You can’t shoot every assignment you get a call for. Either you’ll already be booked, be sick, be on vacation, etc… You need to have a network of other photogs you can trust. You need someone that you know can get the job done and return the favor one day.
Here’s a great example. The family and I were at Disney World last week and I got a call from one of my music industry contacts. Apparently, Ozzy Osbourne’s tour needed photos taken ASAP. Nothing fancy… they needed passport photos taken for a South American trip.
Why not take the crew and musicians to a local Kinko’s for a few bucks a headshot, instead of paying a grand to have a pro come to them? It seems like overkill, right? Some shoots aren’t about the quality. Some are simply about the convenience, and Ozzy isn’t going to shut down an afternoon of work in the middle of a stadium tour to drive everyone all over town! It’s actually cheaper in the grand scheme of things to bring in a pro, even if he/she seems pricey. The savings of keeping the tour running is much bigger.
Anyway, I got sidetracked from the main point. I wanted to meet Ozzy and make some extra money, but I couldn’t. I was 1150 miles away, in the middle of a family vacation. So, I did what any smart photog would do. I told the client that I could send them a list of great shooters. I immediately asked my group of trusted peers who wanted to do it and who was available, then sent over three choices to the client. They booked one and everyone was happy.
I got a follow-up from the photog I referred, and she said it was a lot of fun getting to meet Ozzy. I bet it was!