One of the most important aspects of being a successful
photographer is ensuring you have excellent rapports or relationships with your
clients.
Before any portrait photo shoot is carried out, it is
essential that you arrange a meeting with your potential client, preferably
face to face, to discuss their exact requirements and what style of image they
require. Show them your portfolio of
images, talk to them about colour, clothing & props they may wish to have
included in their photographs. By
showing your client examples, this may provide them with ideas of what that
would like. This goes a long way to building a good,
professional business relationship with your client. It shows that you’ve planned their shoot, are
interested in their requirements, are taking their request seriously, and
perhaps most importantly, this will ensure they feel more at ease with you when
it comes to the day of their shoot.
The more detail you obtain from your clients, the more of an
idea you will have on the creativity, lighting, set up, backgrounds and poses that
will be needed for the shoot. It is wise
to have this information before the day of the shoot so that you can set everything
up and ensure it works! You do not want
to experience problems with lights not working, images not turning out how you
expected them to, getting stuck for ideas on how to pose your ‘non-models’ etc as this could lead to a failed photo shoot, a
disappointed customer, embarrassment and
a poor review or reputation for you!
You will have clients that love everything about you and/or
your work, but you will also encounter clients that complain, fail to pay or
are slow to pay an invoice, or perhaps do not heed the safety rules in the
studio. When these situations arise, it
is important that you remain professional at all times and know how you are
going to resolve any issues.
Another complex
subject that comes with your responsibilities as a photographer is Ethics. How will you consider your responsibilities
towards your clients, the happiness of the customer? Your own happiness in your job? Are you able to show compassion, loyalty,
strength, confidence, humour, imagination and optimism? What are your morals, and how will you deal
with a situation that goes against them?
Many
considerations are already governed by law, such as plagiarism and breaches of
confidentiality. It is unlawful to
exclude people with disabilities from entering places for example. It is clear what is acceptable and what is
not in the UK. But many ethical matters
remain debatable and it is up to us to make our own choices based on our own
values. It’s worth noting that you will
likely experience such dilemmas personally and professionally.
Ultimately, you want to build
a reputation that says you’re the photographer that people most want to work
with!
