Sister-in-law goes to another photographer ..... and talks about it constantly

[IgsEMT]

My sister-in-law, who I have known for more than 10 years, since her brother and I were dating and been married, uses another photographer for all her photos.

I started a professional photography business about three years ago and shoot weddings, family photography, events and children. I have 14 years of experience and am part time right now as I build up my equipment, etc. One of your questions is going to be -- how good am I? Not the best ever but good enough that I seem to get a lot of bookings and requests to shoot weddings, etc.

The fact the sister in law uses another photographer might not bother me so much if she wouldn't tell me about the other photographer every other time I see her. The photographer is shooting her wedding next year, which is fine because I'd rather just be at the wedding anyhow, but I'm not sure why my sister-in-law feels she has to tell me her photographer is doing her engagement photos and said to just bring the whole family for their annual family shoot and how it's going to be at this place and blah, blah, blah.

Then she turns to me and says "It doesn't bother you they are doing all my photos, right?"

Um....yeah, it does, but luckily we were interrupted and I couldn't really say anything else. This is the second time she's asked me this and I told her before it bothered me, but she keeps bringing it up.

And each Christmas we get framed photos of our nieces from these studio photographers that we have to put on our wall and I have to look at every day and be reminded my own sister-in-law doesn't think I'm good enough to take her family photos. She's given me this line that she's known the photographer a long time, but that's crap. She's known me longer.

And if she likes this other photographer's work better, that's fine, but wouldn't it bother you if your family member just kept talking about it and talking about it to you? I wanted to ask her how she'd feel if I went to another party planner, something she's just started up, and when we get together tell her everything my party planner has been doing for me and how great they are.

OK. Go. tell me to suck it up and stop being such a whiner. I know. I need to hear it.

You look like you need a hug. Do you need a hug?
Family and Friends rarely look at OWN as knowledgeable professionals. I have friends and family who went somewhere else and when I asked "hey, you know I have a studio, why didn't you come to me, at least give me a chance....?" the reply was "but you have a studio for only 2 yrs"... "but I've been in this business since '95, started out as an assistant and for 3-4 yrs shot pure medium formal film before even thinking of going digital..." At which point someone see where this conversation goes and interrupts us.
Its the BS that many of us have to deal w/ and accept. I guess paying someone else FULL PRICE (and maybe more) is better then well, getting better quality and only paying expenses - an acquaintance (to some degree) hired some1 else for her wedding, luckily I ended up getting booking of my own that day. Point is through friends of friends of friends, I found out that she hated every one of her pics, got nothing that was promised and continue paying some 'hidden fees'.