I'm disappointed in one of my first shoots, should I re-shoot?

First off, I'm relatively new to accepting money for photos, I'm 24, my wife and I do this as a part time gig, mostly to afford camera gear for now, but hopefully soon to have some extra income so my wife can be a stay at home mom. We have had 5-6 paying customers, and we are definitely in that phase where we will do anything to get some bookings...

I did a shoot with a family that had a military son who was coming to town just for a few hours for his brother's religious event. They found me on Facebook since she is a friend and acquaintance of my mother. They had to do the shoot at noon, and it was an bright overcast day, let's just say I don't have adequate experience to make the best of those conditions, and I am disappointed in how they turned out: much less professional than my portfolio for sure.

They paid on the spot, I sent them the CD a week later. I told them in an email that I had sent the CD, and that I would appreciate their feedback, it's been a week, and I have not heard a thing.

I'm considering sending them an email offering to do the pictures again for free next time the son is in town since I wasn't able to deal with the conditions very well, and this time we would shoot for late evening. (I can deal with that light!) They don't have much invested, as they only paid $40, but I don't want disappointed customers! Plus I wouldn't mind the practice...

Good idea? Bad idea? What do you think? I could also just walk away, but they are family friends with my parents, so they may say negative things about their pictures to other people that my parents may have recommended us to...

Thanks for the business advice!

If you haven't heard back, there are likely 2 outcomes:
1 - They are really happy with what you produced.
2 - They are really pissed, and don't want to let you know so as not to offend your mother.

Unfortunately, the approach for these 2 outcomes would be very different. If they are happy, it's better to keep quiet. If they are mad, then reaching out would be to your advantage. Is there any way you can find out how the feel vicariously through your mom? Perhaps your mom can bring it up casually in conversation.

In the future, maybe you can use them for a test shoot with him free of charge where you push yourself to test a new concept or new style of lighting and use him as the subject. He would get some additional photos out of the shoot and you would be able to refine your technique without 'screwing up' a paying client's shoot.

In this case a reshoot won't be convenient for the family.

However, it's possible they would be less critical of what you've got than you are.

What I'd do--what I've actually done in a similar circumstance--is offer what you've got and carefully note their reactions. If you see the slightest hint of anything less than absolute satisfaction, offer them either a return of the money or a reshoot as soon as it's possible for them.

Even if they like it, you might add that you enjoyed the session working with them and you'd like the opportunity to do an even better job for them later at your expense and their convenience.

I would simply contact them by email and make like you want to be sure they received the CD, etc. and see what their response is. There's no use offering a re-shoot right off the bat if they aren't even upset with the photos.

No response does not necessarily mean they're unsatisfied.

In fact, the more unhappy they are the more I'd expect prompt contact.

Don't panic or start offering re-shoots until you get some feedback.

If you're genuinely concerned, give them a call to follow up.

Don't contact them via email - too easy to ignore and often to hard to get a reliable read on someone's feelings if they reply. Phone them instead, just to check they got the disk. Much easier to judge feelings from a voice.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #14448259
Don't contact them via email - too easy to ignore and often to hard to get a reliable read on someone's feelings if they reply. Phone them instead, just to check they got the disk. Much easier to judge feelings from a voice.

The only reason I suggested email is that takes away the chance of catching them at an inopportune time. Of course I'm used to dealing with people who promptly reply to emails.

As some of the others have mentioned here, if you haven't heard anything back, no need to worry. I was like this at first when I shot for clients and sent over a link to a small res version of each of the photos and days gone by with no answer I just simply waited and after 2-3 days I got a reply back saying "awesome photos, when can we get the cd?" - not so much as long as a week, but I do agree with others that just because they haven't responded yet doesn't necessarily mean they are unhappy with the way the photos turned out.

As for us photogs we can be very picky over our own work and tend to find all the bad things after a shoot that most people won't even seem to care too much. Besides you don't want to be this annoying photographer who keeps contacting his/her customers.

I would just do a follow up email rather than a call and leave it at that. My 2 cents anyway.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I will try to gauge their reaction, and then be ready with the offer to have another session for free.

Looking at the photo again, It is far from a wall hanging family photo... since it was bright outside, the mom said we should take the picture inside in front of a window, the setup was terrible, and I knew it then, so I decided to take it quick, then get back outside in the shade to get a good one. But the mom surprised me by saying "ok, we've got to go" right after I took a couple, and I never had the chance to do the second pose... So it's really bad...

Did they post the photos on facebook? That may be the best sign of if they liked the photo.

Nope, I've been checking

I'm finally getting used to the fact that paying customers very often don't provide feedback or even acknowledge receiving the stuff you sent them! When I did my first wedding last Fall, I didn't hear a thing for more than 3 weeks after providing an online gallery and multiple DVDs. I ran into the mother of the groom and asked if she had seen any of the pictures. Only then did I get some feedback (and they were very happy with them). Recently, I had someone bugging me and bugging me to do a portrait of their son in his first communion suit. When I did it, I wasn't particularly busy and felt like they couldn't wait to get the pictures. So I delivered everything a couple of days later...nothing...not a peep from them in more than a week...not even to tell me they received everything! When I finally did hear something, they were thrilled. I think this is a sign of the times and not an indication that there was any big problem with your work. Hang in there!

As I was taught, "Fight for feedback." Make contact with them, and don't keep it all electronic.

When I shoot a session, I already have a thank-you card made up and enveloped. I seal it, stamp it, and mail it right after the session (most of my clients will get it the next day).

I'm make at least three more contacts with them before our business is concluded, and two of those will be in person.