5 answers
Maya
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
3
Questions
Asked
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Do your photography customers give you any backlash?
I am a sophomore in highschool and want to know what its like.
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5 answers
Jace Hirosky
3
Answers
Updated
Jace’s Answer
Hello Maya! I'd like to share my experience as someone who has navigated through a similar situation, and how I managed to turn a negative client reaction into a positive outcome.
As photographers, our unique creative style is our signature. This style may be inspired by another photographer or be entirely our own creation.
During my tenure as a commercial real estate photographer, I maintained a distinct style and never deviated from it. I made it a point to communicate clearly to potential clients that if they didn't appreciate the work in my portfolio, they would likely not be satisfied with my final photographs.
Setting client expectations upfront can help mitigate any potential negative feedback. However, remember that it's impossible to please everyone, and that's a universal truth in all aspects of life. Your response to a disgruntled client can entirely alter the scenario. By understanding their grievances and working together towards a resolution, you can transform even the most challenging situation into a more positive experience.
As photographers, our unique creative style is our signature. This style may be inspired by another photographer or be entirely our own creation.
During my tenure as a commercial real estate photographer, I maintained a distinct style and never deviated from it. I made it a point to communicate clearly to potential clients that if they didn't appreciate the work in my portfolio, they would likely not be satisfied with my final photographs.
Setting client expectations upfront can help mitigate any potential negative feedback. However, remember that it's impossible to please everyone, and that's a universal truth in all aspects of life. Your response to a disgruntled client can entirely alter the scenario. By understanding their grievances and working together towards a resolution, you can transform even the most challenging situation into a more positive experience.
April Lee Uzarski
Business Manager
1
Answer
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
April Lee’s Answer
I work on and off as a professional photographer, and I think the biggest thing, which everyone has said already, is communication. Setting the expectations with the client in advance, will help you. This can be a meeting with the clients or having documentation ready, so they know what to expect and how to participate in the experience. I also like to ask people what they are most nervous about, so I can work with their fears to produce good work.
Secondly, one of the biggest issues I have run into, is that it's hard for people to see themselves in photographs. Especially for things like events/wedding photography. In their heads, they may see themselves one way, and when they see their proofs, they are sometimes upset. But it has nothing to do with your photos. You always need to remember this!! They may just be upset about the way their profile looks, or maybe you caught them at a "bad angle". There are ways to work with people and pose them, but it doesn't always work out. Especially when you are doing more journalistic style photos. I worked with a headshot photographer one time who asked me "What do you not like about your looks?" and that conversation helped guide her to take photos I would be happy with. It may seem like a blunt question, but if you are shooting people, it helps!
But just as in anything, you will have clients that are not happy with anything. If you have done your best on the job and met your agreement with the client. Or even tried hard to fix it, they may still be unhappy. Just take what you can from the lesson and shake it off!
Secondly, one of the biggest issues I have run into, is that it's hard for people to see themselves in photographs. Especially for things like events/wedding photography. In their heads, they may see themselves one way, and when they see their proofs, they are sometimes upset. But it has nothing to do with your photos. You always need to remember this!! They may just be upset about the way their profile looks, or maybe you caught them at a "bad angle". There are ways to work with people and pose them, but it doesn't always work out. Especially when you are doing more journalistic style photos. I worked with a headshot photographer one time who asked me "What do you not like about your looks?" and that conversation helped guide her to take photos I would be happy with. It may seem like a blunt question, but if you are shooting people, it helps!
But just as in anything, you will have clients that are not happy with anything. If you have done your best on the job and met your agreement with the client. Or even tried hard to fix it, they may still be unhappy. Just take what you can from the lesson and shake it off!
Laeti Golden 📸 Lifestyle Photographer Couples and Families
Lifestyle Photographer
5
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Laeti Golden’s Answer
Hi Maya, that's a good question. I'll start by saying that good communication is the first key to success when it comes to working with your photography clients. Just like any career, if there's miscommunication, then that can make things stressful for the client as well as the photographer .
With that being said, the first thing that I like to do when a potential client reaches out to me is to find out what their needs are and I schedule a quick phone call or facetime call to get a little more information from the client. This gives the client a chance to asks questions to make sure that I'm the type of photographer that they're looking for and it also gives me a chance to see if we'll be a good fit. We're all different and unique so, not everyone may like your particular style or even personality and that's o.k. because there's a photographer out there to fit every type of client needs.
Asking lots of questions and making sure that my client fully understands my services, my photography style and what's expected ( by myself as well as the client ) is the best way to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion which in turn helps to make sure there's no backlash.
Now, things can still happen however, I try my best to make sure that during the initial phone call or facetime call that everyone is on the same page in order to avoid any issues later on so if something does come up, I can quickly find a solution to the problem. 99.9% of the time if a client is not happy with the services that the photographer has provided to them, it has to due with miscommunication that the photographer did not provide to the client and in most cases, it's because the photographer didn't know that they didn't communicate something to the client or, the client heard something different than what the photographer explained to them during the process. I will say that most of the time, there's a way to make sure the client gets what they need from their photographer. It's all about communication and understanding.
With that being said, the first thing that I like to do when a potential client reaches out to me is to find out what their needs are and I schedule a quick phone call or facetime call to get a little more information from the client. This gives the client a chance to asks questions to make sure that I'm the type of photographer that they're looking for and it also gives me a chance to see if we'll be a good fit. We're all different and unique so, not everyone may like your particular style or even personality and that's o.k. because there's a photographer out there to fit every type of client needs.
Asking lots of questions and making sure that my client fully understands my services, my photography style and what's expected ( by myself as well as the client ) is the best way to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion which in turn helps to make sure there's no backlash.
Now, things can still happen however, I try my best to make sure that during the initial phone call or facetime call that everyone is on the same page in order to avoid any issues later on so if something does come up, I can quickly find a solution to the problem. 99.9% of the time if a client is not happy with the services that the photographer has provided to them, it has to due with miscommunication that the photographer did not provide to the client and in most cases, it's because the photographer didn't know that they didn't communicate something to the client or, the client heard something different than what the photographer explained to them during the process. I will say that most of the time, there's a way to make sure the client gets what they need from their photographer. It's all about communication and understanding.
David Wuerth
Freelance Photojournalist/ Sports Photographer
114
Answers
Nampa, Idaho
Updated
David’s Answer
Hi Maya, the customer is not always right!
As a working photographer, which you may become, you are going to have the occasional unhappy client. That's the cost of doing business. Good communication skills can eliminate a good deal of this. Sometimes you may be able to save the client, sometimes it's not worth the bother. You will have to make that decision when it arises.
The advice from Laeti is really good.
As a working photographer, which you may become, you are going to have the occasional unhappy client. That's the cost of doing business. Good communication skills can eliminate a good deal of this. Sometimes you may be able to save the client, sometimes it's not worth the bother. You will have to make that decision when it arises.
The advice from Laeti is really good.
Kim Matthews
Graphic Production Designer and Sculptor
22
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Maya,
I'm not a commercial photographer, but I don't think you need to be to answer this question. It's the same in graphic design and writing, and most other services. No matter what line of work you're in, the customer is always right--even when they're wrong!
This is why it's critically important to develop a thick skin and to be able to explain the decisions you make. It also really helps to have your own personal creative practice, where you only have to please yourself and you can do whatever you want.
It will be interesting to see what the photographers have to say about this. My friend Tim Rummelhoff has been a commercial photographer in Minneapolis for many years and seems to have a blast, but he's built up an excellent reputation over the years for being easy to work with and is very good at what he does. Plus he works with institutional clients like the University of Minnesota and the state, so that's much different than being a wedding or fashion photographer!
Hope this helps.
I'm not a commercial photographer, but I don't think you need to be to answer this question. It's the same in graphic design and writing, and most other services. No matter what line of work you're in, the customer is always right--even when they're wrong!
This is why it's critically important to develop a thick skin and to be able to explain the decisions you make. It also really helps to have your own personal creative practice, where you only have to please yourself and you can do whatever you want.
It will be interesting to see what the photographers have to say about this. My friend Tim Rummelhoff has been a commercial photographer in Minneapolis for many years and seems to have a blast, but he's built up an excellent reputation over the years for being easy to work with and is very good at what he does. Plus he works with institutional clients like the University of Minnesota and the state, so that's much different than being a wedding or fashion photographer!
Hope this helps.