08/25/2026
‼️ 📸 A Little Photography Courtesy Reminder‼️
As photographers, we’re all learning, growing, building our businesses, and trying to capture great moments. But one thing that is just as important as knowing how to use a camera is learning professional courtesy and etiquette.
When an event, rodeo, organization, or company has an official photographer, please respect that position.
That doesn’t mean no one else can ever take a picture. Parents, friends, spectators, and hobby photographers are naturally going to take photos. But there is a difference between grabbing a few pictures from the stands and photographing an event extensively, posting galleries, promoting those images, or selling them when another photographer has been hired or designated as the official photographer.
A lot goes into earning those positions—building relationships, communicating with event organizers, carrying insurance, investing in equipment, spending hours shooting and editing, and sometimes agreeing to specific expectations with the company.
If you’re another photographer and you’d like to shoot an event, ask first. I, myself, will help anyone I can but please reach out to the event organizer or the official photographer. A simple conversation goes a long way.
There is plenty of room in this industry for all of us. Supporting one another also means respecting boundaries, contracts, credentials, and the relationships other photographers have worked hard to build.
Professionalism isn’t only about the photos you produce.
It’s also about how you conduct yourself when the camera is in your hand. 📸