e.rose
Been spending a lot of time on here!
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 4,789
- Reaction score
- 1,985
- Location
- Nashville, Tn
- Website
- www.emilymcgonigle.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
I think the difference for a lot of people is there is a difference in shooting for free and shooting something for free to help your business.
^^^^This is exactly it.
I ALMOST told that girl, "no". But I found out where she went to school which is SMACK in the middle of my target market, so I saw it as an opportunity to get my name in front of some people who go to that school... and that's what happened.
Vs. the DOZENS of other offers I get from people simply trying to take advantage of my skill in exchange for "work for my portfolio", that actually won't help my portfolio at all.
Shooting with that senior was mutually beneficial to both of us. She got material for her modeling portfolio (which is actually what she *wanted* and the reason she contacted me in the first place), and I got material to market with.
Win/win.
But, like you said, I am also very selective about who I do test shoots with.
I test with makeup artists I want to considering hiring for my sessions, if they contact me for test shoots, and I'll test with anyone like Caroline that I feel actually *will* help my portfolio and/or possibly end up in business leads, but I say no to a lot more "free" shoots than I say yes.
They key is to make sure it will *actually* benefit you, and not allow yourself to be bullied into thinking that it will, when it won't. :lmao:
I also agree with this, you gave a price so stick with it, Have to learn to walk away from sales at times. I got in the habit of discounting my work too much. Hearing someone say that my full price wasn't bad made me realize I need to just go with the prices I set and stop assuming someone won't pay the price.
That's what happened to me too.
All it took was ONE person to pay my full rate, with no argument and no flinching for me to realize that I was fine and needed to stop selling myself short.