Re: Down off my "high-horse"... with a thump.

[Doug Brewer]

Tanya,

You know, I've stayed out of all of your threads, since I figured if you 
didn't catch on to the idea of charging a proper amount for your work a 
couple of years ago, you weren't going to catch on. But for some reason I 
feel compelled to give you a little wake-up call.

Please understand that I am saying this because I feel you have potential; 
I don't feel you are a great photographer yet, but I see some real talent. 
Mostly right now I see you rehashing other people's ideas, but you do show 
an occasional flash of your own that I would like to see you pursue. If I 
didn't think you could do it, I wouldn't bother.

Now, to get to it; Why do you want to be a photographer? Do you feel you 
have something to say with your camera? Do you feel you can contribute to 
someone else's wedding/becoming a parent/whatever by delivering quality 
photos in a professional manner?

Or..

Do you want your mother to approve of you? Do you want people to really 
like you because they really like your photos?

If you're in it for your ego, get out. Go back to raising your kids and 
find another hobby.

If you want to be a professional photographer, then get serious about it. 
You obviously have support at home and a caring network to enable you to 
get time away from the family to get to your gigs. Take advantage of that, 
sit up straight and grow a thicker skin.

Everybody loses clients. There are ways to lose clients that you haven't 
heard of yet. If you want to be in business, you accept this and keep 
looking for more clients to serve.

It's a business, and it demands to be treated like one. You have been given 
tremendous pricing advice, many times. Listen to it, set your prices at an 
acceptable level, and go about your business. There are enough people out 
there who will pay for quality that you don't need to worry about the 
nickel-and-dimers in the world.

Let's look at your three situations:

A.) The first wedding client. They decided you're too expensive. Monte 
Zucker is too expensive. You're not. But if they think you are, so what? 
You still have to make a profit, if you want to be in business. You don't 
want clients who don't want you to make a profit.  Think about this: At the 
old rate, you would have lost money, so now you're ahead by not being 
forced to lose that money.

B.) The clothing magnate. Does she adjust the cost of her clothes for each 
buyer? No, she doesn't. If she wants cut-rate vendors, then she is going to 
get cut-rate work and her business will suffer. If she's serious about 
advertising her wares, she better get serious about what it costs.

C.) The Wedding Negotiator. This package costs X dollars. This one costs Y 
dollars. This one costs Z dollars. What each offers is this: yadda yadda. 
Set a price list and stick to it (with some obvious exceptions; we've all 
done work at cost or less for friends, family and other charity cases. My 
brother-in--law and sister, a pretty expensive pair, shot my wedding gratis 
as a gift.) If the guy wants you to shoot the wedding, he pays your prices. 
Negotiating makes you look desperate and leaves an opening for them to kill 
you on reorders.

Last time you were on the PDML, I told you that establishing yourself as a 
cheap photographer would make it hard for you to raise your prices later. 
Do you believe me now?

I trust you will take this in the spirit intended,

Doug