Are you being bullied?

Do you sometimes feel bullied or railroaded by your clients?

I often hear from photographers who are exhausted and overwhelmed with clients changing dates, time allowance with talent, adding shots, and sometimes the entire brief can become something else.

The fact is that jobs change. The brief can change. Locations, timing and talent can change. And then there’s weather, which is beyond everyone’s control, but can be a great big stressful factor on any location shoot.

Some clients- suits, account managers, marketing people, even creatives and art buyers can be inexperienced themselves, or will push boundaries until you draw a line.

And that’s what it comes down to really.

Clients actually need boundaries, and they trust and feel safe when you are confident.

Clear communication right from the outset that states exactly what you’re providing, when, and how.

Once they’ve awarded the job, you must deliver what you promised (and hopefully they are thrilled with the end result).

But ANYTHING that changes gives you the right to revisit cost, timing and approach, based on your availability and requirements to deliver.

If you have an agent, or a good producer, they can play ‘bad cop’ on your behalf (though of course they’ll do this in the nicest way possible).

But if you don’t, and hiring a producer is not an option, you’re going to have to put your big girl/ boy pants on and be a pro.

At the end of the day, you’re only as good as your last job. And few people will remember the compromises you made, only the final images.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to drive your own bus and be a good leader.

Your clients will thank you, and your work will shine.

If you are one of those photographers who wants help getting an agent, or ‘driving the bus’, you can apply for a free call with me here and we’ll get clear on your direction, identify the areas you need to work on and discuss next steps.