ilcounican
11th of March 2005 (Fri), 13:39
I have never been much of a wedding photographer. ("I hate weddings" has been my credo since witnessing one.) In September 2003, forewent a celebrity wedding, though I was pretty close to agreeing to do it. About a week later, a friend whose daughter did some promo modeling for me approached me about doing her wedding (not her daughter's!)... THE VERY NEXT DAY.
Besides not doing weddings, I also don't do last minute assignments. This was two strikes against her. In the end, I submitted and said I would help out. I figured I could keep their options at a minimum and shoot the wedding as a Sweet 15/16. I charged $600 and said I would need a 1/4 deposit the day of the wedding. They did manage to get a relative to put up $150 for me to start processing their images. I stupidly gave these "friends" a photo CD, proofs book and other "goodies" while they waited for their package to be completed by the lab.
In the last year and a half, communications with them has been "we still want the package, we'll have a payment for you next week." To this day, I haven't seen any more money, their phone has been disconnected, and I learned from a friend of the young model that the family has moved from the house they had when I shot the wedding for them. Recently, I humbly went to the lab to collect what I could of the package that had been sitting there for over a year. All I could get were the 11x14 and 8x10's. The lab still can't find the 5x7's and 4x6's. I feel bad because I really wanted to build a relationship with the lab. There goes THAT.
Fortunately, my company has made vast strides in terms of deposits and collecting on balances due BEFORE submitted orders to labs and turning products around for clients. I wanted to share partly as a warning to others starting out, but also as a way to find out from others who have no doubt been doing this far longer than I have... Is this something I should pursue? Should I continue to seek payment from these clients, or would I spend more money tracking them down than it's worth? Any insight/comments would be appreciated.
Besides not doing weddings, I also don't do last minute assignments. This was two strikes against her. In the end, I submitted and said I would help out. I figured I could keep their options at a minimum and shoot the wedding as a Sweet 15/16. I charged $600 and said I would need a 1/4 deposit the day of the wedding. They did manage to get a relative to put up $150 for me to start processing their images. I stupidly gave these "friends" a photo CD, proofs book and other "goodies" while they waited for their package to be completed by the lab.
In the last year and a half, communications with them has been "we still want the package, we'll have a payment for you next week." To this day, I haven't seen any more money, their phone has been disconnected, and I learned from a friend of the young model that the family has moved from the house they had when I shot the wedding for them. Recently, I humbly went to the lab to collect what I could of the package that had been sitting there for over a year. All I could get were the 11x14 and 8x10's. The lab still can't find the 5x7's and 4x6's. I feel bad because I really wanted to build a relationship with the lab. There goes THAT.
Fortunately, my company has made vast strides in terms of deposits and collecting on balances due BEFORE submitted orders to labs and turning products around for clients. I wanted to share partly as a warning to others starting out, but also as a way to find out from others who have no doubt been doing this far longer than I have... Is this something I should pursue? Should I continue to seek payment from these clients, or would I spend more money tracking them down than it's worth? Any insight/comments would be appreciated.