I’m always open to flexibility with my wedding prices. When this bride had expressed that the wedding was to be very small, only about 40 people or so, she asked if there was any opportunity for some sort of discount. Usually, I only get about one in five brides asking for some amount of pricing flexibility, so I wasn’t really set back by her request. Also, because I was feeling really good about this bride, I included bridal portraits at no additional cost.

As time came closer to doing the bridal portraits, it became apparent that our schedules wouldn’t line up. After going back and forth a few times, it looked like her dress wouldn’t be ready until a few days before the ceremony. Therefore, I offered to exchange the bridal portraits for engagement portraits instead. Suddenly, the bride was perturbed that we wouldn’t be able to do her bridal portraits. She explained that she already had plenty of photos of her and her groom, but really wanted to do the bridal session. I explained to her that I understood her disappointment, however it wasn’t possible to do her session just a couple of days before the ceremony and have enough time to pick out a portrait to have printed in time for her wedding day. She requested that I take the price of the bridal portraits out of the wedding package that I had created for her. Also, although the bridal portraits weren’t included in the package she paid for since I had given them to her as a gift, the best I could do would be to do an engagement portrait session. I explained that she didn’t pay for bridal portraits, therefore I couldn’t refund them to her.

She agreed to the engagement portrait session and things went better after that. We had a great time shooting great photos of the happy couple and enjoyed great conversation while doing so. Soon after, the wedding day came and I shot the wedding event just like I always do, except this time I was shooting solo because of the smaller intimate gathering than the typical size of most weddings we cover.

As far as I could tell, everyone was having a wonderful time, I was getting great images for the bride, groom, their family, and their guests. However, after the proofs were online for them to view, I received a very heated email from the bride expressing her disappointment in the number of images captured, as well as her feeling like there were many “missing” images. I explained that due to the fact there was only myself shooting that day, the number of overall images would be less that if we shot with two shooters like we normally do. Also, I explained that if there were any images missing, it were the images that were either duplicates, out-of-focus, or not exposed properly. This didn’t satisfy the bride as she persistantly requested that I send them all of the images I captured that day.

Soon afterwards, she asked to schedule a meeting to go over the images for the album. However, this meeting turned into nothing more than a barrage of complaints about pre-conceived shots that the couple had in mind that I had missed (which by the way were never brought up or requested by the bride and groom prior to the event). Also, there were complaints about why I wasn’t capturing a certain moment over there while I was busy capturing moments over here… and so on and so forth.

Here’s the point of my long story. Rather than letting my adrenaline get the best of me and passionately defending myself against their claims of my inadequate skills as a professional wedding photographer, I chose to listen. That’s right, I just looked them in the eyes while they complained, ranted, and listed out all of my faults as their wedding photographer, and sat quietly. At times, I even said things like, “I’m sorry you feel that way” and “I can understand your disappointment”. Even with my statements, I wasn’t lying about what I said. I truly felt sorry that they felt this way.

As post-wedding negotiations still ensue, I continue to maintain a professional and sympathetic approach to this rather tenuous situation. Why? Because this is how business gets done. Yes, we are creative and unique individuals. But there are times where you must realize that part of your success is also about maintaining professionalism and customer service. In fact, the situation has progressed to the point where we’ve dissolved the contract, I’m refunding their wedding package minus the deposit, and I’m moving on. Why? Because, no matter what I do for them, they won’t be satisfied.

Cut your losses. It’s not the most enjoyable thing to have to do in business. However, there are times when you have to step back and realize that you can’t let your pride, ego, or your emotions run your business. The backbone of business is built on numbers, and you can’t manage your numbers if you let the emotional side of your business take over. Yes, there are plenty of times when your feelings enhance the client experience, making your business the personal touch that clients love. As time goes on, it’s apparent that there are many other problems this client is dealing with, and I was just one of them. Rather than dragging out the situation and trying to make it work, sometimes its better to realize that it just isn’t working. Don’t let your clients walk all over you just for the sake of making them happy. There are just some people in the world that you will never make happy. And it’s your job as a professional to know how to deal with the wrong clients.

This MpactPhoto.com post is sponsored by Animoto Pro.

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Today’s lighting tip is something that I think many of photographers tend to overlook during the rush of wedding day shooting… available light.

Sure, sun flare and the shady side of buildings are great. But what about other places you are forgetting? How about the great indoors?

When I walk into a bridal room and say hello to the bride and her family, the first thing I do is turn off all the lights. Of course, I make sure there are plenty of windows open. Why do I do this? First off, it removes the unnecessary task of trying to balance multiple light temperatures. Secondly, windows are wonderful light sources, acting as large soft-boxes. Sure, you may get some strange looks. But if you show them a sample shot after the lamps are off, they’ll be amazed.

The photo to the left is a simple bridal portrait. The windows are to my right and slightly behind me. Notice, the chandeliers in the background are not lit. Again, it eliminates that unnatural tungsten glow while allowing the softer more natural light to become the main light source for the image. There were no light modifiers used in taking this shot. Just a simple analysis of where the light was coming from and shooting from the best possible angle.

Too many times we are in such a hurry to get the perfect shot, and too many times we feel as if we must control every aspect of every image. However, I challenge you to let go and find your photo-mojo. Go with the turn of the universe rather than against it. You’ll find that beauty hides around every corner and shines through every window pane.

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For starters, I always get a flutter in my heart when I get that email with the subject line, “You’ve booked online with ShootQ!” I know, it’s the little things, right? But then, I take the time to think about how that sale came into being. For example, I recently sat down with a wonderful couple last Saturday to talk about their wedding. They were referred to me by a local wedding planner, but also had a few other photographers on their shopping list. Of course, my competitive nature took over, wanting to book this couple all for myself. However, after years of practice, I’ve learned a few tricks on how to be in control of your instincts, your emotions, and overall your sales.

1. Take a breath. Yes, it’s exciting every time you get a call or email for a client appointment. It’s like getting that first phone call or email from you’re biggest crush. You feel elated, you’re happy, smiling, heart pounding. But remember, you don’t want to seem desperate.

2. I always remind myself that I’m not the only one out there. This couple/client is probably checking out several other studios as well. However, instead of being competitive or under-cutting, I work harder at being myself. Why? Because if they don’t like me for who I really am, then it’s not a good fit.

3. Listen. Stop waiting for your turn to talk and simply listen to your client’s wants and desires. First off, they will remember how good it felt to be able to talk to you. Secondly, you can always take notes using apps like Evernote and then touch on points they brought up.

4. Again, be yourself. If you aren’t acting like yourself, then what are you really selling? You’ll find that you’ll work best with clients that truly appreciate your personality.

It’s great to be back, and I promise to never stay away from MpactPhoto for this long again :)

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Ok, so a little dramatic, but it’s my true feelings on the topic when it comes to painting the right picture of yourself. I want to share a recent experience with you that I just had with a client. Actually, it just happened last night to be specific.

I have this amazing bride. Funny, successful, photogenic, creative, talented, everything. Jennifer is the bride we all come to love, and hope to have within every client.

Like many of my brides, Jennifer is an out of town bride. Therefore, I rarely get to sit down and go over bridal images in the studio with my brides. Most of our review time is spent on the phone. What does this mean? I don’t get to “razzle-dazzle” Jennifer with a gorgeous Animoto slideshow, pull on her heartstrings, make her mom cry, etc. I have to use my words over the phone as we look at them together in a Collages.net gallery. I can’t use music or fancy special effects to knock her dead with my images. I have to use myself.

Hmm, how do I do that, Dustin? You have to show your clients that you’re an artist in every true sense of the word. A short while back, I attended the WPPI Road Trip when it came to Dallas. And they never fail to satisfy me. If there’s one speaker you ever need to hear before you die, it’s Joe Buissink. This man is an artist in every way, not just with his photos, but in the ways he crafts intricate connections between himself, his artwork, and his clients. It’s a glimmering spiderweb of passion, love, creativity, and beauty interwoven to attach the client to their commissioned work for a lifetime. And that’s my point, your client is hiring you to paint a beautiful portrait of themselves. And you are the filter they trust to make it unique with your own flair and style.

I spent at least two hours on the phone with Jennifer, guiding her, helping her make her decision on which canvases she wanted to display at her wedding. Why would I do this? Because when you know more about an artists intentions, you’re more likely to love a piece of work. Think about it. Wine lovers take the time to learn about what region the grapes were grown in, what time of year they are harvested, how they are pressed, and eventually fermented into the bottle they’ve come to appreciate. It’s the same way with our work. We have to educate our clients on the who, what, when, where, and why of every image when it comes to selecting the perfect portrait. You have to make everything in the photo count, leave nothing in or out that would take away from the image. A painter wouldn’t paint something onto the canvas if it wasn’t supposed to be there.

A lot of this is backed with confidence. It takes time to build, can be smashed to bits in an instant, but it’s completely essential to selling your images. When your client hears the passion in your voice as you describe why this image is a perfect representation of her personality, the Hollywood lighting, the vintage diner booth with dark brown leather, the brass accents, the gold framed cow painting that appears to be kissing her on the back of the head, the power of her personality glowing from this image, the fact that this image looks like a shot taken between shots while this fabulous bride is taking a break and she still looks amazing… well you get the picture (wink).

The more you invest your passion into your explanations of your work, the more your clients will love it. You’re an artist, it’s supposed to be about love, creativity, passion, etc. I guarantee the first time you try it, you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes with your work and with your customers.

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Many times, I get new photographers struggling with the same problem. Pricing. So, I thought I’d share with you something I wrote in response to a frustrated photog who was being hounded by the budget bride:

“Hey Dustin,

I’ve heard a lot of great things about your ability to run a profitable photography business (several, it seems). I think you would be the perfect person to demystify this issue.

How does one deal with potential customers who have very tight budget restrictions? I have several weddings under my belt, and I’m just starting a business here in Dallas. A bride back in Austin was referred to me by a friend and wants me to come back in January to shoot her wedding. However, she expressed a desire to pay no more than $500. She has admitted she doesn’t really understand how expensive wedding photography should be, but insists she has a tight budget.

I was thinking I could offer her à la carte services, but I wonder…how do you make it clear that this is a valuable investment, and going cheap isn’t necessarily wise? I hate to turn down a potential customer, but is $500 even worth traveling down to Austin? I spent a great deal of time and thought on my prices and I’d planned my wedding packages to start around $2400. Did you ever (or do you still) have to deal with frugal brides when you were starting out? Am I just being a diva?

Thanks a bunch, Dustin.”

Here’s what I wrote in reponse:

“No, you’re not a diva :) Accurate pricing helps to guratantee that you will still be in business for years to come. Trust me, you don’t want clients that don’t see the value of your services.

Choosy brides are typically not worth the hassle. They nitpick everything and end up taking up way more of your time than it’s worth. My basic rule of thumb for weddings is this:

For every hour I spend shooting a wedding, I expect at least 2 hours to spend on producing that wedding (photoshop, editing, album design, uploading, online hosting, etc.). For example, you shoot a 7 hour wedding, expect to spend 21 hours total on the wedding and post-production. Should you only get paid $500 for that much time? Plus, you have debts to pay off (rent, student loans, equipment, etc). Think of everything involved to shoot that wedding.

Trust me, it’s much better to let her go find her super-cheap photographer than to hire you. You have experience, a degree in photography, expenses, marketing, production costs, equipment charges, all of those things you have to pay for.

I would just politely tell her that your starting prices are competitive for Dallas and Austin rates. However, if that doesn’t work, you would be happy to refer her to someone else.

The best practice ever is to stand in front of the mirror and “I’m worth ($3,000)” or whatever price you see fit. Repeat it over and over until it becomes second nature. Because the more you believe you are worth $3,000, the more confidence it shows to potential clients. The clients that don’t question your reasons for your prices are the ones you want to work with because they find value in you.

It sucks starting a business, trust me I know! But hang in there, set your standards and stick to them. In the meantime, if you’re serious about shooting weddings, think about where your referrals are coming from. Go meet with some local wedding planners whose prices fall in line with yours and try to get their business, build their trust. Cut them a killer deal that they can offer to a bride to get a chance to work with them. A $500 bride can only refer you other $500 brides.

I hope this makes sense. Thanks and take care!

Dustin Meyer”

and here is her response:

“Thanks for the advice! You make a really good point in saying that $500 brides will only refer you to other $500 brides. I hadn’t thought about that. You’re right. It really does also take a lot of confidence to go out there and comfortably say “I’m worth so and so, and I’m sticking to that.” Guess I’ll have to practice :)

Thanks, Dustin!”

Disregard any particular price since your own city will have different pricing that can be supported by your current market. However, the principle is still the same: “Be confident in your work, and back it up with confident pricing”  Everything else will follow suit.

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The biggest problem with websites right now is that as photographers, our sites are a direct reflection of our level of confidence in our work. Think of it like this: when you come to a Flash-heavy site, your browser slows down, your computer speeds up, everything takes a big inhale. It’s almost as if the site itself is gearing up to make a big sales pitch. There’s music playing, colors splashing, maybe even some animated birds flying by or some flowers sprouting up. All in all, it’s a big production.

But what about the images? So much creativity has gone into building the site itself. However, does the same level of creativity in the site equal the amount of effort in the photos. Does it surpass them? Maybe you were in a hurry and posted some older photos just to get your flashy new site up and running. Did you build a fancy kit car with a shiny exterior, but put a tiny engine in it?

Offbeat Bride, a wedding blog, posted a great article about photographers and their websites. It basically hits all the points that many brides must deal with when they search across the wide expanse of photographer sites. It discourages the use of music on a photography site and flash heavy sites. It goes on to talk about the lack on information posted on sites such as pricing and location, however that’s more about open information than the tech side of the site.

The argument is that brides have only so much time in the day to browse websites for wedding photographers. Many of them are doing this during their lunch break, or god-forbid during work hours. Therefore, the longer your site takes to load, the less likely she is going to stick around. Plus, most of the time there aren’t any speakers on their computers at work, or they have the sound muted.

My question is this: Why are you hiding behind all of this fluff?

Everyday, I get questions about pricing, packages, albums, prints, websites, etc. And it all shows me a lingering problem in the photography industry… a lack of confidence.

Confidence in your work affects everything. It affects how you price yourself, how you package your weddings, how you negotiate the sale. It affects how flexible you are when people question your numbers. Do you stand firm, give a little, or completely bend over backwards. And honestly, do you want to work with someone who has little to no respect for your actual photography?

So why dress up your site with all the bells and whistles? Stand behind your work, put it out front for everyone to see. Let the image be what brings in clients or turns them away. It’s the image they’ll have after everything is said and done. You may have a great personality, but your personality isn’t going to be with them long after the wedding is done. It’s the image.

Be proud of your work. Take out all the distractions on your site and let brides see what they came to see. Be confident in your images and it will show through your site, your prices, everything.

Take care and be good to one another :)

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Stay true to yourself. Remember, your style and your personality are the reason why your clients hired you. Yes, price has something to do with that as well. However, it’s important to maintain a level of stability in who you are as an artist. Or course you can be flexible with your style, who shouldn’t be? We grow and change over time as individuals. With so much time between the creation of the photos that sold your clients on hiring you and the day you capture your client’s wedding images, several years can go by. With all of the other studios that come and go, you’re bound to see thousands of new images between now and then that could have some artistic impact on your style. There’s nothing wrong with inspiration. Just remember that your original style is what attracts your business to you in the first place. Don’t go and do a 180 on your wedding clients at the last minute because you doubt yourself.

Work as a team. Through your years of shooting weddings, you will create lasting relationships with vendors that compliment your style and enhance your images. Everything from floral design to lighting, from makeup to hair styling. All of it directly affects the overall look of your photography. As you build a strong referral base, you create a team of vendors that you work well with and create a strong unit to provide your bride and groom a unique wedding experience. The key that holds this team together is your images. You alone are the vendor that provides the photos that allow your teammates to showcase their work and refer business to you. Many photographers feel like if they focus on detail shots, they’re losing focus on the event itself. True, everything requires a fine balance. However, the bride hired these other vendors for their work and services, so it’s important to remind her of their beautiful work through your photos.

Have a game plan. Take all of your misconceptions of being a “fly on the wall” and throw them out the window. Your clients didn’t hire you because of your cat-like reflexes. You can’t build a business based on your ability to react quickly to situations. You need a system, a pre-planned approach to each wedding. Yes, it does create consistency among the types of images you capture. This isn’t a bad thing. It shows experience and reliability, allowing the bride and groom to feel confident in your level of expertise and years of experience. Once you’ve established your game plan, you’ll have more freedom to capture those unscripted moments. The more you plan for your “required” detail shots, the more time you have to show off your feline impromptu photo moments.

All in all, your image of professionalism and experience will become more evident to your clients through your practice of consistency and teamwork when it comes to shooting weddings. Yes, you were hired by the bride and groom. However, your skills at being a good team player will help you provide better images for your clients as well as your teammates. And through your relationships with your vendors and your clients, you’ll be doubling up your referral base through your brides and your fellow wedding professionals. And isn’t two better than one?

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