What I learned from my first shoot

[candleman]

as you shoot strangers, you will find they respect you more, and look to you more for guidance.

family and friends will shaft you far more often than a legitimate client will, as they value you and your work more.

learned that the hard way.

[kristenh]

szuzu, i'm not in photography as a business, but i'm in another business as a business, and one thing i have noticed is that people respect you in direct proportion to the amount of money you are costing them. so if i have clients who are not paying for my evaluations b/c of a lawsuit or something, they are more likely to be late, casual, lazy, sloppy, etc. but ask them to private pay a bunch of cash, and people shape right up!

i did enjoy reading through your list and i'm glad you ended up enjoying it anyway

[szuzu1969]

@ candleman isn't it odd how that works that familiarity breeds lack of respect. Seems it should be the other way around. LOL

@ kristenh maybe if I charge my friends and family more it will work out better for everyone. How come when you try to be nice to people they walk all over you but when you treat them like a stranger they respect you more.

People are a strange breed.

[TMorris]

I find that it's in everyone's best interest if I take control from the very first booking call. I lay everything out in the beginning, including the fact that I only have a few days a month that I'm open for sessions. "This is what I have available, from 1:30-3:00 or this day, from ....when would be best for you?" Then I stick to it. If they need to reschedule, it may be a full month or more before I'm available again. When you're charging people by the hour, you owe it to them and to yourself to set the boundaries firmly.

I've had people come looking like they hadn't washed their hair in days. It shows in their photos. That's their fault, not mine. I hope they'll think about it next time.

I've arrived at someone's home - I do most shoots on location in our area, and I'm the only one here who does it without charging out the wazoo, so it's my personal niche - and had them still eating breakfast and chatting with a neighbor who stopped by. Ten minutes later and them still sitting, I told them I have another appointment at such and time...would it be best to reschedule? Oh, no! They hopped to it.

At the senior session I did last week, the boy kept running over to me and looking over my shoulder as I scanned the images in my camera. I needed him to stay put for another shot. I finally had to tell him we were running out of daylight, and if he wanted more than five good photos to choose from, I'd need him to stay in position and let's keep shooting. I smiled and chuckled to keep the mood right, but it got the message across.

I hate being rude to people in general, but being rude and maintaining focus and professionalism CAN be two different things. Family trumps all those thoughts! They'll always push your limits. You'll have to learn to push back a little if you choose to keep photographing them. No matter who or what you're photographing, you should always enjoy yourself and love what you're doing. Good luck with the next one!

[szuzu1969]

Originally Posted by TMorris

I hate being rude to people in general, but being rude and maintaining focus and professionalism CAN be two different things. Family trumps all those thoughts! They'll always push your limits. You'll have to learn to push back a little if you choose to keep photographing them. No matter who or what you're photographing, you should always enjoy yourself and love what you're doing. Good luck with the next one!

It looks as though I am going to have to get a backbone. I will be more assertive because I think everyone will feel better during the shoots. Thanks TMorris