A recent blog posting by Gary Crabbe, an Outdoor, Location, and Travel photographer, stimulated my thinking about common courtesy, politeness and accommodating clients, subjects and those around us.
When working in a studio, we are used to “turning it on” when we have someone in front of the camera. Turning it on doesn’t necessarily mean creating a fairy-land mood of smiles and contentment. Sometimes, you need to be direct to get the image. For instance, the famous portrait of Winston Churchill by Yousuf Karsh, was not acquired by accommodating Churchill. Karsh removed Churchill’s cigar, thereby getting the strong image he wanted, a portrait, Karsh said, is one of the most widely reproduced images in photographic history.
Working with clients can be difficult, but that depends on you. Going into a client meeting thinking this is going to be adversarial will not necessarily bring the results you desire. It’s important to know what you want and where you will draw the line.
Many times, clients will use any excuse to let you know why they can’t pay you the amount you estimated. “I have to work with a small budget”, “I can get another photographer for much less,” “My sister’s friend has a nephew…”; we’ve all heard these many times.
There are times, especially during this economic recession, where it may be necessary to “sharpen your pencil” and take less money for a shoot, but you should never accommodate to an uncomfortable degree. Doing so will affect your ability to concentrate on getting the images and that feeling may be around for a lot longer than you may think.
The client-photographer negotiation should be a win for both. The relationship you develop going in to an assignment benefits all parties. Accommodating a client in the field can be daunting, but you should always remain in control. Ultimately, it’s the results which put dinner on the table and provide the client’s satisfaction.
Churchill later said about Karsh’s portrait, “You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed."
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