Difficult Customers?

sdsphoto · Oct 30, 2007

So this is my biggest peeve, although in any business the difficult ones are! LOL

Anyway I do have a tendency to take people very personally no matter what they say, and yea I know I gotta get over that!

But I had one client tonight, that has booked me, got a steal of a deal, as she has a sunday wedding, and threw in engagements LAST NIGHT for a wedding this sunday, ugh well I just got the feeling last night that they were kinda so so about it all.. and they werent very excited about the prospect of engagement as it was.. anyway I get advised we DONT like the angled shots. OK no problem, but if they look through the wedding galleries they would realise it is something that I do - especially during all the dancing to create a mood, and not just the standard straight on dancing shot! Then she said I am going to have to do alot more in posing them telling them what to do with their hands.. again CANDID photography.. now I am just all worried about the whole day.. oh and they want lots of candid and architecture of their building.. ugh

Anyone have suggestions how to deal with this? Do I just get over it? Stop taking it all so personal, and do what they are paying me for..

Deimodius · Oct 30, 2007

Hi, sds... I haven't done any wedding photography myself yet, but from what you see on the wedding shows people getting married can be pretty difficult. This is their big day, and they want it to go perfectly.

When my wife and I married we looked at the portfolios of a number of photographers, and most of them can do posed shots or candids. We personally don't like the lame posed shots like "Now, make it look like you're throwing her into the air!" and that type. We specifically asked the photographer for all candids, _except_ for the usual album shots that most people get (bride and groom standing together, various family combinations, etc).

Yes, these people should have looked at your portfolio, and if they were at all intelligent they would make the logical deduction that you have a particular style. Sadly, people seldom do what they should, and not everyone has a knack for logical deduction.

If you've already accepted the gig, I'd chalk it up to a learning experience and take the photos they want. In the future though, maybe it's best not to accept a job unless you have the time before-hand to make them site down, look at your portfolio, and make it clear to them that this is what you do?

Maybe you need an assistant for this shoot, just to help out with organizing the posed photos they want? Or maybe get them to appoint a family member as a "family liaison" to try to make things go more smoothly?

sdsphoto · Oct 30, 2007

Hey thanks!

I am going to ask my assistant if she will come.. and the more I think about it the more I think I am going to become one of those straight to the point people, LOL on my website I am going to detail the work I do.. i have had issues with family portraits where they wanted everyone looking at me smiling and its just so forced, while I will outline that we can attempt that.. if there are too many kids.. I would rather just chase them around! LOL

I am a people pleaser and it makes it hard for me to handle when people get this way.. ugh..

but thanks for the guidance!

dvduval · Oct 31, 2007

You are the professional and they hired you. Maybe let them know that while you will try to listen to their feedback, you have certain practices that have led to satisfied customers in the past. Shooting photography is somewhat of an art form, and there has to be some flexibility of the photographer to work on instinct. Too many rules can lead to a lower quality session.