Finding Balance in Your Client Relationship
Question: I know you have to be talented, but personality is extremely important as well. What is the balance between being cool and still having your standards, whether you’re meeting with a potential client or working on set?
Question: I know you have to be talented, but personality is extremely important as well. What is the balance between being cool and still having your standards, whether you’re meeting with a potential client or working on set?
Personality is important no matter your career, but as a photographer it can be the difference between success and failure. It is important to remember we are in the people business. Yes, our clients purchase our time, our expertise and our work, but it’s our ability to engage the client that makes for a successful relationship.
I believe the most important advice about "being cool" when meeting potential clients is to be yourself, be genuine and look for opportunities to relate on a real and honest level. Most clients are looking for a solution to a problem and your work is your solution, but your personality and passion is what will help them pick you over another photographer with equal or even greater skill.
Relationship Coach
The stereotype of a talented but egotistical prima donna might work in the movies, but I doubt many of those have survived in this industry. We all want to enjoy our work and enjoy working with others who make our job easier. Our clients have it harder than ever, with small budgets and large workloads, so we can provide a valuable service by helping them enjoy the experience of working with us. It’s definitely an advantage.
The best client relationships are when you’re both working towards to the same goal. When I put myself in their shoes, I do everything I can to help provide a solution to their problem. This means focusing on them and putting my ego aside.
On set, this can be a balancing act, because as a photographer or director you need to be in charge. People are looking to you to make the shoot go smoothly and to get the required images. Yes, you need to have your standards, but this doesn't mean being difficult to work with. Bring your passion and standards to the set, but also bring your personality and humor. You can set the tone of the entire shoot by keeping cool and calm and focusing on solving problems – not on creative differences or battles of will.
Pick Your Battles
Focusing on your clients doesn’t mean giving up and rolling over. We have all had differences of opinions with our clients; finding creative ways to explain your views is part of our job. Ultimately, the client has the final say, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to express an opinion. And of course, you always have the option of walking away, if you honestly feel the work would damage your career.
When deciding on your "standards," be sure what you’re calling “standards” are not actually code for “ego.” I can't tell you how many times I’ve provided a client with a set of selects only for them to pick my least-favorite image. Does this mean my standards are higher than theirs? No. Just different.
As a photographer or illustrator, when we take on a new client, most of us are looking for a great company, a terrific concept to convey and wonderful people to work with. Our clients are no different. Ideally, they would like hire someone with creativity, talent, passion and an easygoing manner. A great personality, a pleasant manner and a little fun can make their job easier – and put you ahead of someone with a fantastic portfolio and all the charisma of dry toast.
A Life Documented in Polariods
What started as a personal project, quickly became an obsession for New York photographer Jamie Livingston (above), who managed to take a Polaroid picture every day for 18 years.
His last, 6,000 shots later, on October 25, 1997 - his birthday was of Livingston on his deathbed, dying from cancer.
Blog with details on John Livingston's life and photography.
Glen Wexler: Dropped on his Head as a Youth ?
There are so many fantastic photographers in our industry and because of the many different types of photography we are treated to a wide variety of work. Art is certainly subjective and an emotional trigger for me may not do the same for someone else. As artist we certainly bring a life time of experiences to our work and often the result is more of a reflection of ourselves than the world around us. Based on this premise it is my speculation that photographer Glen Wexler was dropped on his head as a youth. But regardless of the reason for Glen's warped sense of humor, the world of photography a is better place. Glen Wexler's humorist view of the world strikes a cord with me and my own sense of humor. I am not sure what that says about me but I will leave the 1970 psychobabble, self examination for another blog post.
In 2007 Glen introduced a series of photographs and a book entitled The Secret Lives of Cows. The series started as an ad campaign (ad agency The Richards Group) for Chick-Fil-A depicting cows as superheroes and secret agents attempting to defend their species from human consumption. To me Glen's work brings out one of the the best lessons about humans and that is to look in the mirror and laugh at ourselves. His view of the world is uplifting and comical and simply entertaining. And in my opinion we need more Glens in the world to remind us art should also include humor and frivolity. I have heard others say that the of art is it generate a reactions, to create an emotion. Laughter is as much an emotion as sorrow and yet it doesn't appear to be celebrated with the same weight in our art.
Now don't get me wrong, the world is also a very serious place and there are things that humans are doing to other human beings that need to be reflected in our photography. But, no one can live on a steady diet of the same visual food group over and over. Unfortunately we are fed a constant source of "If it bleeds it leads" and shock in the form of news coverage and even in our art. So often the work that gets the most attention and awards is the worse of human nature not the best we have to offer.
Maybe it's because I am just a dumb photographer not an art critic (what ever that is), but to me Glen Wexler is a genius. His humor and view of the world is inspiring and reminds me to approach my work with the same sense of fun and laughter. Photography is not brain surgery and while I take my work seriously, taking myself seriously is something I am not sure I will ever achieve.
So when you are dreaming up your next personal project to shoot how about trying to lift up the heart and spirit of your viewers with humor. Laughter is certainly part of our DNA and you never know how your ability to put a smile on someones face through your art will have an effect on your fellow cow human.