I am a semi pro photographer still with a lot to learn. I had a photoshoot recently where it all seemed to go wrong and I don’t know how to address it with the client.
This is a client I have worked for a lot in the past and they’re always happy with my work and rehire me for all their event photography.
They reached out saying they needed a lifestyle / headshot type shoot in their restaurant. This was split into two parts, one with a child and a food product and 5 different types of shots to get the 4 different type of shots with multiple food products. They gave me 1 hr to do the whole shoot.
I arrived an hour early to set up but client turned up 20 mins late. Then the restaurant didn’t have the correct food products for the shoot. There was no representative from head office just the two staff members to be in the shoot (not models)
We spent half an hour alone trying to sort the food products out and then I finally began shooting. 1st staff member was a reluctant model and it too a while to get her to relax by which time food product had melted and needed to be remade.
By the end, I was on site for two and a half hours, even though I was only being paid for 1 hour.
I’m not even happy to provide the client with the shots because they’re not good enough. (Client with eyes closed, blurred or product out of focus)
Currently, I’m thinking of sending the client what few shots I do have and explaining the issues but I don’t want to make it should like excuses for my lack of experience.
Do I write the whole shoot off and use it as a learning experience? I have definitely learned not to let the client dictate the time of a shoot.
Might be the perfectionist in me, but I honestly don't understand how you can go professional, take on clients who pay for your work, when your product shots are blurry & out of focus. In my eyes, that's a lack of skill, not a lack of time.
I'm guessing you're not being paid much. (And undercutting the work of skilled, trained professionals.) In that case, I would say the client got what he paid for.
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, it's nothing personal. Please do correct me if I'm wrong.
I think I was being a little self deprecating and having a moment of ‘imposter syndrome’. Not all of the shots are out of focus or blurry and I definitely have usable shots that I can provide to the client. But the ratio of out of focus to in focus is higher than I normally get on a shoot and I think this was down to all the other variables of having to sort the food and a time pressure. I have done many paid shoots to date with return clients so I don’t think I’m undercutting anyone however I think I undervalue myself and this is something else I need to work on.