I don't mean to steal your thread. But since we're in this mode and talking money paid vs. cancellations.
Question/asking for suggestion. I'd like to specialize in weddings, primarily. However, here and there, as a cash flow, we do take more or less family sessions, head-shots, small things, etc. So, we don't meet with them before the session, we don't sign anything, we don't get retainer to book the date. Given that this is 1-2 hrs per day sessions (I'm part time and mostly I shoot on weekends or evenings) if canceled, how do you protect from this situations? No way without a contract and prepaid system of payments? Thanks to all!
CMB Photo wrote:
I don't mean to steal your thread. But since we're in this mode and talking money paid vs. cancellations.
Question/asking for suggestion. I'd like to specialize in weddings, primarily. However, here and there, as a cash flow, we do take more or less family sessions, head-shots, small things, etc. So, we don't meet with them before the session, we don't sign anything, we don't get retainer to book the date. Given that this is 1-2 hrs per day sessions (I'm part time and mostly I shoot on weekends or evenings) if canceled, how do you protect from this situations? No way without a contract and prepaid system of payments? Thanks to all!
for all of our portrait work we have a similar contract. We email it off the the client. They pay the fee for the service and send the contract back. They dont show, thats not my problem. They are out of the money. Now its not as much as a wedding. But $500 is still a lot of money and 99% of the time, the client will show.
paparazzinick wrote:
for all of our portrait work we have a similar contract. We email it off the the client. They pay the fee for the service and send the contract back. They dont show, thats not my problem. They are out of the money. Now its not as much as a wedding. But $500 is still a lot of money and 99% of the time, the client will show.
Nick, I'd be curious to read your contract if you'd care to share. I was wondering how you would have handled it if she had told you before the 30 day mark.
amonline wrote:
Nick, I'd be curious to read your contract if you'd care to share. I was wondering how you would have handled it if she had told you before the 30 day mark.
If she would have cancelled atthe 30 day mark the only ting she would have owed was the retainer, obviously paid and the 6 month payment which is 50% of the final balance. She would not have been required to make the 30 day payment. The 6 month would be refunded if I could book a gig for her date. Since I have added more than just weddings to my business in the past few years. Any gig would have got her a refund except for a mini session. Most gigs other than weddings, pay $1k-2K weddings pay more obviously. So if I would have booked a shoot for say $1k, The bride would have got her 6 month payment back.
I had one bride last year that cancelled 45 days out. She just made her 6 month payment and asked if she could get it back. I said no due to contract blah blah. but said if I could book her date for another job, then I would gladly refund her money. She actually posted all over her facebook, twitter and craigslist and found me 3 photo shoots. Not on her date but she freaking worked her ass off and got me 3 shoots that made me about $1k more than I would have on her wedding. I refunded her 6 month payment asap and said her retainer that was non refundable is now good for credit if she wanted to use it. I just shot her kids 2 year photos and and doing a session of her and her daughter for mothers day this year.
paparazzinick wrote:
I had one bride last year that cancelled 45 days out. She just made her 6 month payment and asked if she could get it back. I said no due to contract blah blah. but said if I could book her date for another job, then I would gladly refund her money. She actually posted all over her facebook, twitter and craigslist and found me 3 photo shoots. Not on her date but she freaking worked her ass off and got me 3 shoots that made me about $1k more than I would have on her wedding. I refunded her 6 month payment asap and said her retainer that was non refundable is now good for credit if she wanted to use it. I just shot her kids 2 year photos and and doing a session of her and her daughter for mothers day this year.
I woke up Saturday morning with a pain on my right side. I thought it was gas or whatever from the night before. My father in law and I went out for some Friday night beers and bar food. Fried fish, nachos with hot as hell peppers and just tons of beer. HAHA
So as the day went on, the pain was getting stronger. Then would go away. So I still thought it was nothing really. I did a personal project with my 3 year old. I told him I wanted a photo shoot with his sister (3 week old) and he was going to be the director. After 30 minutes of explaining to him what the hell a director did, he agreed and said lets go buy props. HAHA
Took him to toys r us, bed bath and beyond and then to get lunch to talk about what he wanted to do. For a 3 year old, he gets it better than some AD's I have worked with. He even kept under his $50 budget.
So we get home, he starts demanding mommy around, like he actually understood he was supposed to do that. We did the shoot and made it 30 minutes in when I just couldn't do anymore. I had the worst pains. But when I showed him the photos on the camera, he said good job it was complete. I had to agree, his vision was met from what he told me at lunch. Iwill post pics tomorrow when I get home from the hospital.
My goal for the personal project was to let someone else direct my shoot. I picked the subject, they picked props and end results. I wanted to make it a step harder. Have my 3 year old direct how it goes and then see if I captured his vision. You all know damn well that a 3 year old is brutally honest and will tell you if it sucks or not. Well 3 of the 10 I showed him did not make the cut. I thought those 3 were killer too. HAHAH
But back to my point of this post. So you all know I was supposed to be shooting this wedding then it was cancelled. Around 6pm, when I couldn't continue the shoot with my kids any longer, I was doubled over in pain. Just at the time the reception would have started. I went to try and rest and see if maybe it was just from the night before. Around 8pm, I couldnt move and my father in law rushed me to the ER.
After being in the ER for 2 hours I went to the restroom and passed what looked like a giant picture of a germ. Like you see in cartoons. I got the DR and he said, that is what he thought. Kidney stones. But he has never seen someone pass one that large that fast. If you have an iPhone, it was almost as big as the cutout for the earpiece on the front of the phone. It was almost instantly I felt better. SO they did the normal scans and found a few more stones, not as large, but there are a few more. They said I will pass them in a few days or so and shouldnt be in pain like this time.
So in the end, I feel really bad the bride did not get married. But in a way I think this was gods way of saving me from having to be rushed out of a wedding and possibly ruining part of a brides day. I am kind of glad the wedding was cancelled now that this happened. But I still feel bad for the bride that she ended up canceling the wedding.
Moral of the story. Everything happens for a reason. Also take this as a reminder to had backups, even if you feel healthy. Shit can hit the fan in the matter of minutes.
Don't beleive the story about passing them in a few days. Unless they are already out of the kidney they could take up to 10 years before they bother you again. Usually anything over 5mm will not pass on it's own. This is one of my greatest fears that I will be in the middle of a wedding and have an attack.
