Thursday, August 5, 2010

The client


Bittersweet. You've got the assignment, you did your best, you delivered. More than that, you know this is good stuff, both technically and artistically.

The client comes back and says "I don't like the photographs". What to do?

- Get over the frustration, it is not personal. Most of the time it is not about you or your work (why did he hired you in the first place?), it is about taste, or pre-conceived imagery.

- Understand what they want, maybe they are not ready for your concentrated creative juices. Give them what they want.

- Educate them. Show them why your images are better, but be prepared to show them HOW, with actual examples, mock-ups.

- Walk away. If there is nothing you can do, maybe is better just to cut it loose. It will depend on you if you give back the money or just stick to your guns, I don't like to have unhappy customers, but after all, the work is done.

- Learn from it. What happened? Did you ask the right questions on what was needed? Did you show examples during the discovery phase? Did you show plenty of shots DURING the shoot to see if you were on the right track? What can you do next time to lock in payment?

Just one of the many aspects of managing a photography business...

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