn't get beat up, you never got in the ring to answer the first bell. You have only yourself to blame. This wasn't a case of poor marketing v.s. smooth talk this was nothing v.s. very little and very little won.

Don't let it happen again. Treat your prospects like they are important to you and as if you really want to do something.

Steve

[HepGear]

Just a thought:

Well guys i think we have to admit, there is a real problem with none professionals "MWAC" doing the jobs of professionals and i think this also gives the general public a impression of "anybody can do this kinda work" or worst, give trust to the none professionals. ( i am not saying if you are a MWAC then you can't take a pro pic) taking pictures and learning to take pictures take both time and real investments and people who do this day in and day out takes great deals of pride and it shows in there works. seeing a great job taken by amateurs at the end of the day does take alot out of you. i guess what i am trying to say is there is a lack of standards here, and no one is doing anything about it or powerless to do anything about it.

[Gabby498]

I am sorry, I do not have to admit that there is a problem with a MWC getting the business. It is called competition and it is open to all. It is the clients choice. Who knows that Mom might just run circles around a photographer sitting on his keister. Having a dba or a tax id dosen't have much to do with being an outstanding photograher. And yes, whining always sounds a little egocentric.

From your post it dosen't sound like the Mom is "going after the business," just that the coaches wife wanted to give her a call. Your friend is druming business for you. The coaches wife is druming business for her friend.

[texkam]

My Mom was pretty good with a camera. Of course she was married to a Pulitzer winning husband.