How long?

Holly · Sep 4, 2006

Does anyone wait a certain period of time before a client plays? I have had 2 clients who have given me the order as to what sizes and photos they were interested in.. One session was 7/22 and the other 8/05

NOT sure as to how long I should be waiting.. DO I give a time frame?

Thanks

abraxas · Sep 4, 2006

On delivery.

ksmattfish · Sep 4, 2006

Holly said:
DO I give a time frame?

Yes. How long is up to you, just be consistent. It could be on delivery, at the time of the portrait session, within 30 days, etc.... It's your business. Different photogs do it different ways.

My policy with non-commercial clients is to get paid in full 2 weeks before a wedding, at the time of the portrait session, or when prints, albums, and services are ordered. Occasionally I do accept payment when I deliver. Commercial clients usually have their own payment policies and schedules; they let me know what it is before I take the job, and I either agree, or not.

craig · Sep 5, 2006

I do not express a time frame, but my clients get a call after 45 days. Most my clients are businesses so you have the pesky billing cycle. Then I give them 2 weeks for "I lost your bill". Thankfully those calls are rare. If it is a small job (under 500 dollars) they usually pay upon receipt of the finished files or prints.

jemmy · Sep 6, 2006

HI holly, I am asking for a 50% deposit on ordering that way my butt is covered for processing costs if they happen to not come back to collect. If they haven't got the money on them ( but they should as I have made it clear prior!) I will stress that no orders will be filled till the money is in my hand. Sometimes people change their mind and there is no way I want to be out of pocket this early in my little business x I was originally going to send a proof sheet home with clients so that they didn't feel pressured to order on the spot, but I think there is too much risk that they could copy them and not order. I know the quality would be 'crapola' but that doesn't seem to bother some. I have decided to show a slideshow of all portraits, and have a proof sheet in front of them and just pause the dvd to assist with ordering? A girlfriend of mine (fellow photog) recently sent proof sheets off with her client and she hasn't been back..... she has learnt the hard way and vows never to offer proofs again x

So holly, were their orders 'official' and have you already had the images printed? or were they going to 'get back to you' to give final order??? Did you send them off with proofs??xx Perhaps it is necessary to have a 'time frame' in which they must order? Not sure.... I don't think I will be chasing any orders - if they want them, they have my number x
ps... how long till the wedding shoot???????? x

Holly · Sep 6, 2006

Thanks Jemmy!!

Wedding shoot is in ONE month!

Im very excited...

They have not paid yet and Imade it clear that prints will be made once payment is received... IF I dont have a payment they will not have prints made... As far as proofs.. They receive 8 4x6's free with their session.. However ON The front of the free prints I do have *Holly Hooven Photography* Printed on them.. THe photos they purchase will not contain that info... And they know this when they receive their 4x6s

Reason I ask is because I have the prints on my hard drive.. I Guess I Will just put them ALL onto CD and save the CD just in case..

Holly · Sep 6, 2006

Thanks Jemmy!!

Wedding shoot is in ONE month!

Im very excited...

They have not paid yet and Imade it clear that prints will be made once payment is received... IF I dont have a payment they will not have prints made... As far as proofs.. They receive 8 4x6's free with their session.. However ON The front of the free prints I do have *Holly Hooven Photography* Printed on them.. THe photos they purchase will not contain that info... And they know this when they receive their 4x6s

Reason I ask is because I have the prints on my hard drive.. I Guess I Will just put them ALL onto CD and save the CD just in case..

Simon · Sep 6, 2006

I think it's always best to have a standard contract in place stating your terms so both sides are clear.

I'm not in the business, but I would state a minimum order value and take a deposit before a shoot.

ksmattfish · Sep 6, 2006

Simon said:
I think it's always best to have a standard contract in place stating your terms so both sides are clear.

I'm not in the business, but I would state a minimum order value and take a deposit before a shoot.

All very good ideas for wedding photography. A signed contract is a must.

I started getting paid in advance for weddings after a couple broke-up within two weeks after the wedding, before I even delivered the prints. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for them, but I still did the work, and paid the lab costs. The prints, and the unpaid bill, still sit on a shelf in my office to remind me not to waiver on that policy.

Philip Weir · Sep 13, 2006

I am an advertising and commercial photographer, so am dealing with the same clients most of the time, but I would always give an account to your client soon after the shoot, and stipulate what terms of payment you expect
i.e. 7 days, 14 days etc. trust this helps.

www.philipweirphotography.com

oldnavy170 · Sep 13, 2006

I just wanted to say that if your starting your own business your best to buy an accounting program to keep track of your customers and their payments. I would suggest using Quickbooks because its also made for "home businesses" and is very user friendly. That way you can put all your terms in their job order. I hope this helps you out some.

AprilRamone · Sep 14, 2006

For my regular photo sessions, I take a check or cash for the full amount at the end of the session since they are almost always on location. Then I mail them their proofs and other info they need about a week later.
For weddings, I have been charging 1/3 of the deposit to hold the date and then require the full amount to be paid two weeks before the wedding. I don't want anything like what happened to Matt to happen to me.
When people order reprints, I have already sent a SASE with my address on it for them to send their order form in and they send me a check for the full amount before I'll even order the prints.
Just don't want to get stuck paying for someone else's prints.
-April

Soocom1 · Sep 19, 2006

When it comes down to payment, I have several points I make in a contract.

1: Non-commercial (i.e. weddings and product) must have 50% down, and full payment must be made before deliver of any proofs, period!

2: Any proofs delivered will have a rider attached in the contract specifying that any proofs not returned will be charged at a rate of $15 per image. (If on a CD with 150 images, that’s $2250.Regardless if the images would have been ordered or not.) Believe it when they get the proofs back to me.

3: Time frame is 14 days form deliver of proofs for their return.

4: All of the above is in the contract they sign, and I VERY carefully have them read and go over the contract BEFORE they sign. This way they cannot say they were scammed.
They also get a copy of the contract. (I make three copies for weddings. One for me, one for the bride, one for the groom.)

5: For commercial, a time frame of deliver is spelled out very specifically because of the corporate climate. (It is very diff.) Payment is made in full at time of first delivery.