710 Studio
30th of March 2010 (Tue), 11:13
I was hired to photograph children for a preschool class. Excited for the opportunity, I took the gig.
The correspondence leading up to the shoot should have raised some flags. The class coordinator wanted 4 poses, per child (the typical school photog in this area does one pose for grade-school children), 2 different backgrounds (the hired photog for K-6 children only shoots a white background), and wanted me to waive any sitting fees that I usually charge for portraiture and to put together specially priced packages, much lower than my typical studio prices. Since this preschool class consists of lower-income families, I figured I could put together some sort of special pricing.
While discussing backgrounds, I recommended solid-colored backgrounds, as scenics may be too busy and distracting. However, the coordinators voted on the 2 backgrounds - both scenics.
The coordinator told me that all of my trouble would be well worth it, as parents typically go crazy over purchasing these photos.
Well... got the call, today, that the orders were in. Only 7 parents purchased prints - making my "well worth the trouble" only $35 (they all purchased the smallest package). The reason why only 7 parents ordered? Because the rest of the parents found the scenic backgrounds to be, "too busy and distracting". Sound familiar?
Total cost to comply with their wishes (not including what I WOULD have got for sitting fees and my normally priced prints): $170. Total profit: around $20.
How would you handle this? Would you just swallow your pride and fill the orders and move on? Would you bill the school for the losses you sustained because of their requests, promising it would be "worth your while"?
This is the first time I've been screwed by a client in my 5 years of portraiture, so any words of wisdom will be appreciated. So far, the wisdom I've gained is "live and learn". But, if there is something better, I'd love to hear it.
The correspondence leading up to the shoot should have raised some flags. The class coordinator wanted 4 poses, per child (the typical school photog in this area does one pose for grade-school children), 2 different backgrounds (the hired photog for K-6 children only shoots a white background), and wanted me to waive any sitting fees that I usually charge for portraiture and to put together specially priced packages, much lower than my typical studio prices. Since this preschool class consists of lower-income families, I figured I could put together some sort of special pricing.
While discussing backgrounds, I recommended solid-colored backgrounds, as scenics may be too busy and distracting. However, the coordinators voted on the 2 backgrounds - both scenics.
The coordinator told me that all of my trouble would be well worth it, as parents typically go crazy over purchasing these photos.
Well... got the call, today, that the orders were in. Only 7 parents purchased prints - making my "well worth the trouble" only $35 (they all purchased the smallest package). The reason why only 7 parents ordered? Because the rest of the parents found the scenic backgrounds to be, "too busy and distracting". Sound familiar?
Total cost to comply with their wishes (not including what I WOULD have got for sitting fees and my normally priced prints): $170. Total profit: around $20.
How would you handle this? Would you just swallow your pride and fill the orders and move on? Would you bill the school for the losses you sustained because of their requests, promising it would be "worth your while"?
This is the first time I've been screwed by a client in my 5 years of portraiture, so any words of wisdom will be appreciated. So far, the wisdom I've gained is "live and learn". But, if there is something better, I'd love to hear it.