If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get

Some photographs I recently created for GreenGo appeared in an article on Index.hu, but I am not writing this simply to show off. Instead, I would like to share my permanent photography mantra and explain how it might help you too.

Since I began taking photographs, I have encountered many situations in which I wanted something badly: an opportunity to demonstrate my skills, collaborate with another photographer, work with a business or photograph a professional model. Simply asking has eventually given me several opportunities that became important parts of my professional development.

My story with GreenGo and how the first assignment happened

I began using electric car sharing in Budapest around three years earlier. As somebody who tries to be environmentally conscious, I chose GreenGo because its complete fleet was electric.

I liked the service so much that one day I emailed the company about a possible photography collaboration. Before contacting them, I had taken one of their cars to a location and created several photographs so I would have something relevant to show them.

A few days later, they replied to thank me and said they would contact me if they ever required photography services. It was the standard answer dressed in polite language: “No, thank you.”

After the rejection, I continued using the service in everyday life. When preparing for upcoming automotive assignments, I sometimes used GreenGo cars to explore locations and create test photographs. A few of these images worked particularly well, so I shared them in GreenGo’s Facebook group for other users of the service to see and enjoy.

The photographs received a considerable amount of attention, and many people liked them.

More than two years after I sent that first email, GreenGo’s marketing manager called me one morning. My first thought was that I must have done something wrong and was about to be told off. In reality, he wanted to say that the team had really liked my most recent photographs in the Facebook group and ask whether I was still interested in working with them.

I had been waiting for that telephone call for two years and could hardly believe it had finally happened.

They organised a special assignment in which I needed to photograph 13 cars together for the conclusion of their 2023 Jó Ügyek—or “Good Causes”—campaign. They chose me for the project.

They were so pleased with the results that two months later I became one of the first people to see their new Cargo L vehicle in person, and I photographed it for the launch campaign. Those were the photographs that later appeared in the Index article.

Lessons from the experience

• Do not arrive empty-handed — My original email included a link to photographs I had already created, giving GreenGo something relevant to evaluate. Produce at least a small body of work before approaching somebody, so they can understand the quality and direction of what you offer.
• A rejection does not always mean never — A company saying no today does not necessarily mean the opportunity is gone permanently. They may already work with a photographer, but circumstances can change. When they need somebody new, they may remember the people who previously approached them professionally.
• Consistency matters — It may sound like a cliché, but continuing to create and share useful work genuinely matters. Even if GreenGo had forgotten my name after the first email, I did not allow it to disappear completely. Occasionally sharing a successful photograph in their community helped keep my work visible.
• Give them your best work — Once you receive the opportunity, put everything you have into it. Behave professionally. Be proactive. Ask questions before they need to ask them. Promise carefully and deliver more than expected. Become the photographer people genuinely want to work with again.

In conclusion

That is my story about the importance of asking. I encourage you to be brave, take the first step and make the request. The opportunity may appear sooner—or two years later—but it cannot develop at all if you never begin the conversation.

You can read the Index.hu article about electric car sharing in Hungary, which includes three of my photographs.