This post isn’t only for photographers, but for potential clients as well. The issues below address how a photographer works with a client, and the savvy client will keep them in mind. The title of this post may seem backwards, since the common perception is that the client chooses the service, be it a photographer, DJ, caterer, etc. And that’s true, to a certain extent – the client has the cash, and is going to spend it on the person she likes best. But you as the photographer have a duty to look out for the best interests of the client, as well as yourself.

What I mean by that is, you have to make sure that the job is going to be fair to both of you. I’m going to be optimistic and think that most professional photographers handle this pretty well. The problem is that there are now more camera owners than ever before trying to pass themselves off as photographers. The digital revolution has made it possible for anyone who likes taking snapshots to buy quality, semi-professional gear. But owning a wrench set doesn’t make you a mechanic, and owning a camera doesn’t make you a photographer.

There are a lot of good photographers out there, plying their trade, booking gigs. There are also a lot of hacks – rank amateurs who think that a big camera qualifies them to take on paid work. It does not. The camera does not make the photographer. Unfortunately, the client pool has already been influenced by these people, and they’re landing gigs.

So when a client comes to you and tells you that they want you to shoot their wedding, the first thing you need to do is decide if you’re capable of taking it on. Have you shot a wedding before? Been second shooter at a wedding? Ever even attended a wedding? This is someone’s wedding we’re talking about – one of the biggest days of their life, a day that will (hopefully!) only happen once. Basically, if you screw it up they’re not going to forgive you. It’s a big responsibility, and you need to know that you can handle it and meet their expectations. If you can’t, or have doubts, you should thank them for thinking of you and politely decline.

Speaking of expectations… Let’s go with the wedding theme; bride-to-be comes to you, asks you to shoot her wedding. You’re capable, have some experience, and are cool with it. So you say you’re interested. What you need to know right then is, what are her expectations?

Does she expect you to show up for just the service, or does she want you there from the time she gets out of bed until the last drunken guest leaves the reception? Does she expect to buy prints, get an album as part of the package, or end up with a DVD of images to print herself?

Then of course the biggie – how much is she looking to spend? When I meet a potential clients, I ask a series of questions about how the wedding is setup, what the schedule is like, how much coverage they want, and how they want the images. Based on their answers, I determine which of my packages fits best, and that’s the quote I give. If there isn’t a package that’s quite right, I try to work out a custom quote. (Clients, if you’re talking with your photographer and he’s agreeing to everything you ask for, nodding yes like a bobblehead doll, without asking any questions, that’s not a good thing. He needs to know at least general details to figure out if he can handle the job, and calculate a quote.)

But let’s say you give a quote, say 6 hours of coverage for $1000, plus prints (I’m making up numbers here) and the bride-to-be comes back and says that’s too high, she was expecting to get all of that for $300. What then? For that amount of coverage, $300 is very low. The problem is, we both know that there are plenty of amateurs (hacks & otherwise) out there who would take it. So you’re left asking if you sell yourself out and take it, since it’s $300 more than you have now, or if you counter/turn the job down.

Personally, I would counter such a low offer. Something along the lines of, “If money is tight, we could see about adjusting the coverage and print/disk options to find a price that works for you.” The bride-to-be may work with you, or she may drop you right there and go find someone willing to do it for her price. (In which case, wish her the best of luck, and move on.)

If you’re in this position as a client, however, you should be asking yourself if you really want to hire someone who is agreeing to do a job for 70% less than their asking price? The old saying holds: you generally get what you pay for. Why is he willing to work that cheap? Because he’s bored? Not likely. So what it really comes down to is, are you willing to risk your wedding photos to save a few dollars?

How about the bride-to-be who tells you that the ceremony takes place in a church lit by candlelight, at night, no flashes allowed. You’re shooting with an f/4 telephoto lens and know that you’re going to need ISO 3,000,000 (which looks like crap). Your gear/skills simply can’t handle this. Do you rent/buy new gear, knowing that you can handle it then? Do you explain to the client that the conditions are very bad for photography, and that the photos may not be the best, & maybe offer to give them a break, or re-create the ceremony photos afterwards, when you can use a flash? Or do you just go for it and hope they don’t know the difference? (Hint: A&B are good, C indicates that you’re a hack.)

If your client is operating in a venue that is simply going to be impossible to work in, you need to say so. It’s her photos on the line, and your reputation. You don’t want to send her substandard photos. She didn’t pay for substandard. She’ll be upset, and she’ll be sure to mention it to other brides-to-be who ask about you as a photographer, and there goes your future business. (On the other hand, you’ll have some clients who, after explaining the situation to them, are insistent upon hiring you. In which case get everybody to sign a document stating that they understand the situation, and then do your best to make it work out.)

I’ll end with one more scenario – the dreaded Client-from-Hell (known to wedding photogs as Bridezilla). This is the client who, from the moment you start, is making demands. This is the client who thinks they know something about photography because their cousin’s boyfriend owns a camera. They want to tell you how to do your job in ways that either go completely against your style/procedures, or even defy the laws of physics.

Don’t waste your energy on these people. That sounds harsh, but it’s true – a Client-from-Hell will suck the life out of you, and then they’ll complain about the results, nitpicking endlessly. And usually they’ll be unhappy about something that they demanded in the first place. It will not be a good business relationship, and the client won’t have anything nice to say about you afterwards. Better to politely decline from the start – you’re not the right person for them, very sorry, best of luck elsewhere. Smile, close the door behind them, and breath a sigh of relief for dodging that bullet.

From the client side, there are Photographers-from-Hell out there, too. If you go to meet with the guy and he tells you how your wedding is going to proceed, demands that you follow his timeline, and pretty much makes it clear that he’s going to hold you hostage, run away. Fast. You need to understand that a good photographer will need to be somewhat forceful – he may need to reposition people, raise his voice to make everyone hear him as he directs them to their places in the formals, etc. He may even need to tell an interloping guest to stop shooting over his shoulder and interfering with the gig – this is all common stuff. But if he wants to march in like a mob boss and tell you how you’re going to run your own wedding, find someone else.

At the end of this very long post, the point is this: not every client is a good match for every photographer. And as a photographer, if you are going to do paid work, you need to make sure that when you accept the client’s money, you are going to be able to deliver your best work to them at the end of the gig. If you can’t handle the conditions of the shoot, or cannot stand your client’s personality (or are just a hack who thinks he’s good enough to “try out” this wedding thing), then it is better for everyone if you don’t take the job. It will save you the frustration and agony of appearing inept, it will save the client from bad results, and it will preserve whatever reputation you may have established.

As a client, hopefully this will help you get some idea of how the other side works. You should interview prospective photographers. You should look at their work and read their websites and contact them with questions. I’ve pointed out some warning signs to look for; take notice of them.