hunter102
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2013
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Texas
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
I'm new here, so hi! My name is Emily and I have been taking photos for about 7 years. I now have a smallish (but growing) photography business but have a few issues here and there that I would like some insight about. I am mainly self taught, but I do pretty well I think with the type of clients and photography that I do.
Some basics - I shoot with a Canon Mark III camera either a 85mm, 50mm or 70-200s (all 1.2 aperture) depending on what I am taking photos of. I shoot in raw and edit primarily with Lightroom, but use Photoshop as needed. I mainly shoot engagements, families, newborns, holidays, and Seniors.
Here are some issues I have been struggling with (mostly with clients and PR)
1. When I am out with a client and shooting, some clients can "take control" of the photo shoot with their ideas. Sometimes, they bring awesome props and have great ideas and the shoot goes great! Other times, the client will have some ideas that are a bit cheesy and don't understand lighting/backgrounds and how I use my lenses and what they can pick up and see. Sometimes, when those sessions are over and I look at the photos - most of their creative ideas are not something I want to put my name on, edit and publish. This only happens once in a while, but I had a shoot a few days ago and just sat down to edit their pictures and they are "meh" at best (in my opinion). For example, the client wanted to take a picture of each of her grandchildren on top of a ladder at a specific spot with some fall leaves in the background. I try to steer clients toward a better pose, and that usually works, but you get those that are super insistent! I took the photo and have a very back-lit up the nose shot of each kid looking down on me. Not great. Another photo from the day that the entire family insisted on was one of them walking down the road with the grandparents in front, kids behind, and grandkids again behind them. Shooting with my 85mm, even with a high aperture, gave a lot of blur on either the subjects in the back or front and the picture isn't good. But, they specifically requested a copy of both of these... which leads me to....
2. When a client receives their photos and request additional edits, do you give them to them or charge? In my business, I charge by the number of edits a client wants (because that is were a bulk of my time is spent) and they can either purchase 10, 20 or 30 and then order prints from there through my site (all handled by a third party) or download them digitally. Sometimes, a client will get their 10 edits and then ask "Well, what about this pose? I really wanted one of XXX pose!" If those poses aren't up to the standards of your usual work, what do you do? Give them that photo anyway, or just tell them no, explaining it wasn't good? I don't have time to sit down with the client and let them choose their photos themselves, and my prices reflect that. Suggestions?
That's my only two issues I've been running into recently, and any insight on a professional and nice way to handle those situations would be great! I'm sure there is an easy fix, but above all - I want my client to get the photos they want! No one likes to pay for a service and then be told "NO" but some things I do want to say NO about!!!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!
Some basics - I shoot with a Canon Mark III camera either a 85mm, 50mm or 70-200s (all 1.2 aperture) depending on what I am taking photos of. I shoot in raw and edit primarily with Lightroom, but use Photoshop as needed. I mainly shoot engagements, families, newborns, holidays, and Seniors.
Here are some issues I have been struggling with (mostly with clients and PR)
1. When I am out with a client and shooting, some clients can "take control" of the photo shoot with their ideas. Sometimes, they bring awesome props and have great ideas and the shoot goes great! Other times, the client will have some ideas that are a bit cheesy and don't understand lighting/backgrounds and how I use my lenses and what they can pick up and see. Sometimes, when those sessions are over and I look at the photos - most of their creative ideas are not something I want to put my name on, edit and publish. This only happens once in a while, but I had a shoot a few days ago and just sat down to edit their pictures and they are "meh" at best (in my opinion). For example, the client wanted to take a picture of each of her grandchildren on top of a ladder at a specific spot with some fall leaves in the background. I try to steer clients toward a better pose, and that usually works, but you get those that are super insistent! I took the photo and have a very back-lit up the nose shot of each kid looking down on me. Not great. Another photo from the day that the entire family insisted on was one of them walking down the road with the grandparents in front, kids behind, and grandkids again behind them. Shooting with my 85mm, even with a high aperture, gave a lot of blur on either the subjects in the back or front and the picture isn't good. But, they specifically requested a copy of both of these... which leads me to....
2. When a client receives their photos and request additional edits, do you give them to them or charge? In my business, I charge by the number of edits a client wants (because that is were a bulk of my time is spent) and they can either purchase 10, 20 or 30 and then order prints from there through my site (all handled by a third party) or download them digitally. Sometimes, a client will get their 10 edits and then ask "Well, what about this pose? I really wanted one of XXX pose!" If those poses aren't up to the standards of your usual work, what do you do? Give them that photo anyway, or just tell them no, explaining it wasn't good? I don't have time to sit down with the client and let them choose their photos themselves, and my prices reflect that. Suggestions?
That's my only two issues I've been running into recently, and any insight on a professional and nice way to handle those situations would be great! I'm sure there is an easy fix, but above all - I want my client to get the photos they want! No one likes to pay for a service and then be told "NO" but some things I do want to say NO about!!!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!
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