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Archive 2014 · Clients rejecting major style trends

  
 
LeeSimms
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Clients rejecting major style trends


Ok, so this is weird. In one week, two clients dissing two of the biggest style trends of our industry.

#1 — Bride books at the meeting. She had been stalking my site for awhile. Brought prints to the meeting from her engagement session and said, "this is what I don't want." She shows me a stack of prints that could've been sample images for VSCO. My jaw dropped a bit (playing it cool). You know the look, muted colors and held-back blacks ... the revisionists film look (I shot weddings on film, they didn't look like that). Her words, "it doesn't look real. Look at my eyebrows in this photo. Now, pull away the print and look at my REAL eyebrows ... my eyebrows are BLACK, not Grey"

#2 — Mother of the Bride (bride is 20 minutes late) planning a very high end wedding at a venue that only does about 20 a year. She proceeds to show me exactly what she DOESN'T want from the wedding photos. Pulls out a sample print (my word, second meeting this week with sample prints). The look she doesn't like? Wide open, super shallow DOF ... below ƒ2. Her words, "I have no idea where this photo was taken. We're having this wedding at one of the most beautiful places in Colorado and I want to see the scenery. And what's this blob on the side? Is that a person? I want to see our family also enjoying the wedding, not just blobs in the background." Then the bride shows up. The whole meeting is negoiating how much depth of field to include in the coverage. Bride likes shallow, you know Mom's opinion. I tell the bride I'll rent an 85L and deliver a series of portraits where she will look like she's in Bokehville (I explained the term, since they were in to it). Bride's happy, Mom's happy (she's been stalking me for awhile).

Very different. If I do 100 meetings in a year, nobody ever asks me what camera I use, or how I light. They just want pretty pictures and they look what they see. The price is right, contract signed. I'm wondering how many clients think the same but would never mention it.


Edited on Jul 03, 2014 at 04:30 PM · View previous versions



Jul 03, 2014 at 04:08 PM
mirrorrim
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I always ask potential clients why they chose to contact me/what they like about my photos and a lot of them say they like that I have colorful photos. I guess in my area some clients are getting sick of the desaturated pastels.


Jul 03, 2014 at 04:26 PM
rondphoto
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Clients rejecting major style trends


What's your point? My clients dis mason jars and anything rustic or boho-chic but love the film look because I still shoot film mixed with digital. I personally hate textures in fine art prints and can't stand some of the processing that guys like Jerry Ghionis use because I do t think that looks real.

You as a business person are constantly attracting and detracting a certain clientele....so it should come as no surprise that because you don't process with VSCO or Replichrome you don't get brides that want that.



Jul 03, 2014 at 04:31 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Clients rejecting major style trends


No point at all, but I've never had clients who voiced that they cared about anything (other than not wanting to miss the reception because they spent hours taking photos).

Two in one week. Weird.



Jul 03, 2014 at 04:34 PM
awad
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Clients rejecting major style trends


Meh, I don't get why this is weird. Those clients are coming to you for a reason, if they wanted a muted film look, they wouldn't even be talking to you.


Jul 03, 2014 at 04:39 PM
Mark_L
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Clients rejecting major style trends


Ha ha ha I'd love both #1 and #2 because both those are pet hates of mine, especially #2 - I'm not sure what the fascination is of turning a venue/location clients spent a lot of time and money on into mush.

mirrorrim wrote:
I always ask potential clients why they chose to contact me/what they like about my photos and a lot of them say they like that I have colorful photos. I guess in my area some clients are getting sick of the desaturated pastels.


This is a 'must ask' question for me too. Sometimes the answers are odd (like the guy here who said it was because there were no shoe shots in his portfolio) but almost always revealing.



Jul 03, 2014 at 04:40 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I'm always fighting with myself on when it's appropriate to have shallow vs wide DOF. Sometimes in the moment I get caught up and forget to stop down. Work in progress, which is an odd thing to say after this many years for such a basic thing.

Granted, I don't shoot much telephoto shallow DOF so even my wide shallow DOF shots still have lots of context, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine when someone in the foreground who should be in focus too is just a blurry mess. Doesn't look quite as bad if they're in background, but foreground person blur looks awful.



Jul 03, 2014 at 04:52 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I did feel for the photographer who took the engagement photos — I thought they were well done (if not my shooting style). Anyone of us who've ever shot eSessions with un-booked couples wonder why we don't always book the couple for the eventual wedding.

I think in both cases, those styles were pretty overbaked. The VSCO look was the most extreme type (in the film days, you would've looked for a new lab if your proofs came back like that) and the shallow DOF was SO shallow.

Perhaps one lesson is All Things In Moderation.



Jul 03, 2014 at 05:15 PM
MRomine
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Clients rejecting major style trends


LeeSimms wrote:
Brought prints to the meeting from her engagement session and said, "this is what I don't want."


I've never had a prospect bring prints to a consolation. In a way that is pretty cool. At least she knows what she wants and now you know too.



Jul 03, 2014 at 05:18 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Clients rejecting major style trends


To be honest, I found it all very refreshing. We were talking inside baseball with clients who wanted to know WHY they didn't like this style. This just isn't my norm. Again, my clients (400+ weddings in) are always "wow, nice photos, how much, what do you need to book the date?"


Jul 03, 2014 at 05:21 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I recently had a meeting with one of my clients for the fall--she didn't show me images but told me she didn't like her engagement pictures at first but once the original photographer removed the "filters" she thought they were nice...

Last year I had a potential client go back and forth via email with me quite a bit and even met me in person and loved the emotion and coverage style that I had but couldn't get over the fact that my portraits weren't faded and airy like the images she really liked on pinterest. I told her I can give her backlit sun photos if the sun is out but I can't guarantee it won't be cloudy on her wedding day... she ended up not booking me haha.



Jul 03, 2014 at 05:35 PM
amonline
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I don't see the big deal here. This is somewhat common. Many clients will show or tell photographers what they don't want.

Can't comment on the "unwanted" images, but one word comes to mind: Educate

Sometimes, clients do not understand why DOF is used. Other times, they are viewing bad examples where a photographer isn't good at DOF usage. Take the time to educate them on when you use it, and why. Show examples.

As for the "filter" look, that's completely their prerogative. If this describes you, then this is called "disqualification". From what I can tell, this isn't you, so no need to worry.



Jul 03, 2014 at 05:59 PM
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Clients rejecting major style trends


always annoying when people start with a negative. sounds like they just wanted someone to "professionally" validate their sense of aesthetics.


Jul 03, 2014 at 06:04 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Clients rejecting major style trends


This is somewhat common

Not for me. Nobody ever mentions this stuff. Nobody asks what camera I use.

I'm like the chef who's clients don't care what knife I cut with, they just know they like it. No style questions, ever.



Jul 03, 2014 at 06:08 PM
amonline
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Clients rejecting major style trends


Do you ask people why they chose you?


Jul 03, 2014 at 06:23 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Clients rejecting major style trends


Straight up ask them? No. In a one-hour consultation they point to photos they like and why or content they like (I want a lot of shots of things, or we don't want to spend a lot of time of posed photos) but I never ask why they choose me.


Jul 03, 2014 at 07:35 PM
amonline
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I ALWAYS ask clients how they found me, and why they chose me. It's the FIRST qualifying question I ask.


Jul 03, 2014 at 09:03 PM
jamesmorophoto
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Clients rejecting major style trends


I think the problem was that you weren't her first choice, and she was upset (at herself) that she wasn't a good judge of the first photographer. It was probably just veiled aggression/self-loathing.

I'm going to guess it's rare that someone comes to you after already having hired someone for their e-session?



Jul 03, 2014 at 09:03 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Clients rejecting major style trends


This thread is a fantastic argument for finding a niche... The VSCO look is absolutely everywhere these days. What used to be a quirky look is quickly becoming nothing more than a commodity.


Jul 03, 2014 at 09:35 PM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Clients rejecting major style trends


LeeSimms wrote:
No point at all, but I've never had clients who voiced that they cared about anything


Did you want to re-phrase that? I'm sure your clients express what they care about? (other than that reception timing thing you mention)

p.s. Thanks for sharing the story with us too :o)

jamesmorophoto wrote:
always annoying when people start with a negative.


I don't find it annoying myself. It's usually a great opportunity.



Jul 04, 2014 at 05:49 AM
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