I can't stand my client...
Anonymous wants to know how to remove yourself from a client who you don't jive with for some reason or other - the children are orangutans, the husband is a pervert, the wife is too demanding, they live too far for you to travel... Whatever the case may be, it's extremely important to tactfully remove yourself from clients you genuinely don't enjoy working with. Here's why:
#1) the quality of the pictures will suffer. Because most of us shoot with our hearts, if we aren't comehow connected with our subject, even if the picture is technically passable, it will lack that certain *something* that is usually the cause of people deviating from studios to seek a professional or 'boutique' photographer. If the pictures are always less than stellar you won't even want to use them for your portfolio.
#2) you don't want to get into the habit of saying yes to projects you'd rather say no to because eventually it will take a toll on your enjoyment of taking (and processing) any and all pictures. One unpleasant hour-long session can turn into a nightmare of stangnant creativity, stalled processing, and bouts of general frustration and unhappiness. Whatever you are charging for that session I guarantee it isn't worth the lost productivity that can result.
#3) setting precedent can be a bad thing - if you say yes to someone you genuinely don't enjoy a good photographic relationship with, they become loyal to you and it becomes more and more difficult to extricate yourself from the situation. Whether the client is genuinely a nice person who you just don't click with, or a genuinely horrible client you dislike but tolerate because ~insert personal reason here~ it's best to sever the ties before they bind.
You will have to decide what the most tactful approach is for that particular client. You can nicely explain to them that you just don't feel a connection and refer them to other photographers who might better connect. You can be very direct and tell them you don't like the husband looking at your boobs, the wife phoning every day to see if the pictures are done, or the kids destroying your home and personal property. OR. You can choose a passive route and always be unavailable due to other commitments. You can be completely passive and not even answer emails or phonecalls. Hopefully they will get the hint. If not, you will have to just let them know you aren't taking them on as clients any longer.
#1) the quality of the pictures will suffer. Because most of us shoot with our hearts, if we aren't comehow connected with our subject, even if the picture is technically passable, it will lack that certain *something* that is usually the cause of people deviating from studios to seek a professional or 'boutique' photographer. If the pictures are always less than stellar you won't even want to use them for your portfolio.
#2) you don't want to get into the habit of saying yes to projects you'd rather say no to because eventually it will take a toll on your enjoyment of taking (and processing) any and all pictures. One unpleasant hour-long session can turn into a nightmare of stangnant creativity, stalled processing, and bouts of general frustration and unhappiness. Whatever you are charging for that session I guarantee it isn't worth the lost productivity that can result.
#3) setting precedent can be a bad thing - if you say yes to someone you genuinely don't enjoy a good photographic relationship with, they become loyal to you and it becomes more and more difficult to extricate yourself from the situation. Whether the client is genuinely a nice person who you just don't click with, or a genuinely horrible client you dislike but tolerate because ~insert personal reason here~ it's best to sever the ties before they bind.
You will have to decide what the most tactful approach is for that particular client. You can nicely explain to them that you just don't feel a connection and refer them to other photographers who might better connect. You can be very direct and tell them you don't like the husband looking at your boobs, the wife phoning every day to see if the pictures are done, or the kids destroying your home and personal property. OR. You can choose a passive route and always be unavailable due to other commitments. You can be completely passive and not even answer emails or phonecalls. Hopefully they will get the hint. If not, you will have to just let them know you aren't taking them on as clients any longer.
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