Community Over Competition | Headshot Swap

One of the greatest joys of diving headfirst into this photography thing has been discovering community.  The spirit of community over competition is one that I’m so thankful for.  It can be so easy to feel threatened as a small business owner, but the reality is that there’s room for everyone.  My creative world kind of exploded when I realized there were all these Facebook forums out there that were completely focused on creatives, photographers, and small business owners (ah the power of social media!), and it’s become even more fun to engage in these communities as I’ve gotten to put faces to names and actually meet some of the people that I am friends with online in person!

Out of the many groups I’ve become a member of in the past year, there is one that is near and dear to my heart.  I received a message one day inviting me to join a small group for Berks County, Lehigh, and Lancaster professional photographers, and I joined, excited to find some local community.  It’s quickly become a favorite little corner of the internet for me, as it’s full of great people who are so willing to offer gentle constructive criticism, advice, and encouragement.  We all get to celebrate our wins and our victories, commiserate when something didn’t go as we hoped, and lift one another up through all of it.

Here’s the reality:  I’m not the right photographer for every client.  Sometimes, I’m booked and can’t take a wedding or sometimes, I’m just not the right fit for someone’s portrait session.  Having an awesome community of people I trust to refer clients to is invaluable to me, and even more so, the friendships that develop out of that attitude are the biggest blessing!

Last night, we met up at Blue Marsh and had a little headshot swap as the sun was going down.  Meet some of the awesome photographers from our Berks, Lehigh, and Lancaster group and each of us got to spend a few (uncomfortable!) minutes on the other side of the camera.  Meet some of my photographer friends!

View More: http://carriekizuka.pass.us/headshotswapImage taken by Carrie Kizuka

Tawanda | Tawanda Faye Photography

Tawanda Faye Photography Tawanda Faye Photography

Danielle | Danielle Danver Photography

Danielle Danver Photography Danielle Danver Photography

Angie | Angie Englerth Photography

Angie Englerth Photography Angie Englerth Photography

Carrie | Carrie Kizuka Photography

Carrie Kizuka Photography Carrie Kizuka Photography

John | Schuchman Photography

Schuchman Photography Schuchman Photography

Unfortunately, I arrived to the swap a few minutes late, and missed photographing Lindsey Koppenheffer of Good Vibes Photography! You can check out Lindsey’s account of our headshot swap here!

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