clients Archives - Sleeklens - Tools and Training for Photographers

There are many articles that provide models with tips on how to pose, feel comfortable in front of the camera, and enjoy themselves during a photoshoot. Though these resources will teach you how to make your clients feel good in your presence, they won’t highlight the importance of your own comfortability. It’s easy to forget your own needs during a shoot and end up feeling exhausted once a session is over. You don’t deserve to feel this way.

It’s possible to meet your clients’ needs and stay balanced at the same time. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and a few handy tools!

Have Pre-Photoshoot Rituals

A lot of people love routines because of their consistency and reliability. Without them, life can get pretty hectic. Even if you’re not a fan of scheduling, you can still prepare things for yourself and avoid the disasters that ambiguity likes to create. Here are a few self-care tips:

Rely on to-do lists.
Like any meeting, a shoot isn’t fun if it involves forgetting, rushing, and worrying. You can avoid this once and for all by preparing your equipment, outfit, and any other essentials a few days before you meet with your client. As soon as you schedule a meeting, make a to-do list filled with things you should pack. This will help you immensely on the day of the shoot.
Eat well before you go out.
A healthy meal will give you energy, lift your spirits, and keep you motivated throughout your session. Make sure you don’t eat too much and that your meal is truly healthy. Your mind and body will thank you later.
Bring a few snacks with you.
Boosts of energy are always a plus, and you can offer them to your clients if they get hungry.
Spend quality time with yourself.
Taking care of your own needs now will help you satisfy your clients’ wishes later. To avoid feeling neglected, take some time – even an hour – to properly relax. Take a bath, read a book that makes you feel warm, call a friend, or simply take a nap.

Be Mindful

“Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn

Client photoshoots are an opportunity to connect with other people and be mindful. Being present will give you peace, inspiration, and openness. The way you move, think, and talk during a shoot will affect your clients’ behavior; the calmer you are, the easier it will be for them to be themselves in front of your camera. Compare this to a frantic photo session that’s filled with awkwardness, silence, and a lack of creativity. In a situation like that, both you and your model will feel highly uncomfortable.

If you want to be mindful, use all of your senses. Listen carefully and observe everything around you, not just what’s in front of you. This will enhance your creativity, give you more opportunities to take spectacular photos, and help you be peacefully present.

Invest in Comfortable Camera Accessories

Equipment that is rough

, bulky, or heavy will add to your discomfort and give you unnecessary problems to worry about. Fortunately, many companies are creating more and more products that are both beautiful and comfortable. There are a plethora of accessories that will look incredible on you and make your professional life easier to manage. A few of these things are:

Soft camera straps that won’t hurt your neck
Lens cap keepers that will keep your lens cap within reach at all times
A memory card case to store all of your precious photos in one physical space
A camera bag that won’t break your back!

Prepare Something You Can Look Forward To

The last thing you want is to rush back home, eat something unhealthy, and edit your photos in a stuffy room. Knowing that you have a clean living space waiting for you is not only refreshing but motivating. Before you go out, make sure your workspace is tidy. Plan something that your future self can look forward to a movie night with friends, a visit to the park, or a day off that you’ve been postponing for too long.

By taking care of yourself, you’ll find all the energy and inspiration you need to have a successful and comfortable shoot. Remember to cultivate mindfulness, practice self-care, and invest in helpful camera accessories. These improvements will enhance your creative experiences and make you a happier photographer. That is what you deserve.

SaveSave

Smile

Yes, that’s right. The first thing you should do is smile. Whether it’s in person or on the phone, start on a positive note and don’t get emotional. Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain. This will only make the situation worse. This alone is likely to make them like you, and consider the situation handled without even knowing why. If they feel positive about you, they’re less likely to be difficult.

Show that you care

Listen to what they say, repeat it back to them, offer a solution, and then ask them how their son’s graduation was. Becoming genuinely interested in people and talking in terms of their interests is important with any client, difficult or not. Showing that you’re listening to them is crucial here, even if you disagree. Proving your points about how wrong they are will not get you anywhere good. Tell them that their issues will be taken care of and take care of them. After doing this, encourage them to talk about another subject like something personal you know they care about. Their kids, an article they posted on Facebook, or simply ask them how everything else is going. This is likely to clear the air and leave them feeling happy.

Don’t over-communicate with clients

Difficult clients are known to be creatures that harass you all day long with their requests. Consider that if you engage in this, you are using valuable time (typically unpaid) that you could instead allocate towards finishing the job or working on something else. Selectively ignoring your clients can be useful here. If your client tends to write you lengthy emails about what they want, do not reply to them with the same level of detail. If you understand what needs to be fixed, replying with “will do” is enough. I very often write emails using only the subject line. Putting “Updated images are in Dropbox” in the subject line and clicking send will take a few seconds, instead of writing a novel about your thoughts. If they interrupt you with many emails throughout the day, consider waiting until the end of the day to go over and reply to all of them at once. If they like to get on the phone and play personal therapy session for an hour, let them leave a message and let them know you have received their notes.

Finish the job

Don’t get immersed in the drama of it all. If you get frustrated, focus on finishing the job. Even if there are many disagreements, consider that it could be best to put money and creative differences aside, and just do what they ask. You can always introduce new terms for the next job you do for them. Doing this will show that you provide excellent customer service, something that may be seen as more valuable than getting an extra dollar or providing your best creative work.

When to fire clients: The 80/20 rule

If things get really frustrating, it’s important to consider whether you want to work with your client again. In the Four Hour Workweek, Tim Ferris explains that in any trade, 20% of the work equals 80% of the income. This means that 80% of what your time could be spent on things that are not efficient or effective for you and your business. Instead, it is better to focus on the 20% that you know brings you income. If this client is taking up a lot of emotional space and time, maybe they are not in your 20%. Consider saying goodbye and instead of generating new leads and focusing on jobs from other clients who are a better fit for you.

Tag: clients

How to Stay Comfortable During Client Photoshoots

Have Pre-Photoshoot Rituals

Be Mindful

Invest in Comfortable Camera Accessories

Prepare Something You Can Look Forward To

How to Deal with Difficult Clients – Photographer’s Edition

Smile

Show that you care

Don’t over-communicate with clients

Finish the job

When to fire clients: The 80/20 rule