I'm new and need help with responding to clients!!

newbiephotogwannabe

Hi, I'm new to photography I would say about 2 years into it-- so I am very much an amateur. My friends started asking me to take pictures of their kids and I did and they turned out good, I guess, because soon a lot of other ppl started asking for me to take their pictures. I've since then taken pictures at weddings, events (birthday parties baby showers) and so now as I learn the ropes I do my own thing and shoot what I like, but lenses try to add to my equipment and such.

SO to get to the point, People ask me all the time to take pictures at parties and I accept--I charge $100 and stay the entire party (I am upfront and tell them these are pictures that normally you would take with your own camera, I'm just releiving you of the hassle so you can enjoy that part) -- they are casual pictures. So over the past two years no complaints and now I finally get one. The person says she didn't like any of my shots and the pictures are no good -- she wants a cd to take them elsewhere to print (??) She tells me she doesn't want to hurt my feelings and all that, and they are not, it's normal I was bound to have bad feedback someday, I'm no pro--but I don't know how to respond to this...

any suggestions???

Here is what I give with the $100--

about 200 4x6
pocket brag book
collage of favorite shots
editing does go into photos (colorization, bnw, all the stuff you can do on psp and other programs out there)

ColoradoSkier

One bad client doesn't mean you are doing a bad job. Don't take it so personally, some people are just hard to please, or have unrealistic expectations, especially at that price point.

If you don't do contracts though, I would start with that, so the expectations are VERY clear. Sounds to me like she is trying to get a free CD. If the pics really were crap, she would ask for a refund and NOT a CD to print more of.

pward76

"...she didn't like any of my shots and the pictures are no good -- she wants a cd to take them elsewhere to print (??) ...

Unless she is claiming that the actual printing is not good, this makes no sense. Either she gets a refund and NO pics, or she gets your normal deliverables as you have described and you keep the fee.

Can you post a link to the photos (or a representative sample)?

In my opinion (and without seeing the photos) you need:
A) a contract
to start charging more for your time and effort.

200 4x6 prints cost about $40 to print. I don't know how much your "brag books" costs you, nor do I know what the collage costs to print (how many copies at what size). If you add in your time to actually attend the party, including travel, and post process that many photos, you are losing lots of money.

ivar

ColoradoSkier wrote: »

If the pics really were crap, she would ask for a refund and NOT a CD to print more of.

Crap pictures would still be crap pictures if printed elsewhere. It feels to me like she wants the digital files.

KMCC

She says she didn't like any of the shots and that the pictures are no good, BUT she wants a CD to take them somewhere else to get them printed.

If that's not a contradictory statement indicating that all she really wants is a free CD, then I've never heard one.

Deliver her the prints/services originally agreed to and if she wants a CD containing the images, quote her a price and sell her one. Don't give your image files away at no charge.

Otherwise, move on. There are all kinds of customers, including those that will try to take advantage of your good will.

From my point of view, you need to get over your, "I'm not a pro" mindset. If people (clients) are willing to pay you for your photographic services, then you are no longer an amateur. Also, if you're already selling your work, you're not a "newbiephotogwannabe".

I also agree that you need to make sure you have written agreements with your clients which outline the services/products you're going to provide and the agreed upon compensation rate. Don't forget that your time, as well as your photos, has value.

To that point, for what you're currently providing, I don't think you're charging enough.

Good luck and keep shooting.

Sam

I always like to see the images to get a bigger picture of the quality, and validity of the complainant.

I can't image going to a party and providing 200 4X6 prints plus book, plus a collage for $100.00.

If I needed the money that badly I would sell the camera.

Sam

Wachel

I agree with Sam. Being a professional is as much about attitude as it is about talent. You forum name seems to reflect your confidence in yourself. Post some images and let's see what this client is talking about.

Pricing is very dependent on area but you seem WAY under priced.

chrisjohnson

I would not give her or even sell her the digital images - there are legitimate privacy concerns for all the people at the event.

My guess is she really wants to get a couple of photos to print herself instead of paying you for a better print. So I would tell her about your pro-printing service for any images she wants to frame or enlarge. Cash in advance.

If she still is complaining, offer her the money back minus your costs and move-on. If she wants the whole $100 then you pay after receiving all the materials you gave her. Next time she can shoot her own party. Who needs the hassle for $100?

Try and leave her feeling she was treated fairly by you. The last thing you need is to be bad-mouthed on the circuit. Still, some people are never satisfied and that's business - sooner or later we all have to learn to say "NO". By the sound of it your reputation is strong enough to survive the occasional unhappy punter. With your standard deal you can come to my party any day.

I agree with the other posters than you need to fix the business side of things properly. As soon as you accept money for services then you have a business, like it or not. You have tax and legal liabilities. I don't want to scare you, but should the IRS get wind that you are running a photo business and never paid taxes they are likely to slap you a bill for what they think a photo business ought to have paid and then lean back to await a discussion.

Perhaps you should just give her the DVD and sort things out properly before she makes an anonymous call to someone who can really cause you pain. At the very least you need a one pager to give when you accept the assignment which covers your legal ass and tells what she is and is not buying.

Sorry if I am jumping to too many conclusions here. Probably you have been paying tax all along. I say it more to help other people who drift easily from hobby to business and wake up one day with a very nasty letter in the mail box.

ColoradoSkier

goldenballs wrote: »

Sorry if I am jumping to too many conclusions here. Probably you have been paying tax all along. I say it more to help other people who drift easily from hobby to business and wake up one day with a very nasty letter in the mail box.

I often wonder how many have made that jump without the due diligence and getting a proper legal entity setup. I suspect it is a lot. Several of my friends around here don't do the sales tax thing, I think that is a disaster waiting to happen.

Glort

[QUOTE=newbiephotogwannabe;
Here is what I give with the $100--

about 200 4x6
pocket brag book
collage of favorite shots
editing does go into photos (colorization, bnw, all the stuff you can do on psp and other programs out there)[/QUOTE]

It must be costing you a fortune to go to all these parties!
You should try earning something from your efforts one day instead of making Donations to them all the time.

KMCC

I hope the responses, including my own, have not squelched the original posters' desire to use this forum to ask questions.

I'm confident that was no one's intent.

Sam

KMCC wrote: »

I hope the responses, including my own, have not squelched the original posters' desire to use this forum to ask questions.

I'm confident that was no one's intent.

I agree with this!

Sam

PhoenixOrion

I agree with everyone else. She's trying to get something for nothing. "Your photos are crap but I want to print them anyway." Makes no sense.