----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 12:42
PM
Subject: Re: "Speechless" moments
> I don't understand "For free, and he won't take no for an
answer."
Well, he's just pushing me to meet *his* expectations!
;)
I didn't want to sound angry or anything. In fact, I was thinking of
some movie or cartoon characters that are the subject of abuse and then they
look to the camera like, "was this on the script"?. It is a "bad" situation,
but if I look at it "from the outside" I get a kick out of it.
This
"friend", his son is opening a restaurant and wants a few Duratrans of the
servings. I avoid the guy and I am not an expert food photographer, but
perhaps I can end with some pictures to sell as stock... We'll see.
my take is say yes to everything then price
accordingly..
"Oh yes, I'd LOVE to do some shots for you,
shouldn't cost you more than about $250 a shot give or take a bit, but hey -
what's a few dollars between friends, let's call it $225 per image and I cover
the expenses myself .. !" <beaming grin> when their eyes bug and
they start to back away sputtering, step forward to hold their arm and cast
your eyes about the space in question, frown slightly (suck in your breath for
dramatic effect) "hmmm, I'd go for about 8-12 nice images, but maybe you'll
want them bigger than I imagined, you're the boss - hmmm.. maybe say 10ish to
get started, go up a size to say A x B inches and it'll only be a bit more, I
should imagine around 3 1/2 to 4 grand should do the trick - when
would you like me to get started? it should only take a few
hours.. "
(oh, and insert price based on how big a PITA the
job/person is)
this strategy has two upsides - it conveys an air
of confidence, and it either gets you the job or drives off the
idiots.
If for any reason they start trying to argue you
down, I generally go along the lines of (frown) "well, gee - I can't
really cut the price much more than that, but tell you what, try Fred Bloggs..
he's always willing to try anything and sometimes he can do an OK job - and I
hear he's cheap" .. or "Hmmm, well you can't just use any old media for
this stuff - I'd hate to see you go to someone else and have them do a job
that fades after only like a month, that'd be money down the toilet, no point
spending $2500 rather than $5000 (yes, increase the price in this
exchange) and have nothing to show for it but some faded ugly photos a month
from now - a lot of guys don't really know the good stuff from the bad,
that's why you want a pro rather than just some dumb fellow with an expensive
camera " (laugh loudly and wipe tear from eye .. then laugh loudly
again..)
I've applied it to my own businesses and others
in the past and it's seen a big upturn in $$ coming in and a downturn in the
idiots wasting my time. Of course, it's also seen me doing almost no
commercial photography for ages. People seem happy with any old thing
these days.
And I'm happy with that. I'd rather take
pictures for fun and watch others drive themselves into the ground
undercutting one another. I still get the odd decent job, and I'llbe
happy to return once the dust has settled and people are prepared to pay
properly ;)
my 2c
k
