Right to publish issue - your comments welcome

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Hey guys, thanks SO much for the various comments, thoughts, comparisons and suggestions.

So far (touch wood), it looks like Missus Skygod's explanation has been more than sufficient to calm down my client.

I think, on reflection, there are a couple of major issues which are my fault, and the fault of the culture in which I was raised.

Although unlikely, this could be of use to anyone wanting to shoot overseas:

1) Self-perception, even though PHOTOGRAPHS have been requested varies dramatically from person-to-person.

As Tom said, some people are VERY self-concious.
In a concert setting, I simply didn't guess that ANY of my clients could have a problem with their photos being taken...
But in fact, some did....even though, as I just noted, they wanted me to take their photos!

This makes my job nigh-on impossible!
And it's GOT to be raised in future discussions before agreeing to do a shoot.

2)

RDKirk wrote in post #15660002
If they had been posted on an open site, I would agree. But these were posed on a secured site open only to those granted access--as in this case, to the people in the photographs. This is the common method online sales to the clients are done.

This is linked to #1.
It now appears that NONE of the musicians involved wanted any other of the musicians to see each others' photos before they'd seen them themselves!!! (>_<
Talk about vain!?!?!?!

So now, I need to judge the TYPE of person I'm photographing before I can produce CDs/print photos/share photos!!!

I do this to some extent, but boy, what hassle!!

3) The cultural issue.

Yes, Japan's culture for "apologising" is waaaaaaay different to what we're used to in the west.

Over the last 9 years, I've come to regard the usual "gomen-nasai" in Japanese to carry as much weight of sincerity as saying "kiss my arse". It comes out in an automatic way.

BUT IT'S EXPECTED, even if everyone knows nothing "wrong" has occured.

So, I think I'll be saying "gomen-nasai" a few times to my client, and then seeing if he fancies getting drunk with me...which will have more of an effect!

Odd. But true.

Thanks again all, and as I said before, if you shoot overseas, learn from my "mistake"(?) and check everything before you do what you'd do without issues at home.

Simon

skygod44 wrote in post #15660318
So, I think I'll be saying "gomen-nasai" a few times to my client, and then seeing if he fancies getting drunk with me...which will have more of an effect!

It's all about the relationship. You visit a company and have a meeting in which you explain in detail all the benefits to be gained if you do business together. All they say is "we will consider it". - what a total waste of time.

Then at the end they ask you if you are available for dinner. May as well get a decent meal out of the visit if you aren't going to get any business. So you go out, eat, visit a few bars, get drunk.... and at the end of the night they shake hands and say "send us a contract.... don't make it too long" and you have a deal. They just need to have that personal relationship, which is really a business relationship.

We could learn from them... 'cept for the getting drunk part.

Then again, that's how it goes in Asia. In China it's pretty much the way to do business. Chinese bloke I worked with once told me most salesmen in China end up with stomach and liver problems. Job hazard.

This sounds alot more like a cultural question than a photographic question.

Are you asking us what we think of the Japanese's business culture ? Thats a pretty damn vague question.

Do what you think is right so you can sleep at night.

"I'm gonna do this! Because some stranger on the other side of the planet agrees with me!"
Won't help you argue your case, only your own sincerity and insider knowledge can.

Csae wrote in post #15686474
This sounds alot more like a cultural question than a photographic question.

Are you asking us what we think of the Japanese's business culture ? Thats a pretty damn vague question.

Do what you think is right so you can sleep at night.

"I'm gonna do this! Because some stranger on the other side of the planet agrees with me!"
Won't help you argue your case, only your own sincerity and insider knowledge can.

Hey Case, thanks for taking the time to add a comment, but I think we're all done here.

Basically, I was hoping to hear some, "Yep, customers can be weird" comments, because living here for almost ten years has maybe made me a bit out of touch.
Thanks anyway.

Simon

skygod44 wrote in post #15686734
Hey Case, thanks for taking the time to add a comment, but I think we're all done here.

Basically, I was hoping to hear some, "Yep, customers can be weird" comments, because living here for almost ten years has maybe made me a bit out of touch.
Thanks anyway.

Simon

I'd say they're aren't weird for where you are, but it would have been considered weird here...which is what I thought you might have been asking.

Of course, they can be weird in their own way here, too.

skygod44 wrote in post #15686734
Hey Case, thanks for taking the time to add a comment, but I think we're all done here.

Basically, I was hoping to hear some, "Yep, customers can be weird" comments, because living here for almost ten years has maybe made me a bit out of touch.
Thanks anyway.

Simon

If you feel out of touch with your customers, move.

Its not fair to them or you.

Hoping to hear that you were right and they're just being weird, is.......