# Rant: What would you do?



## Terri Walsh (Jul 2, 2009)

So I currently have a "client" that was gifted a gift certificate.  The certificate was for the sitting fee and an 8x10 print.  
I scheduled them in and did the photos over 6 weeks ago and was a while hearing back.  I got a call regarding pricing/deal if another session was to be booked and if they wanted to high resolution digital files.  I sent them the details on the pricing of the high res. files (I dont give them away!).  I then heard back about it being too expensive and now they only want the free 8x10 although they loved the photos?!.  
After editting all those pictures, no sales what so ever!  
And, to top it off, they had not decided on the free one and the gallery is since down so they want to know how they choose?!  (put the gallery back up or come to my house?)

Help?  :x


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## rub (Jul 2, 2009)

i'd be a little ticked, but I would smile big, give them the free 8x10, a bunch of biz cards, and hope that the great photo they do get brings in furute sales, or that they decide at a later point in time that they want more of the images. (maybe its just too hard financially right now)

If it is easier, I would put the gallery back up.  And no matter what, I wouldnt drop the price on the digital files.  Sounds like that is what they are fishing for...

Good luck.

Kristal


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## Terri Walsh (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks Kristal, that fishing is what I was thinking too and I was almost ready to give!  I did also think of trying to somehow push the prints.  afterall if you could not afford the cd would you not still want some prints???
I was also going to say I do keep files of everything and should at a later point they want more prints that would always be available....
Its no problem to put the gallery back up, just take it down to try to get things going....

Thanks!


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## SpeedTrap (Jul 2, 2009)

I would put the galley back up and make sure everything is water marked and only put it up for 5 days.
Get them the 8X10, thank them for the business and move on.


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## Baaaark (Jul 3, 2009)

Definitely low res and watermark the gallery online.  They might be a little annoyed at you because you aren't giving them the stuff for free, though.  That's just how some (a few) people are.  They try to get something for nothing and get angry when they get called out on it.

Maybe future gift certificates could have certain conditions.  Like "Free photoshoot with purchase of $X.XX amount of photos).  Just a suggestion.  Either that or keep it the way it is and get burned occasionally.  Many businesses get burned on promos by people who are cheapskates.  But to many companies, its still worth the publicity and the other amount of people who will buy.  It evens out in the black for them, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

BTW, I'm a noob photographer but I do know a bit about having your own business, and I think the question at hand is fairly generic in the sense it doesn't involve photography as much as a question on how to run shop.  I just am offering a disclaimer that I don't have my own studio or anything like that.


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## musicaleCA (Jul 3, 2009)

People will value your work based on how much they pay for it. It's strange, but true.


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## Terri Walsh (Jul 3, 2009)

musicaleCA said:


> People will value your work based on how much they pay for it. It's strange, but true.


 
This is true and I think I needed that reminder!


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## Peanuts (Jul 3, 2009)

In the future put a rehosting fee so people don't let their galleries expire.


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## Terri Walsh (Jul 3, 2009)

I have a rehosting fee, but I dont think they want to spend anything?!


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## Jim Gratiot (Jul 3, 2009)

Terri:

Just out of curiosity, did somebody pay you for the gift certificate... or is it something you gave away free?

As for the "clients," be nice to them... even if they're being cheapos now, they might be good for some referrals in the future.

Good luck.


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## Baaaark (Jul 3, 2009)

musicaleCA said:


> People will value your work based on how much they pay for it. It's strange, but true.



Human nature confuses, intrigues and infuriates me all in one.


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## musicaleCA (Jul 3, 2009)

Baaaark said:


> musicaleCA said:
> 
> 
> > People will value your work based on how much they pay for it. It's strange, but true.
> ...



I hear that. Bloody humans.


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## Terri Walsh (Jul 3, 2009)

Jim Gratiot said:


> Terri:
> 
> Just out of curiosity, did somebody pay you for the gift certificate... or is it something you gave away free?
> 
> ...


 
The certificate was paid for.  The 8x10 was complimentary with the certificate.
Thanks!


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## paulk_68 (Jul 4, 2009)

Terri, did you try explaining why the digital file cost more than the prints to your clients? Your clients may not have thought about the reason on their own.


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## Terri Walsh (Jul 4, 2009)

yes I did explain and I also even directed them to "why Does Custom Photography Cost More".  (I guess I had an idea early on when they were fishing for a "deal" if they were to book me again in about 6 months)

Thanks everyone!


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## photostarfox (Jul 4, 2009)

The thing about putting low-res or watermarked photos up is that there are so many great sites out there these days, Photo Enlargement Without Quality Loss - Reshade  - comes to mind, these sites can refocus and resize the image and make it look as good as new.  In today's digital age I guess the artist has to be more careful who they are dealing with! People get super-sleazy when trying to something for free. Illegitimi non carborundum!!


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## c.cloudwalker (Jul 4, 2009)

photostarfox said:


> The thing about putting low-res or watermarked photos up is that there are so many great sites out there these days, Photo Enlargement Without Quality Loss - Reshade  - comes to mind, these sites can refocus and resize the image and make it look as good as new.  In today's digital age I guess the artist has to be more careful who they are dealing with! People get super-sleazy when trying to something for free. Illegitimi non carborundum!!




People can get pretty sleazy trying to get something for free but I sure hope that a business would not help copy copyrighted work. Of course, I live in the dream world 

Anyway, I would put a copyright-notice type watermark right in the middle of the image.


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## DSPhotography (Jul 8, 2009)

SpeedTrap said:


> I would put the galley back up and make sure everything is water marked and only put it up for 5 days.
> Get them the 8X10, thank them for the business and move on.





Baaaark said:


> Definitely low res and watermark the gallery online.  They might be a little annoyed at you because you aren't giving them the stuff for free, though.  That's just how some (a few) people are.  They try to get something for nothing and get angry when they get called out on it.



Quoting for emphasis. If they're trying to get something for nothing (which it sounds like they are), they're probably the kind of people who will right-click>save and try to print out their own photos.. or burn them to a disc and go to wal-mart.

That to me is one of the huge downsides of providing anything in a digital format to customers.. even with copyright laws and what-not, people are still usually going to go somewhere like wal-mart or cvs to get prints made from your disc because it's "cheaper". I'm not a full on 'professional' photographer (in the "I own my own business" sense), but I'm working on it and have done a few shoots for people. I prefer to offer a contact sheet to the client so that they can pick how many enlargements they want and which ones that way. It's just as effective as a gallerie (without the time taken to watermark everything) and it does give them a copy of each shot without giving them a way to go get their own "cheaper" prints.

Just my $0.02


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## Dwig (Jul 8, 2009)

Terri Walsh said:


> ...put the gallery back up or come to my house...



It somewhat depends on how the certificate was worded.

If the certificate didn't specifiy a viewing period or include a "choice must be made withing X-number of days" disclaimer I think you need to respost the gallery for a reasonable period of months. You need to also reprint the certificates to include such a disclaimer to ease such problems in the future.


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## Reese's PB Luver (Jul 20, 2009)

You did make a sale, since the gift certificate was purchased by somebody.  What you didn't make was an additional sale.  Big difference - the former would mean you did the whole thing for free.

You might want to make your future gift certificates valid only for prints instead of also for the session fee.  Or, instead of offering a free print (why are you giving your art away?!) with the use of a gift certificate, offer a percentage discount on their first X number of prints (or X discount if they purchase X number of prints - the former gives a discount whether they buy 1 print or X number while the latter gives a discount only if they buy X number).  Or just don't offer anything additional with the gift certificate; while gift certificates can be great money-makers because they don't always get used, when some ppl have been given this "free money" by family/friends, they will use it regardless of whether or not they get something for free/discount with it, since "free money" is incentive enough.


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