I have a hard photo client. And it’s the first I’ve experienced this far on my journey in 6 months. It was clear from the start she wanted the photos for cheap but wanted many to choose from because she is particular about how she looks in photos. Okay fair. I can usually get one out of 3 that’s flattering and you like more than the other. Anyway, I agreed on a session for a small price as a “mini”. I was concerned about this being she wanted to many options and through communication with her the whole week leading up to the session she was concerned about her dress, okay, I get it, well then it was her boyfriends shirt, okay I’m here to help give guidance but you said on the questionnaire you didn’t want it so I didn’t send you my style guide. Well then it was a few other things and editing requests, fine.
So now we arrive to the session and she mentions how she didn’t get enough time to get ready and all the other things. Well I can’t control that. Session was over and I send her 5 edited images. She comes back with not that she loves them but that she hopes they are all she dreamed of followed by “I see my hair part is off” mind you, you cannot see the hair part or barely in any of the images so she is looking THAT closely. Only SHE would know if her part is off and from what I see on her fb, it’s the same…
Okay we are in deep and I want to make her happy, but now I’m nervous/anxious about dilivering anything because I feel she will pick it apart, really she is a beautiful girl but seems she is VERY hard on herself. My images are very “imperfect are perfect” and most have hired me because of that so I’m at a loss!
I just need advise. How do you go about these kinds of clients?
You don’t need every client, some cost you way more in time than they are worth
i preach this all the time. let the paying clients choose the final images! your life will be sooo much easier!
if you have a certain style that is specific to the way you shoot then you have to relay that to them and hope she understand and if she doesn’t then you just bite the bullet give her the photos that she wants and ask her not to tag you if she posts them cuz it doesn’t fit your style. all of this should be talked about before hand and also put into a contract. you should have a contract for any shoot even if its free or $5.
then never work with her again unless the rate is much much much much higher.
since you are only 6 months into your journey i’ll tell you this… most of the time the people who are the cheapest are the hardest to work with. so set your rates accordingly to the market.
you’ll have a client spending $1,000 call you day and night asking for this and that and will never want to pay you then you’ll have a client spending $10,000 who will pay you right away and will email you “thanks” after you deliver the finals and never hear from them again until the next time.
Press send and deliver the photos. She can complain all she wants. Clients that choose you should trust you.
It was clear from the start she wanted the photos for cheap but wanted many to choose from…
I just need advise. How do you go about these kinds of clients?
Don’t take them on.