Your Customer Doesn't Just Buy a Print.............
What a Client Really Wants
A customer who buys your prints, don't just buy the pictures. They buy into the way you do your prints. And they way we shoot is to listen to the client. When I produce an image, be it a portrait shoot, a Hospital's need for a print, a University or a Corporate entity, I have to think about the reason they want to use the prints. A corporate client may want explosive splash, a University may want to explore a social aspect, a parent may want the lasting beauty of their Daughter, and so on.A baby shoot for a GrandParent vs a young couple can be quite an array of differing expectations. One couple recently told me "We want our baby's pictures for GrandPa and GrandMa's special photo wall. I want them to be able to show them off to their visiting friends and family." So the result was to produce photos which were rather a soft, cute, sweet smiling little face that we all love to look at, yet with an angle from a Grand Parenting perspective. That meant doing the shoot at the grand parent's home, or it could have meant shooting anywhere the grand parents thought of as their favorite location. One has to be able to read into a clients request a sense, a feeling, so the outcome truly grabs them. So you produce something really special. Either that or you'll end up with a shoot that resembles the rather low quality shooting booths set up at malls, with the photographers rattling a baby toy up against a pink or blue background. You'll stand out from the generic by listening to what the client asks for and delivering something they will refer your skills to a friend or family member for the next shoot.
Fit the Client's Need
Recently I did a shoot, and this couple's request went more like this, "We have decided we want a real artsy look to her photos." So this one went quite different. I used lighting so that it came in from the side window and indirect bottoms-up lighting, then a strobe bounced off the arched ceiling, for a real strong effect. They loved them. But even with this direction I wanted more than just artsy. And it worked wonderfully. In this case I took the grand Parents and their Grand Child to a nearby lake for a golden sunset series they could choose from. And they loved the ones they sat holding their baby Grad Child while she was sleeping, with the hue from the sunset landing directly on their faces. I can't show them here as requested.Or as I prepared an image recently for a hospital art buyer, it was clear that the print had to show a very soft, gentle, healing style, as did the subject of the print itself.
Take an Extra Step Toward Stunning
I think what I've tried to strive for whether I'm doing a shoot or creating an image for my own satisfaction, is to go a step beyond whenever possible. Taking the extra time to add lighting, a reflective bounce from a silver or white or gold panels, or special backgrounds you can think of around your area which offer something that can't be achieved in a studio. Think on-location spots to fit the need. You can always pull it back a degree if needed. But in reaching further, you will have shown your client that your intent was not to merely get another job done, but to reach for the stars. That effort will not be forgotten.Scout Your Area
You'll find locations that can work on many different shoots, from water locations to historic buildings and gorgeous overlooks and trails, bridges, parks, brightly lit city areas, airport landing and take-off backdrops, rocky outcrops, lighthouses, rivers, hilltops, and so on. The ideas for great outdoor shoots are endless, but so are indoor locations, if you are comfortable with adequate light, or using strobes and speedlites. You'll find more than you can imagine, if you do some scouting as you have time, prior to a shoot. And don't forget the beaches if there are any near.
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