S$400 for a day's shoot for a luxury property?!!!
- Thread starter bowwow
- Start date
oracle0711
Senior Member
Amateurs need to start somewhere regardless of fees being offered. Not much information about how the deal came about or why the photographer agrees to take up the job. We are all in some way speculating. It could be the client said the whole place has ambient light coming from all places (like large windows, no blinds, etc) and since the place has been luxuriously designed and decorated, no styling efforts are needed and so forth. As a result, the photographer would see it as an easy job. He is an amateur after all and it means no experience in knowing what to expect and how clients tend to negotiate and tell only 1 side of the story as well as the promises of more deals to come if this project turns out well.
In the past, a local 3 storey property shoot would costs my client 3k to 7k depending on what is needed. They came back for more shoots but eventually and over the years, they will tend to tell him stories like times are bad, there are cheaper photographers (but I like your work, skills, etc) or they will give you 3 jobs at one go - thus trying to get you to come down on pricing. Once you in a while, you give in to them in the form of discounts to retain the jobs as you need to feed your livelihood. Some of these clients stay with you for a long time and the give and take relationship is needed to maintain the business but some will just disappear in search of other photographers. This is part and parcel of business - any business. not just interior architectural photography.
In the past, a local 3 storey property shoot would costs my client 3k to 7k depending on what is needed. They came back for more shoots but eventually and over the years, they will tend to tell him stories like times are bad, there are cheaper photographers (but I like your work, skills, etc) or they will give you 3 jobs at one go - thus trying to get you to come down on pricing. Once you in a while, you give in to them in the form of discounts to retain the jobs as you need to feed your livelihood. Some of these clients stay with you for a long time and the give and take relationship is needed to maintain the business but some will just disappear in search of other photographers. This is part and parcel of business - any business. not just interior architectural photography.
It is a good reminder for that client on what is the difference between a real professional photographer and some one who claims to be one. Having bought the most expensive bodies, and lens does not even make any one a professional - smile you just paid alot to be a equipment owner; you are not even a photographer. Knowing what to do, how to do it, and getting it delivered not matter what is happening at the shoot - are some of the hall marks of a professional. Some people who are not professionals have these attributes not many but some; most do not yet keep insisting they are professional just that they are starting out and have yet to master their craft. To those in the latter group, get it right before calling yourself a professional. It is like calling your self an assassin when you guess that maybe most probably you can complete the job, you think. Or a professional football player who still has some issues dribbling, scoring and generally playing but hey I just starting out so what you complaing about. Please grow up get trained properly before trying to do some thing that your skills are not ready for.
I had the good fortune to view a series of completed ready for delivery archi/interior images shot by a close friend who has expanded his range of work. Inspiring. What is interesting is the client who had commissioned work for before does not need a quote before saying go, they are comfortable with being billed after the shoot- we are talking in terms of a bill of 6~7,000's here not 100's. It shows up the interiors in a way that well as we say in the trade - we make it better than you can on your own (we make your subject look better than real life in a way it could have been naturally).
I had the good fortune to view a series of completed ready for delivery archi/interior images shot by a close friend who has expanded his range of work. Inspiring. What is interesting is the client who had commissioned work for before does not need a quote before saying go, they are comfortable with being billed after the shoot- we are talking in terms of a bill of 6~7,000's here not 100's. It shows up the interiors in a way that well as we say in the trade - we make it better than you can on your own (we make your subject look better than real life in a way it could have been naturally).
Than the above is the fault of the photographer, well at least of a pro photographer.
For such shoots I will want to reccee the location first, I can't just take the client's word for it.
How will the "ambient light coming from all places (like large windows, no blinds, etc)" affect the shadow? since no blinds, what is outside the window (another ugly tower block?)? Areas which do not have window, what is the light/shadow like? How do I control the ambient lights to "show off" the room?
Since the place has been luxuriously designed and decorated, how will the decoration affect the overall image? will too many of the decoration become a distraction? How can I show the lighting effect or highlight the arty deco lights with all the unblock window? Would a night shoot be necessary?
A professional photographer should not just listen to the client but do their own assessment and offer their professional opinion so that the client knows what to expect from the shoot/photographer.
I agreed that everyone needs to start somewhere, but everyone also needs to know where they stand, are they at a position to do a proper job even at the most basic level? Do they know what is required and expected before the shoot, during the shoot and after the shoot?
Last edited:
oracle0711
Senior Member
I agree with you about not to listen everything to what the client say. However, it is a common mistake that many amateurs will make. The journey is about lessons being learned and applying them in future opportunities. As human beings, we behave differently and many would take the attitude of "no venture no gain". What has been described by TS will happen again regardless if they read this thread or not.
Yes it will happen again, and it should happen till clients learn or at least hear enough such stories that they realise that there ia a difference between a cameraman, a photographer and a professional phorographer.
CS can help , by pasting prominently at Market Place , suggest a line like this:-
"CS is a PUBLIC AMATEUR chit chat forum, if you are looking for PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER we urge you to look to other link or from trusted sources easily found via Goggle or Yahoo search engine . The Services offered here are PRIMARILY amateurs who can't guarantee result servicing Corporation due to 99.9% of service providers are either part timer or super newbies.
Be warn, CS is not responsible if you kiss your corporate ladder Good Bye due to your foolish hiring. "
How ? :bsmilie:
"CS is a PUBLIC AMATEUR chit chat forum, if you are looking for PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER we urge you to look to other link or from trusted sources easily found via Goggle or Yahoo search engine . The Services offered here are PRIMARILY amateurs who can't guarantee result servicing Corporation due to 99.9% of service providers are either part timer or super newbies.
Be warn, CS is not responsible if you kiss your corporate ladder Good Bye due to your foolish hiring. "
How ? :bsmilie:
Last edited:
IMHO, it doesn't makes any different.
The hirers specifically come to Clubsnap to hunt for these photographers and they know what they are getting into. They are specifically hoping to land a adequate photographer for cheap, to capitalize on his business inexperience, manipulate his eagerness and gain from his passion. If they are really looking to hire decent pros, they would have gone the normal means.
The whole jump from $400 to $5000 in a way is one big cruel joke upon that amateur guy who failed the job. Just put yourself in his shoes and you can imagine how inadequate and foolish he might had felt when knowing the company actually have $5000 or more to spend and is looking for something way more complex and complicated that what he could deliver.
Last edited:
Similar threads
