Family, the anti-business!

I got an email today essentially demanding free services. "Either you're family or you're not!"


Ugh. That is all.

i could arrange to have them whacked

What does this family member do for a living? Email them back and request they help you with whatever they do for a living.

PeaceFire wrote in post #12461020
What does this family member do for a living? Email them back and request they help you with whatever they do for a living.

I'd do exactly the same

I get around this problem by simply shooting friends and family for free.

It just keeps things really simple, and I know that they would help me the same way if they could.
That said, it gets done on the understanding that any paid work takes priority and that they may not get the full level of service.

Moppie wrote in post #12461714
I get around this problem by simply shooting friends and family for free.

It just keeps things really simple, and I know that they would help me the same way if they could.
That said, it gets done on the understanding that any paid work takes priority and that they may not get the full level of service.

I agree with you on that. I don't know what your extent of free coverage is but my free coverage for friends is a couple of quick quality shots. I definitely won't be "working."

This annoys me because the family came to me, asked me to shoot the event and initiated the "we'll pay you" thing. Now after the event and before they've seen any pictures, they want to pull the family card. I'll be sticking to my guns though. I had to block the date out and turn other clients down because I was covering this gig.

Staszek wrote in post #12461731
I'll be sticking to my guns though. I had to block the date out and tell other clients that I couldn't shoot for them because I was covering this gig.

That gets more complicated.
Have you told them you missed on paid work, pay that you have to live off, in order to shoot them?

Moppie wrote in post #12461739
That gets more complicated.
Have you told them you missed on paid work, pay that you have to live off, in order to shoot them?

That's tomorrow

charro callado wrote in post #12460708
i could arrange to have them whacked

Whats your rates haha

I don't have a problem shooting family for free. They often offer to pay me, but that could just lead to a level of ugliness I'd rather not deal with. I have a friend paying me to shoot his album cover down in Texas in two weeks. He's paying me a decent amount as well as covering my expenses.

Family? Man, it's what you do. I suck at plumbing. My brother in law rocks with plumbing. If he wants a family portrait, he's got it, because I know I'll be able to take it out in trade at some point...

I would never turn down paid work to do unpaid work, family or not.

BreitlingFan wrote in post #12462319
I don't have a problem shooting family for free. They often offer to pay me, but that could just lead to a level of ugliness I'd rather not deal with. I have a friend paying me to shoot his album cover down in Texas in two weeks. He's paying me a decent amount as well as covering my expenses.

Family? Man, it's what you do. I suck at plumbing. My brother in law rocks with plumbing. If he wants a family portrait, he's got it, because I know I'll be able to take it out in trade at some point...

You confuse free with barter.

cdifoto wrote in post #12462813
I would never turn down paid work to do unpaid work, family or not.

Me too. If this couple hadn't come to me first and tell me they would pay me. It would have saved a lot of headache.

when people (especially family) EXPECT free, I clam up tighter than _________. I don't expect others to do their job free for me.

I give more when I know people aren;t trying to take advantage. You really don't want to know what I'd tell your family. That's BS. Especially when it sounds like they first said they'd pay.

Interesting. I'm wondering if somewhere along the line you set a precedent of doing free work earlier in your career.