Terrible Experience!
Feb 13, 2015 06:12:15 #
My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.
Feb 13, 2015 06:21:35 #
I think I would have been tempted to say that's not what they contracted for and you weren't setup to do food shots. We'll see what some of the other Hogs have to say.
Feb 13, 2015 06:24:06 #
Gee, what a great opportunity to get your feet wet into something new for you. Might have been just the thing.
Feb 13, 2015 06:30:40 #
Tracy B. wrote:
My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.
I enjoy taking pictures of anything that doesn't move and I have time to set the camera for the perfect shot. Use a tripod and shoot away.
Feb 13, 2015 06:35:08 #
I agree with what Nick had to say, minimum would be not set up for it. Just curious, how did the shoot turn out?
Feb 13, 2015 06:45:24 #
JoeB wrote:
I agree with what Nick had to say, minimum would be not set up for it. Just curious, how did the shoot turn out?
Well, I'm so critical of my own work. But, my Husband said they were fine. Luckily he is an expert in Photoshop. I did first edits then he just tweaked them. I give her the CD today. I think I could have done better had I known earlier what I was supposed to be photographing.
Feb 13, 2015 06:48:04 #
firtree wrote:
Gee, what a great opportunity to get your feet wet into something new for you. Might have been just the thing.
This is something I'm not interested in. I would never see it as an opportunity, but as a chore. I only want to shoot what interests me.
Feb 13, 2015 06:55:06 #
Tracy B. wrote:
My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.
You wrote a photography contract, what does it say. Nobody would ever shoot anything without a contract, so you only have to read yours!
Now having said that, I hope you learned a lesson if you didn't have a contract. We all do whatever we can to make out clients happy. In this case I might have said something like "This type of job requires different kind of lighting than I have" I'll do my best with my equipment, or I can rent the proper lights. But the cost is going to go up to cover those rentals"
If all else fails you have a non-refundable deposit you keep for closing your schedule on that day. But be nice.
This is why I laugh when people tell me they don't need a contract, not talking about Tracy B. now, but everybody who does business with no contract will get bitten some time.
Feb 13, 2015 07:04:27 #
I did have a contract, however it wasn't specific enough. I have learned my lesson. This experience sucked the fun out of it for me. I believe I'll just stick to photography as a hobby. That is at least fun for me anyway.
Capture48 wrote:
You wrote a photography contract, what does it say... (show quote)
Feb 13, 2015 07:22:02 #
Tracy B. wrote:
I did have a contract, however it wasn't specific enough. I have learned my lesson. This experience sucked the fun out of it for me. I believe I'll just stick to photography as a hobby. That is at least fun for me anyway.
It does not have to suck the fun out of it. But if you are going to get paid and do business, you need to know how to run a business. This is a mistake very common, and contracts don't have to be very large documents drawn up by lawyers. You can simply write it out in layman language in an email and send to client, all they have to do is acknowledge it, get your deposit to remove that day from the calendar. I get 1/3 up front as a non-refundable schedule reservation. I have done many jobs with only 2 or 3 emails back and forth with clients. But those emails spell out exactly what I was shooting.
Feb 13, 2015 07:29:58 #
That's great advice. I would follow it if I were ever to do a paid photo shoot again. I can't see that happening though.
Capture48 wrote:
It does not have to suck the fun out of it. But i... (show quote)
Feb 13, 2015 07:38:47 #
Feb 13, 2015 07:41:35 #
Tracy B. wrote:
That's great advice. I would follow it if I were ever to do a paid photo shoot again. I can't see that happening though.
Your experience was unfortunate and needs to be in your "lessons learned" folder. While you have been soured by the experience, it was valuable in many ways. And, it sounds like you were able to complete the job and deliver the final product, as expected. I think that defines success!
So, while you didn't like the task and don't ever want to do that again, you were successful. And, you did learn something, even if it was confirmation that you hate food-shots. :thumbup:
Feb 13, 2015 07:47:02 #
What a great way to look at it. Your right I did finish. Thanks for that, I feel better....but I hate food. (Lol)
Gitchigumi wrote:
Your experience was unfortunate and needs to be in your "lessons learned" folder. While you have been soured by the experience, it was valuable in many ways. And, it sounds like you were able to complete the job and deliver the final product, as expected. I think that defines success!
So, while you didn't like the task and don't ever want to do that again, you were successful. And, you did learn something, even if it was confirmation that you hate food-shots. :thumbup:
So, while you didn't like the task and don't ever want to do that again, you were successful. And, you did learn something, even if it was confirmation that you hate food-shots. :thumbup:
Feb 13, 2015 07:57:28 #
Tracy B. wrote:
What a great way to look at it. Your right I did finish. Thanks for that, I feel better....but I hate food. (Lol)
I doubt many photographers have entered this business that have not made many of these same mistakes. I myself made quite a few of the standard ones like this. Shooting for friends, shooting without getting money up front, shooting with no contract. All these mistakes I have made, and thats why I can suggest you don't do it again.
As long as you learn from the experience, and not just the business stuff, but the photography stuff as well it will have been worth it.
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