Apologies if this isn’t allowed, it’s more of a rant. Just wondering how everyone deals with the whole family asking for free photos thing.
For context, I’m a professional fashion/commercial photographer so family portraits aren’t going to help my portfolio or anything. My schedule is incredibly busy year round, even more so during the holidays, and I’m also a mother of two young kids. So if I’m not in parent mode, I’m working- often until midnight, and then I’m awake around 5:30 with the kids. I know it sounds like I’m complaining and… well, I kind of am, but want to give an accurate picture of how little time I have available to be doing free photos.
So every year, my in-laws want a family session. Not just a quick snap but like a full session. And every year I do it because they’re my in-laws and I don’t want them to think badly of me. The one time I hinted at being annoyed at this yearly request they were flabbergasted, saying “I thought you liked photography? It doesn’t take much time, does it?” This year I feel like I might snap. I’ve been racing to meet deadlines for huge clients that I’ve worked hard to get and I keep getting sidetracked with all of these family shoots (it is also happening with friends, other relatives). It’s not just the shoot- it’s deciding a location, responding to lengthy texts about what to wear, doing the editing- you guys know. It’s never “just a few pics”.
How can I deal with this?! Do I need to just suck it up and be a nicer person? I’m just burnt out af. Help.
Tell them that you will be happy to do it, but only shoot macro now. After a single round of dead skin photos, they won't ask again. (For bonus points, alter the white balance to generate a true cadaver-like quality. If they complain, give wildly enthusiastic speeches about how this is true art, and how you are going to enter their nausea inducing images in various national and international photography contests. Tell them that you hope they will model again next year, since you have committed to a new series on bodily fluids. Relentless and unreasoning positivity combined with toxic performance is a truly unbeatable recipe for aggravating your target while leaving them no avenue for complaint. It's awesome, provided that one is willing to appear somewhat unhinged.)