What Would You Rather Have

In your photography: Talent or good networking/marketing of oneself?

Obviously both is the ideal but if you were forced to choose.

Talent

Networking/Marketing: Talent I've already got! HAW HAW!

Talent can only sell a picture, Marketing can sell a masterpiece!

I'm sure it sounds like a silly question. Let me put it more bluntly.

Would you rather take beautiful, creative, original, blah blah photos that no one was ever able to appreciate on a grand scale except yourself.

or would you rather have the connections, marketing and outlet to take average photos and have them seen by millions.

If you have talent everything else should take care of it's self.

If have talent and alot of "LUCK", everything might take care of itself.
i.e.
2 people apply for the same job. Applicant 1 knows several people inside of company, Applicant 2 doesn't know anybody, but has real nice resume... blah blah etc...
Quick internal check and chances are the first guy gets the job without talent even coming into the issue. The ole saying "isn't what you know, it' who you know is true today, as when it was coined.
Of course this is only my opinion, and I'll deny everything.... if wrong

marketting for sure!

So I voted talent because the question states what I would rather have, not what one needs to be successful. But as others have stated, talent will not get you so far. Most people do not recognize talent just as most people do not recognize quality especially in fields that are subjective in nature.

Talent for sure. Photography for me is an art, not a business. I'd rather be the only one to know that I'm good rather than have 1000 people know I'm so-so.

samnz wrote in post #2856865
Talent can only sell a picture, Marketing can sell a masterpiece!

yea. just look at keith herring - he was a true master at selling his crap. AND HE *KNEW* he was selling crap!

R Mutt wrote in post #2856479
In your photography: Talent or good networking/marketing of oneself?

Obviously both is the ideal but if you were forced to choose.

talent. you gotta have somethin to OFFER the contacts you've networked AND THEN be able to walk the walk!

it's really no different than asking if you should have the job skills/experience before going to a headhunter for a job

Vortex99 wrote in post #2857423
2 people apply for the same job. Applicant 1 knows several people inside of company, Applicant 2 doesn't know anybody, but has real nice resume... blah blah etc...
Quick internal check and chances are the first guy gets the job without talent even coming into the issue. The ole saying "isn't what you know, it' who you know is true today, as when it was coined.

That depends a lot on the company you want to apply to.
Networking can help you open some doors. You have to walk through them yourself.

Best regards,
Andy

studiotime wrote in post #2868512
yea. just look at keith herring - he was a true master at selling his crap. AND HE *KNEW* he was selling crap!

Ha! keith herring AND Thomas Kinkade! Two masters of marketing crap to the masses.

Andythaler wrote in post #2868777
That depends a lot on the company you want to apply to.
Networking can help you open some doors. You have to walk through them yourself.

Very true.
I guess the way I see it, A person can "always" improve at what they do, but opportunities aren't "always" available and/or creatable.

I will always say, I don't want to be like Ansel Adams, but I sure would love to have his Publicist.

He had the talent, but until he connected with a publisict he wasn't going anywhere fast, but after he got a publicist his work took off as did his fame. Then the talent could shine through.

No amount of marketing though is going to make up for a complete lack of talent. You at least have to have a minimal ability.

Just my opinion,