Taking requests from client of other photographers work?

So I've had this twice now.. Clients will research wedding photos they like from other photographers and send them to me as an example of what they want.. I have to admit, I get a bit frustrated, afterall, why have they chosen me when they just want me to replicate another's work...

I do find it difficult in replicating others work as it may not be my style or things on the day might not be going accordingly..

How do others handle this? A part of me wants to say "maybe your better off with another photographer" and another part wants to say "yes please, I would love to take on this challenge and expand my horizons"..

If it is not your style, then that is all there is to it. Just tell them that. They need to hire you based on your portfolio. They cannot hire you hoping that you will produce images that are different from your own previous work and instead be closer to someone else's.

How do I handle this... from my website.

"When you commission me to photograph your wedding above all else you are getting my vision, how I view the world. What I see on your wedding day is the legacy you'll find in your wedding photographs."

"We've seen another photographer's style we like, will you copy it?

No, I have one style and that is my own. If you want another photographer's work you should hire them."

Pre-filtering enquiries making it perfectly clear what I will and won't do.

Put plainly if they want someone else's work then I'm not interested in them being my client.

LucasCK wrote in post #17268436
How do others handle this? A part of me wants to say "maybe your better off with another photographer" and another part wants to say "yes please, I would love to take on this challenge and expand my horizons"..

In theory that might be true but if you agree and don't live up to their expectations, then you will have unhappy clients and a whole lot of unneeded stress for you.

There are multiple elements to a single photograph that can cause someone to like it. Composition, coloration, editing style, the type of moment being captured, etc. I've had many client show me an image from another photographer and asked me to take inspiration from it. Often times I can describe what I see in the image that I find interesting and let them know how I might shoot a similar situation so that they can understand how I can put my own take on the images they are showing me. This is an easy way to let the client know that you won't copy the work they show you and will still produce work in the style you are known for / work best in, and they won't be disappointed if the images you produce don't exactly 100% match the inspiration they provided.

JacobPhoto wrote in post #17268981
There are multiple elements to a single photograph that can cause someone to like it. Composition, coloration, editing style, the type of moment being captured, etc. I've had many client show me an image from another photographer and asked me to take inspiration from it. Often times I can describe what I see in the image that I find interesting and let them know how I might shoot a similar situation so that they can understand how I can put my own take on the images they are showing me. This is an easy way to let the client know that you won't copy the work they show you and will still produce work in the style you are known for / work best in, and they won't be disappointed if the images you produce don't exactly 100% match the inspiration they provided.

When someone brings you a photo and says "we want this" I would assume the want all of the above of what you mentioned. I remember sitting in on a meeting with a wedding client and she brought 37 pages of pinterest and other assorted photos she wanted. Not just the poses but the actual look. She wanted those photos to be edited to look exactly like the example photos. They were nothing like the photographers style.

Bloody hell. Did you take them on? If so, were they happy with the results? I think I would have cut the meeting short and said "Thank you but no thank you"

LucasCK wrote in post #17269024
Bloody hell. Did you take them on? If so, were they happy with the results? I think I would have cut the meeting short and said "Thank you but no thank you"

All he did was say that those were not his style and he certainly could not guarantee getting 37 pages worth of images like that. He asked them to pick three images that were most important and he would do those with his twist to them and if they were not ok with that then he was not the right photographer for them. They either canceled the wedding or moved it to next year shortly after. I do not remember 100%. I just 2nd shoot and show up when and where I am told to. The only reason I sat in on this is because they bride wanted to meet the 2nd shooter too.

When I first started my business, I use to charge $550 for a 6 hour wedding, shoot and burn. No pre-consult, just email. Just rock up, post the USB. Miss those days

I would compose a standard response of:

I appreciate sample photos to better understand what you like and I will strive to incorporate this style into some of our photos on your special day. Since photography is a personal and artistic skill, it's important to understand that my photos from your wedding will be very consistent with my portfolio that you already love, and I may not be able to replicate those produced by another artist.

the flying moose wrote in post #17268996
When someone brings you a photo and says "we want this" I would assume the want all of the above of what you mentioned. I remember sitting in on a meeting with a wedding client and she brought 37 pages of pinterest and other assorted photos she wanted. Not just the poses but the actual look. She wanted those photos to be edited to look exactly like the example photos. They were nothing like the photographers style.

That's where the consultation helps. Whether it's in person, over the phone, or via email, there are many ways to handle this situation. At some point, it may be worth it to walk away from a potential client to ensure they are happy with the end product. Knowing when to say no can be better than accepting a job that you know will result in an unhappy client.