So... What do you do?

ababysean

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Have a VERY picky client. When she was pregnant, every photo I showed her that I thought was nice, she found soething wrong with her face, or butt, legs, or nose, or hair, or eyes, or...........

She wants family photos for christmas cards. Not sure I am going to accept the job...

What do you do?
 
"I'm sorry I'm fully booked"

I think is your best protection - sometimes there are clients who are so pushy/picky or who (despite selecting you to photograph them) end up not liking your style. In such cases avoidance is the best course of action. Clearly she did like your work since she paid first time and wants to again, but if the process was painfull one time around it might well be again and that is stress you just don't need or want.
 
I can't say I'm booked because her mutual friends are clients also! haha
I'm just worried this time because getting a family shot is way more difficult then getting a single shot of an adult grown woman, not only will I have to make sure her family looks good, kids looking at me, and all that jazz, I'm also going to have to make sure to make her look like a beauty queen at the same time.
I don't know if there is a nice way to say I understand how YOU feel about your look in this picture, but there is really nothing more I can do to hid your bum. You just had a baby 4 weeks ago, your body is adjusting, people will understand. blah blah blah....
 
I think most of these types of questions can be resolved by being up front with the client as to what they should expect. Deliver to that expectation and if its not where they want it, its an extra charge for the extra work or find someone else who can meet their needs.
 
"I'll actually be out of town for the next few months..." Good luck! Sounds like a senior portrait gig I did earlier this year.. Nothing was "right" to him, even though nothing was my fault! I'm a photographer, not a plastic surgeon!
 
"I'll actually be out of town for the next few months..." Good luck! Sounds like a senior portrait gig I did earlier this year.. Nothing was "right" to him, even though nothing was my fault! I'm a photographer, not a plastic surgeon!


You could be a plastic surgeon when it comes to photography with photoshop ;)
 
"I'll actually be out of town for the next few months..." Good luck! Sounds like a senior portrait gig I did earlier this year.. Nothing was "right" to him, even though nothing was my fault! I'm a photographer, not a plastic surgeon!


You could be a plastic surgeon when it comes to photography with photoshop ;)

You are correct... but not if you want to stay true to the subject. If they have low self esteem and cut down on everything you do (or themselves in general), there's not a whole lot you can do about it. As far as clients go, I've been there and done that and do not want to go back.. ever again. Unfortunately, it's a reality of photographers. Either get used to it and try to make them as happy as possible, or just come up with an excuse. Chances are they're making a big deal out of nothing.
 
example, she thinks her nose is large, so I try to get shots from an angle the min. her profile, but then her forehead is too big, so I go and get shots that min. her forhead and then her ears stick out too far! gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! lol
 
example, she thinks her nose is large, so I try to get shots from an angle the min. her profile, but then her forehead is too big, so I go and get shots that min. her forhead and then her ears stick out too far! gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! lol

Sounds like it's time for you to take a "vacation"... ;)
 
Hacksaw time I think! :)
Don't suppose she has long hair? You can always cover ears with hair at least
 
oh yes, her hair is GORGEOUSLY long! However, she doesnt like it because she looks like the wife from the Munsters with it down! WTF???? haha
Yea, I think I'm just going to have to have a talk with her.
 
You could always try a pre-emptive strike - if she has major self confidence issuse chances are you'll be there all day trying to get her to look right and no matter what happens "she" won't - so try light praising comments (on good shots of course) about herself before she can get in "my nose is too big etc.."
 
You can offer/ask here if she wants to leave the realm of documentary photograph and enter the realm of fantasy photography. You can say that there are tricks available that can be employed to make a person as attractive etc as possible but doing so is risky. People may notice and react negatively. Then you of course have to charge extra.

I routinely tweek the wedding party bridesmaids so that they lose a few pounds particularly where the strapless sleeveless top seam meets the shoulders. It tends to spill over on heavier women so I discretely get rid of that spill over. I also tweek the face and neck a bit to similarly reduce the tell tale signs of weight. But I always restrain myself so that they ask themselves "was I really that attractive, or did he doctor the photo some how" I don't want to get to the point that they say with authority that "he doctored the photo"

Here is a video where you can learn a few things by watching.

#1 look for the point where the viewer would ask "was she really that attractive, or did he doctor the photo some how"

#2 Ask at what point will the viewer say "he doctored the photo"

2010 July
 
Are you a photographer having fun with a camera or a Photographer trying to make a living? One needs say no thanks and move on, the other needs to do the job and make the sale. I would shoot Quazimoto and tell him his back looks great in photos!
 
example, she thinks her nose is large, so I try to get shots from an angle the min. her profile, but then her forehead is too big, so I go and get shots that min. her forhead and then her ears stick out too far! gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! lol
Do they? Or is just what they think.:lol:
 

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