Normally I would blog about something in the photography industry, however today I want to talk about some more important – business, and how to know who you’re dealing with.
Today I was speaking with a “photographer” who was telling me about the ideas that he had for a photoshoot that he had coming up. Normally I would entertain him, listen to his ideas and allow him to gloat about how many mega-pixels his camera captures, or how he knows the camera company’s main “representative” who tells him that the camera that he owns (which is an entry-level model, but we’ll let him feel “special” for now) “blows away any Nikon or Canon out there.” Then I’d let him finish and go about my business… but this time he said something that caught my ear.
He started to talk about doing a photoshoot for a high school senior in which the senior was going to pose while rock climbing; then, when getting to the top, she would continue the shoot there as well. I asked him if this was really a great idea, or whether he had even spoken with the parents of the senior. His answer to me was, “Why should we get the parents involved, the senior is paying for her own photoshoot. She has the right to do what she wants for it.”
I could have just went about my business and disregarded his creative plans, but ours is a professional team of morals and integrity, both personally and professionally… so I then spoke with him and asked, “Do you have any legal paperwork signed in case something ‘bad’ happens? Do you even have liability insurance?” His answer to me was “those things are for ‘jake cats,’ I don’t need no damn contract! Plus, they just get in the way.” I stood there in shock hearing this and asked him how do he could do business without any of those critical items.
He looked at me and told me that “It’s not needed, the customer gets what they want,” so I asked him “what if she gets hurt – who do you think that they will come after, the minor who fell or the photographer who told her to do it and that it was ok?” Again, he looked at me as if I had 9 heads. Luckily for him and the senior, the senior came to her senses and decided not to do the shoot; nonetheless, it made me start to wonder… How many photographers out there think about both their and their clients’ safety?
So getting back to “getting your ducks in order” as a photography client, you have to ask your photographer some questions before doing any type of photoshoot, even one that may not seem to be of risk. Any professional photographer that you work with will never feel offended by your inquiries and will be more than confident to answer the questions. Some general questions that should be asked are, “Are you insured? Have you listed me as an insurance payee/made sure I’m covered for anything unexpected on the date of our photoshoot? Is the location safe and legal to conduct a photoshoot? What is your backup location in case anything happens?” You should even feel free to ask “What type of accreditation(s) or certifications do you have?”
It’s important to be on the same page as your photographer, as both of you have to work as a team to get the best out of any photoshoot. Parents, especially for your children that are doing senior shoots, PLEASE be involved in the shoot and location!! It is important to allow your high school senior to express themselves, and there’s always a way to accommodate the senior’s style and ensure his or her safety 🙂