WTH why do people always ask you to do the one thing you never want to do?

[Ambrosia76]

I had a feeling that doing Engagement photos and Wedding photos for my daughter would bite me it the butt somehow.

Let me just say that even if I was a Pro Photographer and made my living at it I would never have the urge to be a wedding photographer. The only reason I am doing it for my daughter is there is no way I can afford to hire a professional, especially in the short amount of time we have before her wedding, otherwise I would.

She texted me while I was working today because one of the girls she works with saw her engagement photos and wanted me to shoot her wedding. Well first of all her wedding is on a Saturday and it takes an act of God for me to take a Saturday off from work. I explained that I am not a professional, I don't really have the equipment to shoot a wedding,especially not 8 hrs worth like this girls wants, and I don't want to shoot weddings. The girl continued asking even after I said NO a bunch of times.

So eventually I gave up and told her I would do it, and gave her a price I knew she couldn't afford,she finally said "ok nevermind"...LOL

I think my daughter got a little mad at me but Hey even if I was willing to do it,which I am not, It would cost me about $300 to take a saturday off, so I would need to recoup that plus cover my expenses for the shoot and extra equipment I would need and make a profit.

[BigFuzzy]

As I was reading it I was thinking "charge her a lot, she'll go away" then I saw you did just that.. well done for finding a way to say no.

Still, what's so hard with just saying "sorry, I don't want to do it" even if you say it 50 times? I just don't get how that's so hard for people.. She'd eventually hang up if your only answer was, "sorry, can't/won't do it".
There's nice, then there's soft.
I guess you softies make up for us cranks!

[Ambrosia76]

I figured the big price tag was the easiest way to get her to understand. I was about to get pissy with her but then I remembered my daughter has to work with this girl everyday,no point in being a b*tch and have her take it out on my daughter.

[UlpilotSC]

Originally Posted by Ambrosia76

I figured the big price tag was the easiest way to get her to understand. I was about to get pissy with her but then I remembered my daughter has to work with this girl everyday,no point in being a b*tch and have her take it out on my daughter.

Good job. See my post under general chitchat about free wedding photos. I should have said the same thing to my sister. "hey shoot some reception photos for me..."

Oops. Props to you for being good enough people want to pay you. Bigger props for you to say "give me your first born and I'll think about it".

[Ambrosia76]

Thing is I don't think I am good enough for people to pay me for it,and until I do,I don't want them to which means its free I pick and choose what I want to do. You are not going to lure me with money.

I have a paying job, a great paying job where I have worked to be good enough that my time is worth money,and I don't like it wasted. I am usually a pretty good judge at what talent I have and what it is worth. My photography skills are not good enough to do a paid wedding even if I wanted to and I am not taking time off a job I get paid very well for to do it for free. Sorry!

[GreggObst]

I think you handled this in as best a way as you could. Never let yourself get badgered into taking on a responsibility that you don't feel comfortable taking on.

Just because a first year med student has performed well on dissections of fetal pigs doesn't mean he/she should be badgered into doing free cosmetic surgery on his family member's friends. Same goes for photography. Especially on once in a lifetime events like weddings.

Let them take one of two avenues. Hire a pro who does weddings in the style they are expecting, OR go the super cheap route and let them give a bunch of disposable cameras to their guests and pray that the law of averages will yield them 10% of the shots that the pro would have gotten them.

STOP!!!!!

This is a GREAT marketing thing.

Find someone who does, partner with them and send the client their way... MAKE Sure the person knows you are sending them, tell the client, send the photog an email... whatever... in turn, the photog will get you the kind of business you want.

Word of mouth is still king, despite what other idiots do on FB and CL.

[BuddhaPi]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

STOP!!!!!

This is a GREAT marketing thing.

Find someone who does, partner with them and send the client their way... MAKE Sure the person knows you are sending them, tell the client, send the photog an email... whatever... in turn, the photog will get you the kind of business you want.

Word of mouth is still king, despite what other idiots do on FB and CL.

Max has a great point, I pretty much pick and choose what jobs I want, the others get referred to a few people I work closely with, they in return send me referrals and give me a % of the resulting job, it's a win win for all involved..

[NicoleScraps]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

STOP!!!!!

This is a GREAT marketing thing.

Find someone who does, partner with them and send the client their way... MAKE Sure the person knows you are sending them, tell the client, send the photog an email... whatever... in turn, the photog will get you the kind of business you want.

Word of mouth is still king, despite what other idiots do on FB and CL.

Yep!!! I do this with a local wedding photographer. Although it clearly says on my website that I do not do weddings and events, people still ask me to do weddings all the time. WTH??

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

STOP!!!!!

This is a GREAT marketing thing.

Find someone who does, partner with them and send the client their way... MAKE Sure the person knows you are sending them, tell the client, send the photog an email... whatever... in turn, the photog will get you the kind of business you want.

Word of mouth is still king, despite what other idiots do on FB and CL.

Great thinking!