I remember this happening in real time, and I had second-hand stress for you! These are great takeaways and ultimately, you handled it very well. When I first drafted my pre-event agreements, and update them now (for anything, not just weddings), I think of this story. Lots of lessons here for everyone. Great video dude.
I had a bridezilla 3 years ago. Everything was fine, I was super extra with them just because I like to help out. She called me like 5 times for details before the weddings. Its all cool. I did awesome. Afterwards she told me she hated the photographs, how she looked, the amount of imeges she got(I guess 1300 photographs wasn't enough for her) and the edit. I contacted other photographers so they can check it out and they said it was very good. Afterwards I questioned if I should do it anymore, but decided "You know what, i will use this to my advantage" and for several bookings I showed this wedding to my clients stating "Look, this according to my client is my worst wedding, imagine what I can do from here on out". And got like 4-5 bookings just showing this wedding. Of course I did not continue to do that, but I was pitiful at the time...
That’s great how you turned it to your advantage! Although i do have to say 1300 is a HUGE amount of images to be giving back. I’m just assuming it was a big ass wedding, or a 2-day event!
it is a huge amount. I usually deliver around 900 up to 1000 images. The weddings in my country last around 10-15 hours. The one I mentioned was around 12 hours. Thats why I was so shocked when she mentioned that it wasn't enough. Also she mentioned that there are not enough photographs of the children in the wedding like bruh, I'm shooting a wedding not a children's party.(there were around 80 photos of children playing). That case alone made me turn down several weddings because of red flags. One couple was like "We want you as a photographer, but we'd like for you to follow pinterest list and edit the photographs in another style". No thank you.
I just read the 1-star review. I understand a few points made there (though this wall of text should have been formatted into some paragraphs) but overall they want both overprocessing like a smartphone does, and fantasy images which have to be staged and cannot be taken as part of a normal wedding. This is the gap of expectations of the Instagram generation and someone wanting to get a real photographer which takes pictures about what actually happened.
Yeah. That's why I really had to step back and look at the situation. Really it seems like they wanted a photographer who wasn't as photojournalistic as I was which is fine. Unfortunately they may have thought that all photographers are the same and didn't realize that photographers have different approaches sometimes.
@@Bethos1247-Arne i agree with 10+ years knowledge on photoshop I could do it but creating so many images one by one like that would be overwhelming and yet if you don’t have a style already popularized like some there is a chance the client won’t like it so true k agree
Most stuff on instagram are staged. Most of the best photos on weddings are not staged, just best moments. But people tend to not realize that different.
I can’t believe the clients acted like this. Sometimes there just is malicious people out there and want $$$ back 🙃. I love how you turned a negative review into something positive 👏🏽
At the end of the day it really did feel like they were doing what they could to get their money back. Nothing really made sense when I sat down and thought about it. But I always try my best to figure out what I can do better in any situation.
@@28cucbn A friend of mine ages ago once told me when she worked at Publix people would bring back birthday cakes (one piece left in the box) demanding refunds stating the cake was awful. Thieves everywhere.
The fact that you gave them all of the JPEGS... I wish nothing but the worst for this couple. To try and ruin your name when their own insecurity is the reason they couldn't enjoy their wedding photos. I'm so glad you posted this video, fight back always. I bet your top package was still WAY cheaper than most photographers top package at that time, they brow beat you just because they felt like they could
@@malikkelly jpegs are automatically edited by the camera. unedited jpeg is when it only has camera preset applied to it. look at a raw photo and youll see what unedited it
Learning to turn down potential clients is a powerful threshold to cross in entrepreneurship. The fear of missing out is different to let go of, but soon you learn to appreciate realizing you avoid a bad experience.
This is my worst nightmare. I had a very similar experience - red flags I ignored, great images despite circumstances... nightmare bride. I learned a lot from the experience and low key have PTSD from it. I’m terrified of my clients being unhappy with me! Thanks for sharing. I think this video is going to help so many!
I also have PTSD from this experience. Funny enough I have another story (after I learned my lesson from this one) where almost the SAME exact thing happened and when I received the email it was like a flashback and I almost lost it. Luckily at the time I had my mentor so I hit him up and he help me level set with myself and come to find out the bride's complains were totally legitimate and had more to do with her makeup artist than anything else so it all worked out in the end. But OMG when I tell you that PTSD kicked in.
I feel this. When I was shooting weddings, I got a one star review from a couple that didn't even book me to photograph their wedding. My red flags were that they definitely could not pay my minimum costs, they were calling and emailing me every other day about the wedding that I wasn't booked for, and that was when I was like "hey, I really don't think we fit as a photographer client." Then I got angry emails and review bombed. It was a hassle to get the wedding sites to take the review down, but they did because they saw the date of the wedding and when the review was left (months in advance). Yelp, on the other hand, wouldn't.
11:49 - Getting ahead of the 1 star review by bringing it up to potential clients is absolutely the best approach. Moreso, avoiding name-calling is also crucial. Great advice for younger professionals - not just in photography.
In some Asian countries they have a practical solution: couples have a formal shoot together at some picturesque location in nice weather, for all the perfect Disney Princess pictures. Then the wedding itself can be more candid, with lower expectations of "perfect" moments.
I'm a firm believer that every great business learns from it's "bad reviews". I probably get one atleast once every year out of 100 plus gigs per year. I learned from everyone of those reviews. 2018 I learned about set realistic turnaround times. 2019 I learned about when to use Aperture & direct lighting. 2020 I learned to not take a shoot last minute & edit before a vacation. 2021 to upload every single thing right after a wedding & double check. 2022 I learned to be very specific in contracts. All these experiences molded my business in ways those 5 star reviews wouldn't. I appreciate them, but the objective is to get rid of those mistakes as the business progresses.
Exactly! Everything that looks like a failing moment is a great time to fail forward. Thank you for sharing this for everyone else who might be having a hard time with this in their own business.
@jbivphotography I was thinking that they may see this video and the mess will start again. Isn't it true that once you take a picture of any image it is now your property to do what you please? I remember a photographer sued Nas for posting a picture of himself (Nas) without the photographer's permission.
This makes me wonder and question whether they’re still married. That aside, I’m glad that this has been the catalyst in making your business what it is today. I’m especially glad that you showed their pics and hoping they come across it too! I hope that they in turn get to see that they are made an example of what not to book.
As a recovering wedding photog I can say this is an invaluable story and lesson for anyone starting out. I never had any couples quite this bad but one that was close. Thanks for sharing!
John, 😔 I feel you man. This one time, years ago, after the bride and her crew were two hours late, they complained about everything, after I delivered these beautiful images. They said the images were trash and slammed me on wedding wire. However, after all that, they wanted a refund, wanted an album, and submitted my images to a wedding blog, and of course, failed to mention me as their photographer. In my head, I remembered everything my mentor had told me. He said, “When the guests, the cake, the venue, the food and everything else is all gone, you the photographer is the only person left to pick on.” If the images were trash, why ask for an album, why put them on a blog? To this day, I still think about that.
Some people are so cheap that even their best days of their lifes are spent cheating people and digging for free stuff. i won't even think of that, its not money but self dignity.
Being proactive and leaning into the one star review with new clients is a genius move - shows you're proud and stand by what you do, and that you're not going to be shamed and browbeaten over work that's perfectly good. Also discreetly puts people on notice that if they're just looking for somebody to bully and be a nightmare to, then they can go elsewhere!
Excellent as always. We learn so much more from our mistakes than from our victories. That one horrible couple in the end actually was a huge net positive to your business. A lot of people don't realize that this is just part of the process of becoming successful in life and they give up after a failure or even multiple failures. But you are totally right. Not everyone is your client.
This made me feel so much better. Recently I dealt with a very difficult client, she made me question myself and almost want to just quit completely. I took her engagement photos and she complained because she didn’t like her hair and her fiancée was wearing white socks. She told me just delete those photos after I had already began on over half of them. So we went and redid the whole thing for over 3 hours, at multiple locations with different outfit changes. I told her that since we had to redo the whole photoshoot all over again, it would take longer for me to deliver the photos since my wedding and honeymoon were coming up. Yet she still kept messaging me during my honeymoon. I deliver the new photos and she quickly complains about how I made her look too dark and to lighten her skin up and being very picky and telling me what to change on specific photos. She told me she tried to edit the photos herself but couldn’t and if I could do it, despite the contract saying clients aren’t allow to edit or add filters to already edited photos. I apologize to my mistakes and owed up to whatever mistakes I made that inconvenienced her. She still emailed me a very long paragraph on how I was in the wrong and she wasn’t and she wanted to void the contract. Honestly it was a huge relief for me. I can’t even imagine what her wedding day would of been like. Now I’m learning to say no and turn down potential clients who are difficult to work with. It’s just not worth it.
I've gotten that dreaded one-star review and it taught me alot about how to qualify your clients, how to refine your contract, and also how to effectively communicate with your client while you are binded by a contract. Unfortunately there will always be those people who you do not align with. Thanks for this video because i definitely needed someone else to talk about this so I would not feel alone in my experience. The situation about them doing chargebacks on holidays i can definitely relate with, some people can be very malicious when things do not go their way. Just gotta keep grinding, educate yourself and push forward with your passion.
Something I’ve learned is when you get those couples that come back and back and back to complain and complain is when you get it leveled out, make them sign an NDA.. if I’m going to refund you and give you files you are not going to give me a poor review. Only happened twice in my 6 years of wedding work ( about 50-80 weddings per year ) but it’s a reasonable thing to do
Thanks for sharing your experience and how you used it to continue on your photography journey. I love your videos. They are very educational and inspiring. Your photography is beautiful.
I am not a wedding photographer. In fact, I consider it one of the most complex genres, because it demands not only photography skills, but also vast amounts of social skills, which I admit I don´t have. Having said that, I still found this video to be awesome. Thanks for sharing your learning experience.
Something I found interesting from her review: "... my husband and I ended up paying for another (amazing) photographer to capture photos of us to recreate our wedding" Okay, in my opinion, that is batshit crazy 😂.
The fact that they tried to complain about you, ruin you, steal money back from you and poorly review you would lead me to believe that they might be a bit racist. Good for you for not letting those tool bags bring you down! Kudos and all the best!
Far out bro, those photos were still top quality crisp and clean, I reackon they probably planned to get their money back from the start and tried bullying you into it, props to standing strong as this type-of-crap breaks majority of people in all types of industries. You’re my favourite wedding photographer to watch btw so keep up the great work brother.
I'm not a wedding photographer, but the first thing I did and knew I had to do when I worked in graphic design and web design is say NO to any client who asks for things I can't or don't want to do. Even when a client is booked and asked for additional things out of my expertise or desire it was a clear no. It makes the business go smoother and builds a trust relationship. Hell, I even did that with employers and it's a sign of respect when you tell them that by asking you to do those things they're gonna lose money and time.
yep. Same here. I work as a Graphic Designer for over a decade. When I started out I agreed to anything. Now I get EVERY LITTLE change in writing. And I don´t have any problems with saying NO to a client who wants more than he pays for.
like any relationship, draw your boundaries, communicate them, be clear about them, and never compromise. happy shooting brother, I'm glad you kept on going.
Honestly, this is what scares me about going into photography. Why I don't take that first leap from being a hobbyist to a pro photographer. People being unhappy with your art and skills would really destroy me since I think I'm pretty okay at photography and enough that maybe others would like my services. But one unhappy customer, and I'd take that very personally. Thanks for sharing your story, it helps to see how others process this situation professionally.
Been doing it 18 years. In anything you do you’ll meet bad people. That’s why you set boundaries and a rock solid contract. I’ve fired two clients for stressing me out.
I was really into photography around 2017 and I was exploring all niches, I was asked to shoot a gender reveal and I did it pretty cheap just for the experience. I didn’t do much research into the exact venue and it turns out it was a pretty dark place. I shot some really nice photos using a speedlite but as soon as I sent the photos they were messaging me with such anger that i ended up giving them a refund. There was nothing wrong with the photos, they were good quality. Their main concern was they didn’t align with what they expected. I tried to explain that there was no way to get these freeze frame shots without using flash in a dark venue unless they wanted blurry pictures, but it was to no avail. I gave up photography for years but now I’m back into it and it was a learning experience. As stated in the video, expectations must be set and at the same time, don’t take any shit from people. If someone thinks they can walk over you, they will. 👍🏻
I'm sorry to hear about your story. That's the worst. it really is hard sometimes to explain and educate folks on photographer and sometimes they just don't want to listen and understand. It's great to hear that you're trying to get back into photography.
Your advice reminds me of the scene from Goodfellas, when after “Spider” tells Tommy Devito to go eff himself, Jimmy hand him $100 bill, and tells him exactly that: “don’t take no shit from nobody”! Unfortunately for “Spider” Tommy didn’t take any shit from “Spider“.
Hey John! Love your videos. I subbed to you back when photography was a hobby of mine. Fast forward a few years and now I’m a Bridal Makeup Artist. What you mentioned holds true for any vendor in the wedding industry. What we do is an art style and if a couple doesn’t align with our style, way of work, even personality, it’s better to let them know we are not a good fit. A lot of couples don’t realize they should not go to a vendor and try to “change” them or their style. Couples should find someone who suits what they’re looking for. Us vendors can not do everything and anything. We’re not meant to. 100% agree with your video and thanks for sharing!
Using that 1-star review with new clients is such a smart move. Everyone makes mistakes, but learning from them and moving forward is what could set you apart! And learning how to say "no"! Such a valuable and HARD skill to take on.
I’m going to share with you one additional advice my brother gave to me when I had a similar experience. The last thing you want is for more client’s like this to book your services. You want client’s who wants to hire you for your style of photos. Which is AMAZING by the way! The one star reviews or IG posts downgrading your business helps filter out those type of clients from booking with you. You’re amazing and I love your work!!!!
That’s horrible. Close to the same experience but luckily the photographer finally came through. Had to wait half a year to get our photos back, was terrified the photographer simply lost the photos or decided to ghost us, thankfully wasn’t the case but my god, the customer service was awful. Unfortunately seems to be a running theme in the industry.
Don’t worry about few people who are money minded . Keep up your work . They can’t judge your photography with a mobile camera knowledge. ❤❤❤❤❤photographer. Huge respect.
After looking into the 1-star rating and comparing the photos from that wedding to one of your newer weddings, I have a few observations: 1. The photos from the 1-star wedding are better than the review suggests, although I admit that some of them may not have been the best representation of your work. 2. It's evident that there should have been better alignment between you and the couple. 3. Your progress from that wedding to your more recent work is astounding - it's like night and day. You've improved so much! 4. Initially, the review seemed fair, but after seeing the photos and hearing about the couple's unreasonable demands, such as cash back and claiming that iPhone photos were better, their claims appear unfounded. Ultimately, you learned from your mistakes and became a better photographer because of this experience.
This is a perfect observation of the situation and ultimately why I ended up not going to court. I was still pretty new and whole my photography wasn’t trash, I could have done a much better job on the wedding. I think the me today would have met closer to their expectations which would have save me a bad review at least. I do still think however they would not have been a good fit for my overall approach.
@@jbivphotography Remember, this experience is part of your growth as a photographer. Mistakes happen, but what matters is learning from them. Don't be too hard on yourself or dwell on the past - you've improved and become the amazing photographer you are today. Keep focusing on growth and embracing your unique approach. Keep up the great work! Honestly, don't beat yourself up about it. That's life. ;)
Ah - great stuff dude. I'm a seasoned professional gig and events photographer, who is about to shoot my first wedding next month. I'm not too nervous, because I've been shooting for years and am familiar with working with folks, post-processing, my equipment, posing and particularly shooting documentary style. However, you pulled up a few red flags that I hadn't considered. It might pay me to jump on your channel and see what other important informative wedding style clips you have made. You may have saved me some grief methinks.
I've had a similar thing happen with a client that booked a newborn session with me. First thing that happened was that they didn't wanna pay the booking fee cause they wanted to be able to cancel the booking on short notice if they found another photographer that was available sooner (HUGE red flag), and stupidly I agreed. My style when it comes to family and newborn sessions is natural, candid moments where everyone are interacting with each other and you see a lot of emotion. When I got to the clients house I got to take like 3 photos of the mother holding her baby and then she abruptly walked out of the frame, not saying a word. Eventually it turns out that the parents didn't wanna be in the photos. At all. Not even a hand or an arm holding the baby. I asked what kind of photos they were expecting and if they could show me some examples, but they just got more and more upset with me and all they kept saying was "I don't wanna be in the photos", no explanation. Were they expecting staged studio photos of just their baby? I was super confused cause this is not at all the style of photography I do and it's not in any of the photos on my website. At this point I should have just left, but I tried to do what I believed they wanted, even though they refused to explain it to me, but the baby was obviously crying and screaming every time they put him down and just wanted to be close to the parents. I finally managed to take a few were he was calm, but at this point everyone in the room were upset. When I delivered the photos, which were not great but honestly not that bad either, they didn't respond for a long time. When they finally responded they said that they didn't like the photos at all and that they could take better photos themselves with their phone. They demanded a discount. I gave them a discount, even though it states in my contract that I have no obligation to do so, and they kept coming back saying they want more of a discount and that I should have left their house when I realised they weren't happy, even though they didn't say anything. In the end I learned a lot from this experience and since then I've taken some measures to prevent it from happening again, but it still feels awful to think about it.
One thing to do in this situation is NEVER give the photos to them. First give a sample (with sample water mark down the middle). If they like it then all good. If not they don't get any photos. Protect your work and income and don't be afraid to say no. Always trust those red flags ... they always mean something.
I’m a retired self-employer (not in photography at all). Just some thought to consider. Have a great day! The hardest thing I learned in my career was that we leave money on the table when we don’t value ourselves highly enough. Contracted with me for no discount? Expect no discount. That’s the point of having you sign the contract! The time to complain about the terms has passed, and I don’t renegotiate based upon your circumstances. Sounds like a you problem. That’s how business works; you could have hired someone else on different terms. But you didn’t. 🤷🏼♂️ You might even want to be proactive and expressly point the cancellation/no refund paragraph out just before clients sign - maybe even have them initial beside it as ‘active’ acknowledgment. It gives them little room to squawk later, and even the boldest is shut down immediately by good old contract law. Don’t have to discount, don’t want to discount, not going to discount. Pay as agreed. Black and white. No need to be concerned about your reputation if there are no unreasonable deficiencies in their customer experience; word of mouth is the best and cheapest form of marketing, and you don’t want them or their friends in your life anyway. My marketing budget was $0, but I was in a particularly fortunate situation with a concentrated client-base. An aggravating customer can be worse than no customer because they actually make a negative contribution to your day. When I go to purchase a service now, I *never* go with the cheapest. I just assume they’re not as good as their peers. I *do* try to go as high as I can within my budget because consumer culture has taught our brains that ‘more expensive = better quality’ and ‘you get what you pay for’. I err on the safe side and overpay. I should have erred on my own side and overcharged. Then we could negotiate to the right midpoint. I have my shyness and insecurities, but I know that I’ve pocketed some of that money on the table just by charging more because I could. Not a single complaint, because I provided good product/value. Professional reputations work both ways and you don’t want to become known as the “yeahwelovedthepicturescuztheyweresocheap” wedding photog. You really, really don’t. Turns out not leaving money on the table has more to do with client management than finance! 😳😁 Best wishes for long-term success. 👍
no matter your style of capturing moments at the wedding , you can't change the ecense of the wedding, I think if these were the best images I think the bride has a bit of reason, because there are people who like to take care of the aesthetic and on reality there are many things that are not right, from the hair, to the POSES, The compositions of the photos look like a photographer just starting out I think many photographers say they are journalism photographers 1 because they do not know how to illuminate with artificial lights, it is more easy to go with a speedligh on the camera, 2 don't know how to run a wedding properly either, or I think that before taking on responsibilities of something as oimporatne as the wedding day we should train ourselves you can NEVER CROP the subject's extremities, (perhaps in some compositions but not in most) hte opturation speed is very low, which you will never get sharp photos. thank you for the video ! it's better and easier for some photographers to take 5,500 pictures in one wedding day "photojournalism" than to do decent photography taking care of the details
After 25 years as Wedding Photographer, I turned away customers that gave me a bad vibe, in expecting too much out of the ordinary .I would politely say that I was booked 😂
A real tough story; it's great to see you could turn things around. 1 stars can work in your favour, once you get past the shock, calm down and think with a level head. Brilliant advice John. Thank you! 👍
"Don't be blinded by the money" I ALWAYS say that too! "Not all money is GOOD money." I stepped back from weddings for a bit and I feel good about my decision lol
30 years as a wedding and portrait photographer.......long retired. There were many clients that I had to "fire" because their vision did not align with mine! You are spot on!
Probably the best wedding video out there. Such an overlooked conversation for photographers starting out and some having a hard time moving forward. Well done.
That's good to hear. Make sure to take the feeling of not liking your work and use it to improve and practice rather than put yourself down. It's always a great way to learn and become better.
Man...that kind of client experience (horror story) is THE REASON that kept me away from photographing people for years! I finally, this year, decided I wouldn't let that hold me back. I need to believe that there are good/decent people in the world & that theyre the majority...& above all, it made me lock in a whole system to cover myself, highest priority being vetting the clients. We, as photogs, need to be just as discerning as the clients "shopping" for their vendors.
Exactly. Because at the end of the day we want to make sure we're aligning with those we know who respect our art and also our position as their photographer. We really do try our best. And there are a lot of people out there who understand this.
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You're absolutey right. I'm 15 years now in the photography business. I use a lot of comparing photography with music and food. If I'm great at barbecues and you are vegetarian, I might not be for you. If I play great country music and you're a fan of Mozart, well, you might need someone else. And sometimes we do arrange our interests and the couple ends up coming as great friends and the respect they give you for being such an honest person is priceless.
FYI - I had my first photo published in 1968. In the early 80's I shot dozens of weddings for a major wedding studio. That being said -Your photos look fine, bro. You had a real "Karen" as a customer. She was determined to be "right" about everything, even though she didn't have a clue. My "Karen" was my aunt. I had shot 50-60 weddings by the time I offered to shoot my cousin's second wedding as a wedding present. My cousin is a sweet person, not the villain. My aunt told me not to go to the bride's house before the wedding because it would be too busy and confusing. NB - This is where I always took portraits of the bride alone and with her attendants. After-ceremony shots were taken at a gazebo in a small park. The bride's brother, transporting my aunt, was allegedly unable to locate this landmark, so no bride with mom, etc. shots happened there. Instead of taking numerous bride and groom shots at the gazebo, my sweet cousin kept bringing in every tom dick and harry for groups shots. We ran out of time and rushed to the reception hall. I finally got my aunt in a group shot at the reception hall. What was the last straw? During the next visit to my aunt did I get a thank you for saving her daughter many hundreds of dollars? No. I heard, "You didn't take one shot of (cousin) by herself" and "I changed my shoes and you could see them in the group photo. You said you wouldn't be able to see them." So her daughter's wedding day came down to how important her shoes were. I haven't spoken to her since and assume she has long ago passed away.
Thank you John for bringing up this topic that no one is talking about. Stars are a double edged sword, they can grow your business but also destroy it completely. It is a sword of damocles that hangs over the heads of all entrepreneurs. Sincerely seeing the photos of the weddings in question, this seems totally unjustified. I'm sad for you who had to go through this, but glad you were able to bounce back
I had my first this week. Sent the pictures two nights ago and woke up this morning to me being tagged on a post with some of the pictures I sent out and to my surprise the pictures had some horrible filters put on them. Comments on the post were just ragging on me for how bad the pictures looked like so I went ahead and comment on the post with the actual photos I sent out. After that the comments were dragging her for changing the look of the pictures
I totally believe you got a one star review lol. I feel like getting that review is what makes or breaks most photographers. After my 1-star I started turning down clients left and right. It really truly is not worth the headaches, especially when they can chargeback and then you're left with nothing.
I’m experiencing some rough points with my second wedding (during the engagement shoot) and now the actual wedding is this Thursday so I’ve been worried/feeling like quitting photography but I’m grateful for stumbling upon this and I’m learning a lot from you! I’m hoping the wedding goes well!!! THANK YOU!!!🙈
I feel you John, thanks for sharing this. I also come from customer service background, 10 years at the hotel's reception and now I do around 40 weddings a year and literally had 1 (one!) couple from hell, where the bride after receiving her photographs asked me "where is the photo of my dog looking at my dress?". I was extremely confused not knowing what she is talking about. And then she told me she saw me taking a picture of her dog on the floor and she was convinced that this is the shot I'm capturing and now she doesn't have her little doggy looking at her hanging dress just before she put it on. She loved all the pics and gave me a lot of compliments, but a month later she texted me to say that she wants ALL my raw photographs (unedited 1500/1600 pics) saying that it is her property and receiving just 500 as per agreement is not important as she wants ALL of them. I explained to her that not every photo I take is the one I'm happy with and that unedited is like a raw potato. She then proceeded to send her husband to me to threaten me with courts. During their wedding the groom came to me a second after their first dance and said that I "screwed up". Of course I had no clue what is he talking about so he said that I was standing in the wrong spot during their dance, despite I was of course doing full circles around them to capture this moment, but in his mind I should have been a little bit more to the left and right on this and that moment, like I know their choreography. He was happy with the pics after though. People just have issues not even connected with their wedding day, their photographer or a DJ. Sometimes they are just mean and weird and there's nothing you can. Sometimes the bride doesn't look the way SHE looks on the photos and then blames everything else, like her maid being on the phone. I bet you can now see the crazy just by looking at someone's face and backing up from there, it really saves you a lot of time and energy and this date will be booked by someone who's actually happy with their life. :) Xenote Studio
I've been a photographer and digital artist for over 15 years and your images were fantastic. I've shot a few weddings, reluctantly for this very reason. Brides are just notoriously a pain in the ass, the groom couldn't give a crap lol. There's just too much room for error for me anyway with weddings so I rarely do them.
I relate to this sooo much. Something that happened to my partner and I recently. We booked a wedding with a couple who were getting married in Dubai and we'd never shot outside the country, so we got excited. We mentioned everything about food to provided by the client, travel, stay and anyone misbehaving won't be tolerated. Come the first day of the wedding, cocktail, people had done their performances and were eating, nothing was happening. So half our team went to eat and half were still shooting just in case something happens. The BRIDE came up to my partner who was waiting to get food and said, "I've paid you to take photos not to eat". We were taken aback, we still shot everything. The next day of the wedding we shot everything, everyone ate and left. The bride comes up to the planners and asks them whether we've eaten or not and asked them to order food for us. Separately. Thought this was behind us and when we delivered the photos came a long list of comments. Some similar as to why her husband's eyes were closed, zoomed in and he was only smiling, why her parents didnt look into the camera (it was candid) some dance photos were long exposure ones and she didnt like them calling them blurry. We're delivering the photos with changes and hoping we get to end it here. Fingers crossed. But thank you for this video. It makes us feel seen and does not make us feel like we're the only dumb ones.
My worst fear. I'm so scared of this. I would crumble. But this video makes me ready to face that if it ever happens and use it as a learning experience. I love what you taught here. Thank you.
Some people are just more comfortable posing. The job you did I find it consistent to what you do, not working for the money and setting expectations is such a valuable lesson. Thank you for sharing and keep up te good work!
Man that is an awesome story and one people don’t venture into enough. You can read about all the successes in the world but very few people are candid about their failures and what they learned. Very neat thanks !
I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it's very true especially in today's world. We see so much success. I think it's important to show the failures and mishaps as well.
Hey John, I've been shooting weddings for 40 years and I've had my fair share of those clients. When you meet those clients and the red flags show up, just smile and back away quietly.
Well done you for turning a negative experience into a positive way of going forward.From what I’ve seen of your photography it’s amazing never let others bring you down,they will soon forget about you and move on to their next victim.
I’m on the same page as you are talking this… mine happened years back… I totally, stop photographing, and ended me doing gardening… and I’m loving it… but, the passion inside me yearning for photography… so I’m devising an idea similar with you and I am being picky… I learn to say “No” when I see the red flag 🚩, just by talking to them… always asked them to look closely about my website and convince themselves about my style. Then get back to me. I wish you best! ❤
As scarring as this must have been for you, it's weirdly cathartic to listen to your story because it confirms the common experience many of us have had with an insatiable or unstable client who tries to make us feel inadequate. Your photos are great quality from that wedding, and it's clear the client was projecting her own insecurities onto your work. Like you've said in your videos, the biggest key to a satisfied client is not necessarily your work, but the expectations you set with them beforehand. Unfortunately, some couple's don't know what they want, yet are extremely picky about what you deliver. I'm glad you have this platform to expose this behavior, and hopefully the couple will come to their senses and delete the review. Unless it's still helping you land new clients haha
I've only ever had one couple that was (at least vocally) dissatisfied with my work. And, just like your situation, in my opinion the complaints that the bride had were outside of my control. This was a few years ago, and although I've kept going and have done tons of weddings since then that experience still sits in the back of my head for every wedding I shoot. It's wild how one small experience like that can truly shake you. Since then, my normal day job had gone from part time to full time and I really just don't need the money anymore. That has been such a blessing. In retrospect, the red flags were there for that couple but I needed the money. Absolutely not worth it. The couples I've booked since I've had the luxury of being picky have been incredible and have definitely saved my passion for wedding photography.
I recently had an almost identical story but with a family shoot, no reviews though thank goodness…but learned to take printing into my own hands and it’s actually turned out really well for IPS and sales!
Watching this video brought up SO MANY flashbacks to when i started my photo career....i had to learn the hard way as well that these sort of clients you RUN...SPRINT in the opposite direction. Its just not worth it at times, i did also learn to troubleshoot upfront and get what there expectations are... Now when i meet with clients i let them know..its not only you making sure im a good fit, im also making sure you are a good fit for me.
The photos you took at the 1 star wedding are great! Do not at all look beginner! (bridesmaid holding her phone? what? - CRAY CRAY) You have told bits and pieces of this story before but quite honestly - to me, it sounded like this couple was setting the stage to scam out of paying for a photographer entirely. Wedding photos/photographers is a big expense and in the age of iPhones, most non-photographers tend to think photography is 'easy' and iPhone photos are good enough. (literally had a friend ask me to do their wedding when they found out how much a pro charged - they even volunteered to pay me HALF of what the pro was asking - even though they know I shoot mostly sports and am a hobbyist.... I told them NO WAY and it would have been a cool $4k for me but that would cost my friendship and sanity!). Honestly - the couple sounded like they would NEVER be happy and set the stage early on that they were never intended on fully paying you. (sorry for the long post/rant protecting Team Magenta!)
I feel for you. I’m so glad it didn’t destroy you. Some people are just mean. There’s so much false expectations these days with instagram style filters and suchlike. Good for you that you can go forward stronger.
Your absolutely right about not taking on a client that sends you red flags. There are definately some clients to that no one can please. Best to let those clients go.
Hey man, looking to take the plunge soon to start a run at portraiture photography and have caught a few of your videos. In my opinion, the story of this couple is the PERFECT example to reinforce comments you've made in prior videos about interviewing couples beforehand to figure if you'll sync well together. What a great way to use your experience as a teacher. Thanks for the content.
It's really helpful to think of things like this. Also, at the end of the day you really don't know the other side of the story so I always like to give benefit of the doubt rather than just blaming everyone for the situation.
Sorry this happened to you! I've learned a lot from my own customer experiences over the years. At the end of the day, some people are just super high-maintenance and if you can avoid working with them it's worth doing so. One thing I have found is that over-communicating is really helpful for avoiding bad situations down the line. It can't eliminate all of them of course, but the more honest and transparent your up-front communication is, the more you can attract the kind of clients you want and avoid those who are looking for something else.
This is a remarkable story. Thanks for sharing! There are always people like this, and we all need to be aware that this can happen, and this can't be a reason to stop doing what we like and enjoy.
Great honest video and sorry ya had to go through that. And glad u have bounced back after that ordeal. I think you should've been more elaborate or specific as to what exactly were the red flags you sense from this couple. You mentioned examples but they weren't very detailed enough. You / others mentioned this couple was "crazy", what were the specifics of that that made them seem crazy? There were moments where u implied they were extreme nitpickers but that's after all photos were submitted. U mentioned u sensed red flags about them at the beginning - would've loved to have heard more specifics on these. But again, great honest video!
I think I might have gotten more out of this video than almost any of your others…but maybe that’s because even after 15 years of making a living behind a camera I’ve made similar mistakes….saw red flags, didn’t address them enough, wound up with a lot of regrets mostly because I was just desperate to put food on the table. Thanks for being a lighthouse to help us all find the best path forward. 👍
I'm new to photography but have dealt with clients in various sectors for a while. No matter how hard you try, there are just some people you can never satisfy. You fix one issue and they create another. You fix that one too and they create another. I'm looking forward to booking some photography gigs and having fun. The goal is to quickly get done with "difficult" clients and move on to more grateful ones.
This was a really great watch. There should be more testimonials like this from people that work in creative industries. I’ve definitely had these kind of clients in past. Qualifying clients is absolutely necessary to avoid burnout in a professional creative space. Thanks for sharing this experience.
I'm glad you learned something from the situation and that It improved your work, but some people are just truly insane, lol. I will never understand how people willingly act that way. Seems like such a sad way to live, because you know they act this way with EVERYTHING. Anyone that's ever had any kind of customer service job knows this is a more common of a behavior than it should be with customers. Great video by the way!
John this was outstanding. You will get couples with unrealistic expectations and the fact that you used it as a motivator is the making of a successful photographer. You are right John, money alone will never make you happy or successful, it has to be about the art first. John, we do photography and videography, mostly commercially, but we do take individual clients from our business customers after the initial consultation. John, we have had a customer attempt to change a commercial after we put their commercial on air and after we had agreed upon the contents, and we took a hardline of no and the commercial was a success. We have had a customer or two like this and it will shake you. Some customers are as hard as you try are not very organized in thought and will try to change things mid-way and even at the end of the agreement, where you have already done the work, but again let your contract be your guide. Let the customer know that we will be happy to help, but that it is outside of the scope of work and can be done or not done with a increase in fee or new change in the agreement. We have even had customers, who will try to change the scope of work mid-flight or even after delivery and having a contract that is agreed upon is what saves you and having the patience to work through it. It is your professionalism that will see you through and the old words of you will never please everyone, but your goal is to try and if not don't internalize it and take it personally. Any type of customer service is difficult, but you can learn tremendously from it.
With the current technology right now. Most of the brides wanted a very smooth skin to the point that they look plastic. They have been accustomed to the filter that they've been using on their phone. When I was just starting out, there are people who will ask me to make me look like this or that and my usual response is "I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER NOT A MIRACLE WORKER" And I will not get bookings LOL. But I will not get headache also. What John said is very true. Find clients that aligned with you and your style. I always inform them that WE ARE A TEAM. This is what you need from me and this is what I need from you.
Thank you John for sharing this experience. The way how you amend this worst experience to a meaningful lesson, taught me about your leadership, which I believe can be applied anywhere in life, but not only in photography business.
This happened to me. I worked for an event planner and adjusted the photos for her taste even thought the bride liked all my unedited photos. The event planner wanted me to photograph her next wedding but to pose the bride like her photographer does. I politely told her that I can use her style as inspiration but I will feel out the bride and go from there. I asked other creative if they would have done the 2nd wedding or not and its a split. Glad to say, I refuse to work with her again because she was pinning me down. No ma'm this is a creative field. No ma'm. Alignment is key!!
I remember this happening in real time, and I had second-hand stress for you! These are great takeaways and ultimately, you handled it very well. When I first drafted my pre-event agreements, and update them now (for anything, not just weddings), I think of this story. Lots of lessons here for everyone. Great video dude.
They just wanted money back - they never had an issue with the photos . You’re photography looked amazing!
*your
Scum couple fr
Exactly this. She liked the work she just didn't want to pay for it. I bet she even bragged about getting it for free.
@@MS-gn4gl
Yep! 💯
Guarantee they probably had stuff from their wedding they probably used once and then returned too. @@MS-gn4gl
I had a bridezilla 3 years ago. Everything was fine, I was super extra with them just because I like to help out. She called me like 5 times for details before the weddings. Its all cool. I did awesome. Afterwards she told me she hated the photographs, how she looked, the amount of imeges she got(I guess 1300 photographs wasn't enough for her) and the edit. I contacted other photographers so they can check it out and they said it was very good. Afterwards I questioned if I should do it anymore, but decided "You know what, i will use this to my advantage" and for several bookings I showed this wedding to my clients stating "Look, this according to my client is my worst wedding, imagine what I can do from here on out". And got like 4-5 bookings just showing this wedding. Of course I did not continue to do that, but I was pitiful at the time...
That’s great how you turned it to your advantage! Although i do have to say 1300 is a HUGE amount of images to be giving back. I’m just assuming it was a big ass wedding, or a 2-day event!
it is a huge amount. I usually deliver around 900 up to 1000 images. The weddings in my country last around 10-15 hours. The one I mentioned was around 12 hours. Thats why I was so shocked when she mentioned that it wasn't enough. Also she mentioned that there are not enough photographs of the children in the wedding like bruh, I'm shooting a wedding not a children's party.(there were around 80 photos of children playing). That case alone made me turn down several weddings because of red flags. One couple was like "We want you as a photographer, but we'd like for you to follow pinterest list and edit the photographs in another style". No thank you.
1300 !!!!!!!
Holy shitballs 1300?!?!?
The wording you used and the way you angled it was amazing dude! All the best to you. I'm onto my 4th Wedding contract. So far so good
I just read the 1-star review. I understand a few points made there (though this wall of text should have been formatted into some paragraphs) but overall they want both overprocessing like a smartphone does, and fantasy images which have to be staged and cannot be taken as part of a normal wedding. This is the gap of expectations of the Instagram generation and someone wanting to get a real photographer which takes pictures about what actually happened.
Yeah. That's why I really had to step back and look at the situation. Really it seems like they wanted a photographer who wasn't as photojournalistic as I was which is fine. Unfortunately they may have thought that all photographers are the same and didn't realize that photographers have different approaches sometimes.
Lot of times those fantasy ones can be done through photoshop. similar to that photographer rosy
@@myqaveli using photoshop to create fantasy images which look convincing and are to the taste of a client is not easy.
@@Bethos1247-Arne i agree with 10+ years knowledge on photoshop I could do it but creating so many images one by one like that would be overwhelming and yet if you don’t have a style already popularized like some there is a chance the client won’t like it so true k agree
Most stuff on instagram are staged. Most of the best photos on weddings are not staged, just best moments.
But people tend to not realize that different.
I can’t believe the clients acted like this. Sometimes there just is malicious people out there and want $$$ back 🙃. I love how you turned a negative review into something positive 👏🏽
At the end of the day it really did feel like they were doing what they could to get their money back. Nothing really made sense when I sat down and thought about it. But I always try my best to figure out what I can do better in any situation.
Exactly. They wanted the wedding photographed for free but had to be vicious about it.
No doubt she does that all the time to try to get free stuff
@@28cucbn A friend of mine ages ago once told me when she worked at Publix people would bring back birthday cakes (one piece left in the box) demanding refunds stating the cake was awful. Thieves everywhere.
@@mara1820 when I used to cook at a steakhouse, ppl would order a 16 ounce steak, eat 3/4 of it, then try to say it was under cooked
The fact that you gave them all of the JPEGS... I wish nothing but the worst for this couple. To try and ruin your name when their own insecurity is the reason they couldn't enjoy their wedding photos. I'm so glad you posted this video, fight back always. I bet your top package was still WAY cheaper than most photographers top package at that time, they brow beat you just because they felt like they could
Giving all the Jpegs only makes it worse, you're sending over the best at the start, now you're sending them all the worst as well? No way.
but aren't the jpegs edited? It's not like sending the RAW files, unedited - or am I mistaken?
@@L.SpencerDid you watch the video? He said he sent all the unedited Jpegs
@@malikkelly jpegs are automatically edited by the camera. unedited jpeg is when it only has camera preset applied to it. look at a raw photo and youll see what unedited it
Learning to turn down potential clients is a powerful threshold to cross in entrepreneurship. The fear of missing out is different to let go of, but soon you learn to appreciate realizing you avoid a bad experience.
This is my worst nightmare. I had a very similar experience - red flags I ignored, great images despite circumstances... nightmare bride. I learned a lot from the experience and low key have PTSD from it. I’m terrified of my clients being unhappy with me!
Thanks for sharing. I think this video is going to help so many!
I also have PTSD from this experience. Funny enough I have another story (after I learned my lesson from this one) where almost the SAME exact thing happened and when I received the email it was like a flashback and I almost lost it. Luckily at the time I had my mentor so I hit him up and he help me level set with myself and come to find out the bride's complains were totally legitimate and had more to do with her makeup artist than anything else so it all worked out in the end. But OMG when I tell you that PTSD kicked in.
@@jbivphotography the worst!! So glad you had your mentor to talk things through with
I feel this. When I was shooting weddings, I got a one star review from a couple that didn't even book me to photograph their wedding. My red flags were that they definitely could not pay my minimum costs, they were calling and emailing me every other day about the wedding that I wasn't booked for, and that was when I was like "hey, I really don't think we fit as a photographer client." Then I got angry emails and review bombed. It was a hassle to get the wedding sites to take the review down, but they did because they saw the date of the wedding and when the review was left (months in advance). Yelp, on the other hand, wouldn't.
I'm so sorry that happened to you! What they did was harassment; I would take them to court.
YELP is the worst. They will take down a bad review if you advertise with them for a huge fee.
It happen the same thing with me booksy did not want to remove my review from client 😢
So all you do is rebrand... problem solved
People can be parasites at times SMH. That's a crazy experience bro
11:49 - Getting ahead of the 1 star review by bringing it up to potential clients is absolutely the best approach. Moreso, avoiding name-calling is also crucial. Great advice for younger professionals - not just in photography.
In some Asian countries they have a practical solution: couples have a formal shoot together at some picturesque location in nice weather, for all the perfect Disney Princess pictures. Then the wedding itself can be more candid, with lower expectations of "perfect" moments.
So glad you recovered from this. It took me years to finally “fire my clients” whom I didn't vibe with. Great advice here!
I'm a firm believer that every great business learns from it's "bad reviews". I probably get one atleast once every year out of 100 plus gigs per year.
I learned from everyone of those reviews. 2018 I learned about set realistic turnaround times.
2019 I learned about when to use Aperture & direct lighting.
2020 I learned to not take a shoot last minute & edit before a vacation.
2021 to upload every single thing right after a wedding & double check.
2022 I learned to be very specific in contracts.
All these experiences molded my business in ways those 5 star reviews wouldn't. I appreciate them, but the objective is to get rid of those mistakes as the business progresses.
Exactly! Everything that looks like a failing moment is a great time to fail forward. Thank you for sharing this for everyone else who might be having a hard time with this in their own business.
The fact that you are sharing this story is so inspiring. It takes a lot of courage, my first time on this channel but im proud of you man
Not gonna lie. I was pretty scared about making this video. But I think it's been long enough.
@jbivphotography I was thinking that they may see this video and the mess will start again. Isn't it true that once you take a picture of any image it is now your property to do what you please? I remember a photographer sued Nas for posting a picture of himself (Nas) without the photographer's permission.
This makes me wonder and question whether they’re still married. That aside, I’m glad that this has been the catalyst in making your business what it is today. I’m especially glad that you showed their pics and hoping they come across it too! I hope that they in turn get to see that they are made an example of what not to book.
As a recovering wedding photog I can say this is an invaluable story and lesson for anyone starting out. I never had any couples quite this bad but one that was close. Thanks for sharing!
John, 😔 I feel you man. This one time, years ago, after the bride and her crew were two hours late, they complained about everything, after I delivered these beautiful images. They said the images were trash and slammed me on wedding wire. However, after all that, they wanted a refund, wanted an album, and submitted my images to a wedding blog, and of course, failed to mention me as their photographer. In my head, I remembered everything my mentor had told me. He said, “When the guests, the cake, the venue, the food and everything else is all gone, you the photographer is the only person left to pick on.” If the images were trash, why ask for an album, why put them on a blog? To this day, I still think about that.
They loved the photos; they just tried to take advantage of you. It this that simple; they are bad people.
@@izukens thanks. That exactly what I figured too.
Some people are so cheap that even their best days of their lifes are spent cheating people and digging for free stuff. i won't even think of that, its not money but self dignity.
Being proactive and leaning into the one star review with new clients is a genius move - shows you're proud and stand by what you do, and that you're not going to be shamed and browbeaten over work that's perfectly good. Also discreetly puts people on notice that if they're just looking for somebody to bully and be a nightmare to, then they can go elsewhere!
Excellent as always. We learn so much more from our mistakes than from our victories. That one horrible couple in the end actually was a huge net positive to your business. A lot of people don't realize that this is just part of the process of becoming successful in life and they give up after a failure or even multiple failures. But you are totally right. Not everyone is your client.
This made me feel so much better. Recently I dealt with a very difficult client, she made me question myself and almost want to just quit completely. I took her engagement photos and she complained because she didn’t like her hair and her fiancée was wearing white socks. She told me just delete those photos after I had already began on over half of them. So we went and redid the whole thing for over 3 hours, at multiple locations with different outfit changes. I told her that since we had to redo the whole photoshoot all over again, it would take longer for me to deliver the photos since my wedding and honeymoon were coming up. Yet she still kept messaging me during my honeymoon. I deliver the new photos and she quickly complains about how I made her look too dark and to lighten her skin up and being very picky and telling me what to change on specific photos. She told me she tried to edit the photos herself but couldn’t and if I could do it, despite the contract saying clients aren’t allow to edit or add filters to already edited photos.
I apologize to my mistakes and owed up to whatever mistakes I made that inconvenienced her. She still emailed me a very long paragraph on how I was in the wrong and she wasn’t and she wanted to void the contract. Honestly it was a huge relief for me. I can’t even imagine what her wedding day would of been like.
Now I’m learning to say no and turn down potential clients who are difficult to work with. It’s just not worth it.
Never apologize
I've gotten that dreaded one-star review and it taught me alot about how to qualify your clients, how to refine your contract, and also how to effectively communicate with your client while you are binded by a contract. Unfortunately there will always be those people who you do not align with. Thanks for this video because i definitely needed someone else to talk about this so I would not feel alone in my experience. The situation about them doing chargebacks on holidays i can definitely relate with, some people can be very malicious when things do not go their way. Just gotta keep grinding, educate yourself and push forward with your passion.
Something I’ve learned is when you get those couples that come back and back and back to complain and complain is when you get it leveled out, make them sign an NDA.. if I’m going to refund you and give you files you are not going to give me a poor review. Only happened twice in my 6 years of wedding work ( about 50-80 weddings per year ) but it’s a reasonable thing to do
Thanks for sharing your experience and how you used it to continue on your photography journey. I love your videos. They are very educational and inspiring. Your photography is beautiful.
Photography and psychology are interlinked. You gain valuable insight into human behaviour. Thanks for sharing.
Nice of you to help other photographers with your transparency! You are such a pro
I am not a wedding photographer. In fact, I consider it one of the most complex genres, because it demands not only photography skills, but also vast amounts of social skills, which I admit I don´t have. Having said that, I still found this video to be awesome. Thanks for sharing your learning experience.
Something I found interesting from her review:
"... my husband and I ended up paying for another (amazing) photographer to capture photos of us to recreate our wedding"
Okay, in my opinion, that is batshit crazy 😂.
utterly psychotic couple lol
@DonnaOctoberthey had a second pretend wedding? 😂
I'm thinking that this was personal. Nasty people do this and go out of their way to slander him. And with the payment issue? Shameless people.
The fact that they tried to complain about you, ruin you, steal money back from you and poorly review you would lead me to believe that they might be a bit racist. Good for you for not letting those tool bags bring you down! Kudos and all the best!
Far out bro, those photos were still top quality crisp and clean, I reackon they probably planned to get their money back from the start and tried bullying you into it, props to standing strong as this type-of-crap breaks majority of people in all types of industries. You’re my favourite wedding photographer to watch btw so keep up the great work brother.
Glad to hear I'm your favorite. Honestly it means so much. There's not a lot of us here on UA-cam.
I'm not a wedding photographer, but the first thing I did and knew I had to do when I worked in graphic design and web design is say NO to any client who asks for things I can't or don't want to do. Even when a client is booked and asked for additional things out of my expertise or desire it was a clear no. It makes the business go smoother and builds a trust relationship. Hell, I even did that with employers and it's a sign of respect when you tell them that by asking you to do those things they're gonna lose money and time.
yep. Same here. I work as a Graphic Designer for over a decade. When I started out I agreed to anything. Now I get EVERY LITTLE change in writing. And I don´t have any problems with saying NO to a client who wants more than he pays for.
like any relationship, draw your boundaries, communicate them, be clear about them, and never compromise. happy shooting brother, I'm glad you kept on going.
Honestly, this is what scares me about going into photography. Why I don't take that first leap from being a hobbyist to a pro photographer. People being unhappy with your art and skills would really destroy me since I think I'm pretty okay at photography and enough that maybe others would like my services. But one unhappy customer, and I'd take that very personally. Thanks for sharing your story, it helps to see how others process this situation professionally.
Been doing it 18 years. In anything you do you’ll meet bad people. That’s why you set boundaries and a rock solid contract. I’ve fired two clients for stressing me out.
I was really into photography around 2017 and I was exploring all niches, I was asked to shoot a gender reveal and I did it pretty cheap just for the experience. I didn’t do much research into the exact venue and it turns out it was a pretty dark place. I shot some really nice photos using a speedlite but as soon as I sent the photos they were messaging me with such anger that i ended up giving them a refund.
There was nothing wrong with the photos, they were good quality. Their main concern was they didn’t align with what they expected. I tried to explain that there was no way to get these freeze frame shots without using flash in a dark venue unless they wanted blurry pictures, but it was to no avail.
I gave up photography for years but now I’m back into it and it was a learning experience. As stated in the video, expectations must be set and at the same time, don’t take any shit from people. If someone thinks they can walk over you, they will.
👍🏻
I'm sorry to hear about your story. That's the worst. it really is hard sometimes to explain and educate folks on photographer and sometimes they just don't want to listen and understand. It's great to hear that you're trying to get back into photography.
Your advice reminds me of the scene from Goodfellas, when after “Spider” tells Tommy Devito to go eff himself, Jimmy hand him $100 bill, and tells him exactly that: “don’t take no shit from nobody”! Unfortunately for “Spider” Tommy didn’t take any shit from “Spider“.
Hey John! Love your videos. I subbed to you back when photography was a hobby of mine. Fast forward a few years and now I’m a Bridal Makeup Artist. What you mentioned holds true for any vendor in the wedding industry. What we do is an art style and if a couple doesn’t align with our style, way of work, even personality, it’s better to let them know we are not a good fit.
A lot of couples don’t realize they should not go to a vendor and try to “change” them or their style. Couples should find someone who suits what they’re looking for. Us vendors can not do everything and anything. We’re not meant to. 100% agree with your video and thanks for sharing!
Using that 1-star review with new clients is such a smart move. Everyone makes mistakes, but learning from them and moving forward is what could set you apart!
And learning how to say "no"! Such a valuable and HARD skill to take on.
Also, def been in the position of taking on work for the money, but those clients straight look like trouble in the eyes, you feel me?
This is a great lesson for any photographer. Alignment with your client is critical
I’m going to share with you one additional advice my brother gave to me when I had a similar experience.
The last thing you want is for more client’s like this to book your services. You want client’s who wants to hire you for your style of photos. Which is AMAZING by the way!
The one star reviews or IG posts downgrading your business helps filter out those type of clients from booking with you.
You’re amazing and I love your work!!!!
I’m confused as to what the advice is lol I was waiting for something deep 😅
I have to say you did better than my wedding photographer did. You delivered.
Ouch. I’m sorry to hear that.
That’s horrible. Close to the same experience but luckily the photographer finally came through. Had to wait half a year to get our photos back, was terrified the photographer simply lost the photos or decided to ghost us, thankfully wasn’t the case but my god, the customer service was awful. Unfortunately seems to be a running theme in the industry.
Don’t worry about few people who are money minded . Keep up your work . They can’t judge your photography with a mobile camera knowledge. ❤❤❤❤❤photographer. Huge respect.
Your response back to her on the knot was worded perfectly
After looking into the 1-star rating and comparing the photos from that wedding to one of your newer weddings, I have a few observations:
1. The photos from the 1-star wedding are better than the review suggests, although I admit that some of them may not have been the best representation of your work.
2. It's evident that there should have been better alignment between you and the couple.
3. Your progress from that wedding to your more recent work is astounding - it's like night and day. You've improved so much!
4. Initially, the review seemed fair, but after seeing the photos and hearing about the couple's unreasonable demands, such as cash back and claiming that iPhone photos were better, their claims appear unfounded.
Ultimately, you learned from your mistakes and became a better photographer because of this experience.
This is a perfect observation of the situation and ultimately why I ended up not going to court. I was still pretty new and whole my photography wasn’t trash, I could have done a much better job on the wedding. I think the me today would have met closer to their expectations which would have save me a bad review at least. I do still think however they would not have been a good fit for my overall approach.
@@jbivphotography
Remember, this experience is part of your growth as a photographer. Mistakes happen, but what matters is learning from them. Don't be too hard on yourself or dwell on the past - you've improved and become the amazing photographer you are today. Keep focusing on growth and embracing your unique approach. Keep up the great work!
Honestly, don't beat yourself up about it. That's life. ;)
Ah - great stuff dude. I'm a seasoned professional gig and events photographer, who is about to shoot my first wedding next month. I'm not too nervous, because
I've been shooting for years and am familiar with working with folks, post-processing, my equipment, posing and particularly shooting documentary style. However, you pulled up a few red flags that I hadn't considered. It might pay me to jump on your channel and see what other important informative wedding style clips you have made. You may have saved me some grief methinks.
I've had a similar thing happen with a client that booked a newborn session with me. First thing that happened was that they didn't wanna pay the booking fee cause they wanted to be able to cancel the booking on short notice if they found another photographer that was available sooner (HUGE red flag), and stupidly I agreed. My style when it comes to family and newborn sessions is natural, candid moments where everyone are interacting with each other and you see a lot of emotion. When I got to the clients house I got to take like 3 photos of the mother holding her baby and then she abruptly walked out of the frame, not saying a word. Eventually it turns out that the parents didn't wanna be in the photos. At all. Not even a hand or an arm holding the baby. I asked what kind of photos they were expecting and if they could show me some examples, but they just got more and more upset with me and all they kept saying was "I don't wanna be in the photos", no explanation. Were they expecting staged studio photos of just their baby? I was super confused cause this is not at all the style of photography I do and it's not in any of the photos on my website. At this point I should have just left, but I tried to do what I believed they wanted, even though they refused to explain it to me, but the baby was obviously crying and screaming every time they put him down and just wanted to be close to the parents. I finally managed to take a few were he was calm, but at this point everyone in the room were upset. When I delivered the photos, which were not great but honestly not that bad either, they didn't respond for a long time. When they finally responded they said that they didn't like the photos at all and that they could take better photos themselves with their phone. They demanded a discount. I gave them a discount, even though it states in my contract that I have no obligation to do so, and they kept coming back saying they want more of a discount and that I should have left their house when I realised they weren't happy, even though they didn't say anything. In the end I learned a lot from this experience and since then I've taken some measures to prevent it from happening again, but it still feels awful to think about it.
What steps do you take now?
One thing to do in this situation is NEVER give the photos to them. First give a sample (with sample water mark down the middle). If they like it then all good. If not they don't get any photos. Protect your work and income and don't be afraid to say no. Always trust those red flags ... they always mean something.
I’m a retired self-employer (not in photography at all). Just some thought to consider. Have a great day!
The hardest thing I learned in my career was that we leave money on the table when we don’t value ourselves highly enough. Contracted with me for no discount? Expect no discount. That’s the point of having you sign the contract! The time to complain about the terms has passed, and I don’t renegotiate based upon your circumstances. Sounds like a you problem. That’s how business works; you could have hired someone else on different terms. But you didn’t. 🤷🏼♂️
You might even want to be proactive and expressly point the cancellation/no refund paragraph out just before clients sign - maybe even have them initial beside it as ‘active’ acknowledgment. It gives them little room to squawk later, and even the boldest is shut down immediately by good old contract law. Don’t have to discount, don’t want to discount, not going to discount. Pay as agreed. Black and white.
No need to be concerned about your reputation if there are no unreasonable deficiencies in their customer experience; word of mouth is the best and cheapest form of marketing, and you don’t want them or their friends in your life anyway. My marketing budget was $0, but I was in a particularly fortunate situation with a concentrated client-base. An aggravating customer can be worse than no customer because they actually make a negative contribution to your day.
When I go to purchase a service now, I *never* go with the cheapest. I just assume they’re not as good as their peers. I *do* try to go as high as I can within my budget because consumer culture has taught our brains that ‘more expensive = better quality’ and ‘you get what you pay for’. I err on the safe side and overpay. I should have erred on my own side and overcharged. Then we could negotiate to the right midpoint.
I have my shyness and insecurities, but I know that I’ve pocketed some of that money on the table just by charging more because I could. Not a single complaint, because I provided good product/value. Professional reputations work both ways and you don’t want to become known as the “yeahwelovedthepicturescuztheyweresocheap” wedding photog. You really, really don’t.
Turns out not leaving money on the table has more to do with client management than finance! 😳😁
Best wishes for long-term success. 👍
no matter your style of capturing moments at the wedding , you can't change the ecense of the wedding, I think if these were the best images I think the bride has a bit of reason, because there are people who like to take care of the aesthetic and on reality there are many things that are not right, from the hair, to the POSES, The compositions of the photos look like a photographer just starting out I think many photographers say they are journalism photographers 1 because they do not know how to illuminate with artificial lights, it is more easy to go with a speedligh on the camera, 2 don't know how to run a wedding properly either, or I think that before taking on responsibilities of something as oimporatne as the wedding day we should train ourselves
you can NEVER CROP the subject's extremities, (perhaps in some compositions but not in most) hte opturation speed is very low, which you will never get sharp photos. thank you for the video !
it's better and easier for some photographers to take 5,500 pictures in one wedding day "photojournalism" than to do decent photography taking care of the details
After 25 years as Wedding Photographer, I turned away customers that gave me a bad vibe, in expecting too much out of the ordinary .I would politely say that I was booked 😂
A real tough story; it's great to see you could turn things around. 1 stars can work in your favour, once you get past the shock, calm down and think with a level head. Brilliant advice John. Thank you! 👍
"Don't be blinded by the money" I ALWAYS say that too! "Not all money is GOOD money." I stepped back from weddings for a bit and I feel good about my decision lol
30 years as a wedding and portrait photographer.......long retired. There were many clients that I had to "fire" because their vision did not align with mine! You are spot on!
Probably the best wedding video out there. Such an overlooked conversation for photographers starting out and some having a hard time moving forward. Well done.
I'm glad you shared this. I did my first wedding and didn't really like my work, but the couple it did it for loved it.
That's good to hear. Make sure to take the feeling of not liking your work and use it to improve and practice rather than put yourself down. It's always a great way to learn and become better.
Man...that kind of client experience (horror story) is THE REASON that kept me away from photographing people for years!
I finally, this year, decided I wouldn't let that hold me back. I need to believe that there are good/decent people in the world & that theyre the majority...& above all, it made me lock in a whole system to cover myself, highest priority being vetting the clients.
We, as photogs, need to be just as discerning as the clients "shopping" for their vendors.
Exactly. Because at the end of the day we want to make sure we're aligning with those we know who respect our art and also our position as their photographer. We really do try our best. And there are a lot of people out there who understand this.
You're absolutey right. I'm 15 years now in the photography business. I use a lot of comparing photography with music and food. If I'm great at barbecues and you are vegetarian, I might not be for you. If I play great country music and you're a fan of Mozart, well, you might need someone else. And sometimes we do arrange our interests and the couple ends up coming as great friends and the respect they give you for being such an honest person is priceless.
FYI - I had my first photo published in 1968. In the early 80's I shot dozens of weddings for a major wedding studio. That being said -Your photos look fine, bro. You had a real "Karen" as a customer. She was determined to be "right" about everything, even though she didn't have a clue.
My "Karen" was my aunt. I had shot 50-60 weddings by the time I offered to shoot my cousin's second wedding as a wedding present. My cousin is a sweet person, not the villain. My aunt told me not to go to the bride's house before the wedding because it would be too busy and confusing. NB - This is where I always took portraits of the bride alone and with her attendants.
After-ceremony shots were taken at a gazebo in a small park. The bride's brother, transporting my aunt, was allegedly unable to locate this landmark, so no bride with mom, etc. shots happened there. Instead of taking numerous bride and groom shots at the gazebo, my sweet cousin kept bringing in every tom dick and harry for groups shots. We ran out of time and rushed to the reception hall. I finally got my aunt in a group shot at the reception hall.
What was the last straw? During the next visit to my aunt did I get a thank you for saving her daughter many hundreds of dollars? No. I heard, "You didn't take one shot of (cousin) by herself" and "I changed my shoes and you could see them in the group photo. You said you wouldn't be able to see them." So her daughter's wedding day came down to how important her shoes were.
I haven't spoken to her since and assume she has long ago passed away.
This was so absorbing to read. It put me right in your shoes (sorry). 😁😁
Thank you John for bringing up this topic that no one is talking about. Stars are a double edged sword, they can grow your business but also destroy it completely. It is a sword of damocles that hangs over the heads of all entrepreneurs. Sincerely seeing the photos of the weddings in question, this seems totally unjustified. I'm sad for you who had to go through this, but glad you were able to bounce back
I had my first this week. Sent the pictures two nights ago and woke up this morning to me being tagged on a post with some of the pictures I sent out and to my surprise the pictures had some horrible filters put on them. Comments on the post were just ragging on me for how bad the pictures looked like so I went ahead and comment on the post with the actual photos I sent out. After that the comments were dragging her for changing the look of the pictures
I totally believe you got a one star review lol. I feel like getting that review is what makes or breaks most photographers. After my 1-star I started turning down clients left and right. It really truly is not worth the headaches, especially when they can chargeback and then you're left with nothing.
Is there a way to avoid the chargeback situation, or to be sure you can win in a credit card dispute or small-claims court?
@@AStageForTheKingdom use Zelle they wont get shit back
I’m experiencing some rough points with my second wedding (during the engagement shoot) and now the actual wedding is this Thursday so I’ve been worried/feeling like quitting photography but I’m grateful for stumbling upon this and I’m learning a lot from you! I’m hoping the wedding goes well!!! THANK YOU!!!🙈
I feel you John, thanks for sharing this. I also come from customer service background, 10 years at the hotel's reception and now I do around 40 weddings a year and literally had 1 (one!) couple from hell, where the bride after receiving her photographs asked me "where is the photo of my dog looking at my dress?". I was extremely confused not knowing what she is talking about. And then she told me she saw me taking a picture of her dog on the floor and she was convinced that this is the shot I'm capturing and now she doesn't have her little doggy looking at her hanging dress just before she put it on. She loved all the pics and gave me a lot of compliments, but a month later she texted me to say that she wants ALL my raw photographs (unedited 1500/1600 pics) saying that it is her property and receiving just 500 as per agreement is not important as she wants ALL of them. I explained to her that not every photo I take is the one I'm happy with and that unedited is like a raw potato. She then proceeded to send her husband to me to threaten me with courts. During their wedding the groom came to me a second after their first dance and said that I "screwed up". Of course I had no clue what is he talking about so he said that I was standing in the wrong spot during their dance, despite I was of course doing full circles around them to capture this moment, but in his mind I should have been a little bit more to the left and right on this and that moment, like I know their choreography. He was happy with the pics after though. People just have issues not even connected with their wedding day, their photographer or a DJ. Sometimes they are just mean and weird and there's nothing you can. Sometimes the bride doesn't look the way SHE looks on the photos and then blames everything else, like her maid being on the phone. I bet you can now see the crazy just by looking at someone's face and backing up from there, it really saves you a lot of time and energy and this date will be booked by someone who's actually happy with their life. :)
Xenote Studio
I've been a photographer and digital artist for over 15 years and your images were fantastic. I've shot a few weddings, reluctantly for this very reason. Brides are just notoriously a pain in the ass, the groom couldn't give a crap lol. There's just too much room for error for me anyway with weddings so I rarely do them.
I relate to this sooo much. Something that happened to my partner and I recently. We booked a wedding with a couple who were getting married in Dubai and we'd never shot outside the country, so we got excited. We mentioned everything about food to provided by the client, travel, stay and anyone misbehaving won't be tolerated.
Come the first day of the wedding, cocktail, people had done their performances and were eating, nothing was happening. So half our team went to eat and half were still shooting just in case something happens. The BRIDE came up to my partner who was waiting to get food and said, "I've paid you to take photos not to eat". We were taken aback, we still shot everything. The next day of the wedding we shot everything, everyone ate and left. The bride comes up to the planners and asks them whether we've eaten or not and asked them to order food for us. Separately.
Thought this was behind us and when we delivered the photos came a long list of comments. Some similar as to why her husband's eyes were closed, zoomed in and he was only smiling, why her parents didnt look into the camera (it was candid) some dance photos were long exposure ones and she didnt like them calling them blurry. We're delivering the photos with changes and hoping we get to end it here. Fingers crossed. But thank you for this video. It makes us feel seen and does not make us feel like we're the only dumb ones.
My worst fear. I'm so scared of this. I would crumble. But this video makes me ready to face that if it ever happens and use it as a learning experience. I love what you taught here. Thank you.
Some people are just more comfortable posing. The job you did I find it consistent to what you do, not working for the money and setting expectations is such a valuable lesson. Thank you for sharing and keep up te good work!
Much appreciate your honestly and professionalism John. You are doing great!
Thank you so much. I try my best.
Man that is an awesome story and one people don’t venture into enough. You can read about all the successes in the world but very few people are candid about their failures and what they learned. Very neat thanks !
I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it's very true especially in today's world. We see so much success. I think it's important to show the failures and mishaps as well.
Hey John, I've been shooting weddings for 40 years and I've had my fair share of those clients. When you meet those clients and the red flags show up, just smile and back away quietly.
Yep yep. I learned the hard way.
Well done you for turning a negative experience into a positive way of going forward.From what I’ve seen of your photography it’s amazing never let others bring you down,they will soon forget about you and move on to their next victim.
I like it when Jordan randomly starts mimicking someone
I’m on the same page as you are talking this… mine happened years back… I totally, stop photographing, and ended me doing gardening… and I’m loving it… but, the passion inside me yearning for photography… so I’m devising an idea similar with you and I am being picky… I learn to say “No” when I see the red flag 🚩, just by talking to them… always asked them to look closely about my website and convince themselves about my style. Then get back to me. I wish you best! ❤
Thanks for sharing your story. You are brave to tell this story.
As scarring as this must have been for you, it's weirdly cathartic to listen to your story because it confirms the common experience many of us have had with an insatiable or unstable client who tries to make us feel inadequate. Your photos are great quality from that wedding, and it's clear the client was projecting her own insecurities onto your work.
Like you've said in your videos, the biggest key to a satisfied client is not necessarily your work, but the expectations you set with them beforehand. Unfortunately, some couple's don't know what they want, yet are extremely picky about what you deliver.
I'm glad you have this platform to expose this behavior, and hopefully the couple will come to their senses and delete the review. Unless it's still helping you land new clients haha
I've only ever had one couple that was (at least vocally) dissatisfied with my work.
And, just like your situation, in my opinion the complaints that the bride had were outside of my control. This was a few years ago, and although I've kept going and have done tons of weddings since then that experience still sits in the back of my head for every wedding I shoot. It's wild how one small experience like that can truly shake you.
Since then, my normal day job had gone from part time to full time and I really just don't need the money anymore. That has been such a blessing. In retrospect, the red flags were there for that couple but I needed the money. Absolutely not worth it. The couples I've booked since I've had the luxury of being picky have been incredible and have definitely saved my passion for wedding photography.
YES PLEASE add your wedding meetings to your membership!!
Your honesty with your 1 star review has got you further up the ladder in your business 💪🏻
Losses should always be a way to fail forward. I tried my best not to hide it and really just own it and learn from it.
You are the best, John. thanks for your videos 🙏
Thank you so much. I really appreciate that.
Glad you stayed strong and persist! some people just can't be reasoned with.
It was a really hard time but I grew from it at least.
I recently had an almost identical story but with a family shoot, no reviews though thank goodness…but learned to take printing into my own hands and it’s actually turned out really well for IPS and sales!
Watching this video brought up SO MANY flashbacks to when i started my photo career....i had to learn the hard way as well that these sort of clients you RUN...SPRINT in the opposite direction. Its just not worth it at times, i did also learn to troubleshoot upfront and get what there expectations are... Now when i meet with clients i let them know..its not only you making sure im a good fit, im also making sure you are a good fit for me.
The photos you took at the 1 star wedding are great! Do not at all look beginner! (bridesmaid holding her phone? what? - CRAY CRAY) You have told bits and pieces of this story before but quite honestly - to me, it sounded like this couple was setting the stage to scam out of paying for a photographer entirely. Wedding photos/photographers is a big expense and in the age of iPhones, most non-photographers tend to think photography is 'easy' and iPhone photos are good enough. (literally had a friend ask me to do their wedding when they found out how much a pro charged - they even volunteered to pay me HALF of what the pro was asking - even though they know I shoot mostly sports and am a hobbyist.... I told them NO WAY and it would have been a cool $4k for me but that would cost my friendship and sanity!). Honestly - the couple sounded like they would NEVER be happy and set the stage early on that they were never intended on fully paying you. (sorry for the long post/rant protecting Team Magenta!)
I feel for you. I’m so glad it didn’t destroy you. Some people are just mean. There’s so much false expectations these days with instagram style filters and suchlike. Good for you that you can go forward stronger.
Your absolutely right about not taking on a client that sends you red flags. There are definately some clients to that no one can please. Best to let those clients go.
Hey man, looking to take the plunge soon to start a run at portraiture photography and have caught a few of your videos. In my opinion, the story of this couple is the PERFECT example to reinforce comments you've made in prior videos about interviewing couples beforehand to figure if you'll sync well together. What a great way to use your experience as a teacher. Thanks for the content.
Ty for sharing this story, it rally makes me reflect on times clients /ppl have made me feel less talented. I feel more confident with this pov
It's really helpful to think of things like this. Also, at the end of the day you really don't know the other side of the story so I always like to give benefit of the doubt rather than just blaming everyone for the situation.
Sorry this happened to you! I've learned a lot from my own customer experiences over the years. At the end of the day, some people are just super high-maintenance and if you can avoid working with them it's worth doing so. One thing I have found is that over-communicating is really helpful for avoiding bad situations down the line. It can't eliminate all of them of course, but the more honest and transparent your up-front communication is, the more you can attract the kind of clients you want and avoid those who are looking for something else.
Thanks for your honesty and sharing John, in my short journey I've found honesty is the best policy.
Always. We try out best, sometimes we fall short. But pushing to get better is all we can do.
This is a remarkable story. Thanks for sharing! There are always people like this, and we all need to be aware that this can happen, and this can't be a reason to stop doing what we like and enjoy.
Glad you enjoyed the story. Also your insights are pretty awesome.
Totally agree with your takeaway. Setting expectations with clients can help avoid so many potential issues.
That’s WILD! I was just reading your reviews the other day and saw it and thought “there has to be a story there”
Great honest video and sorry ya had to go through that. And glad u have bounced back after that ordeal. I think you should've been more elaborate or specific as to what exactly were the red flags you sense from this couple. You mentioned examples but they weren't very detailed enough. You / others mentioned this couple was "crazy", what were the specifics of that that made them seem crazy? There were moments where u implied they were extreme nitpickers but that's after all photos were submitted. U mentioned u sensed red flags about them at the beginning - would've loved to have heard more specifics on these. But again, great honest video!
I lost it when she said “oh we’re not looking at the camera” lmaooooo like .. and who’s fault is that?! You can’t win with some people!
Showing the one star review helps the customer see your showing transparency
I think I might have gotten more out of this video than almost any of your others…but maybe that’s because even after 15 years of making a living behind a camera I’ve made similar mistakes….saw red flags, didn’t address them enough, wound up with a lot of regrets mostly because I was just desperate to put food on the table. Thanks for being a lighthouse to help us all find the best path forward. 👍
I'm new to photography but have dealt with clients in various sectors for a while. No matter how hard you try, there are just some people you can never satisfy. You fix one issue and they create another. You fix that one too and they create another. I'm looking forward to booking some photography gigs and having fun. The goal is to quickly get done with "difficult" clients and move on to more grateful ones.
This was a really great watch. There should be more testimonials like this from people that work in creative industries. I’ve definitely had these kind of clients in past. Qualifying clients is absolutely necessary to avoid burnout in a professional creative space. Thanks for sharing this experience.
I'm glad you learned something from the situation and that It improved your work, but some people are just truly insane, lol. I will never understand how people willingly act that way. Seems like such a sad way to live, because you know they act this way with EVERYTHING. Anyone that's ever had any kind of customer service job knows this is a more common of a behavior than it should be with customers. Great video by the way!
They were crazy!!! Glad those couples were in alignment with your thoughts on this lol.
This is the most validating video I've ever watched
John this was outstanding. You will get couples with unrealistic expectations and the fact that you used it as a motivator is the making of a successful photographer. You are right John, money alone will never make you happy or successful, it has to be about the art first.
John, we do photography and videography, mostly commercially, but we do take individual clients from our business customers after the initial consultation. John, we have had a customer attempt to change a commercial after we put their commercial on air and after we had agreed upon the contents, and we took a hardline of no and the commercial was a success.
We have had a customer or two like this and it will shake you. Some customers are as hard as you try are not very organized in thought and will try to change things mid-way and even at the end of the agreement, where you have already done the work, but again let your contract be your guide. Let the customer know that we will be happy to help, but that it is outside of the scope of work and can be done or not done with a increase in fee or new change in the agreement.
We have even had customers, who will try to change the scope of work mid-flight or even after delivery and having a contract that is agreed upon is what saves you and having the patience to work through it. It is your professionalism that will see you through and the old words of you will never please everyone, but your goal is to try and if not don't internalize it and take it personally. Any type of customer service is difficult, but you can learn tremendously from it.
With the current technology right now. Most of the brides wanted a very smooth skin to the point that they look plastic. They have been accustomed to the filter that they've been using on their phone. When I was just starting out, there are people who will ask me to make me look like this or that and my usual response is "I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER NOT A MIRACLE WORKER" And I will not get bookings LOL. But I will not get headache also. What John said is very true. Find clients that aligned with you and your style. I always inform them that WE ARE A TEAM. This is what you need from me and this is what I need from you.
Thank you John for sharing this experience. The way how you amend this worst experience to a meaningful lesson, taught me about your leadership, which I believe can be applied anywhere in life, but not only in photography business.
This happened to me. I worked for an event planner and adjusted the photos for her taste even thought the bride liked all my unedited photos. The event planner wanted me to photograph her next wedding but to pose the bride like her photographer does. I politely told her that I can use her style as inspiration but I will feel out the bride and go from there. I asked other creative if they would have done the 2nd wedding or not and its a split. Glad to say, I refuse to work with her again because she was pinning me down. No ma'm this is a creative field. No ma'm. Alignment is key!!