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07/11/2009 09:00:34 AM · #1 |
So, I want to start off by saying that I figured out a solution for this, but I wanted to hear what everybody else would have done.
My particular scenario involves AKC dog photography and breed integrity, but there's gotta be other examples where the same problem comes up.
Basic rundown: The photos were to be used for a website and publications which basically were trying to brag about the bloodline's integrity and how awesome they were for the breed. Of the shots that I took, some were better photographically speaking and some were better in terms of the stack for the dog, because it accentuated various aspects of the breed more effectively.
Now, I have a sneaking suspicion that there have been other photographers that aren't super experts on the nature of their subjects.
How would you go about compromising between keeping your own integrity intact as a photographer (selecting the best shots photographically to present to the customer, hoping they also met their needs) and letting the customer select before you cull to choose what they desire?
Both parties are coming from opposite approaches, so who gives?
Ideally, you get perfect shots from both sides of things, but I had one very cantankerous dog that just wasn't pleased with any of the proceedings and I couldn't get photos that were both up to my snuff and nicely stacked.
What would you do? |
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07/11/2009 09:37:03 AM · #2 |
| I used to take photos of my former girlfriends horses both while she was riding and while they were in the paddock. I would take 100 to 150 photos at a pop and she would review them. What she was looking for and what I thought were great photos was completely different. I found, at least with equestrian people, is that you shoot what they want. Your eye isn't drawn to the same aspects of the image that theirs is. That's my take anyway. |
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07/11/2009 09:48:31 AM · #3 |
Originally posted by FF112173:
I used to take photos of my former girlfriends horses both while she was riding and while they were in the paddock. I would take 100 to 150 photos at a pop and she would review them. What she was looking for and what I thought were great photos was completely different. I found, at least with equestrian people, is that you shoot what they want. Your eye isn't drawn to the same aspects of the image that theirs is. That's my take anyway. |
That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about, but how do you compromise the two? You don't want your work to look crappy but you need to please them too. |
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07/11/2009 09:53:59 AM · #4 |
The customer is always right. :-)
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07/11/2009 10:11:24 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
The customer is always right. :-) |
Ditto |
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07/11/2009 10:43:35 AM · #6 |
| You want your customer to be happy. If they pay for shots and don't get what they want, you're not going to get a very good reputation. If you're not happy with the shots, just don't add them to your portfolio of work that you show people. Just because you have pictures out there that are not up to your standard, doesn't mean that people are going to see them and say "oooh, that's fred's work--it really sucks!" Most people don't bother looking to see who the photographer is. It just going to bug you--it probably won't make any difference to your business. |
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07/11/2009 10:50:55 AM · #7 |
This doesn't just happen with animals. :)
Brides, children, families, sports, all of it experiences this.
*Most* of the time, what I really like and think is a good picture, is NOT what the customer orders. There are exceptions, of course, but generally, the public at large looks at pictures totally different than a photographer does. |
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07/11/2009 10:57:01 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by karmat:
This doesn't just happen with animals. :)
Brides, children, families, sports, all of it experiences this.
*Most* of the time, what I really like and think is a good picture, is NOT what the customer orders. There are exceptions, of course, but generally, the public at large looks at pictures totally different than a photographer does. |
So true--photographers look at the lighting, the composition, the overall feel--people think "I can't believe they photographed me from the side with the big mole! I forgot to pluck the hair from it!" |
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07/11/2009 04:02:04 PM · #9 |
| one way to avoid this is to find out what they are looking for before you shoot it. show them examples that represent the range of what you're likely to shoot and see what they are drawn to. when you're shooting, focus on making sure you nail what the client wants, then, if you have time, shoot some for yourself. (and, if you're lucky, the client will want what you want, but that's not usually going to be the case.) |
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