# Ditching 1 Job for Another?



## DGMPhotography (Mar 20, 2015)

So... just the idea of it sounds wrong, but based on my circumstances... what would you do?

A friend of mine wanted to hire me to do an event for her. It would be like 5 hours of photography, and out of the kindness of my heart (and the limitations of her budget), I'm doing it for $75,  a 3-course meal at the event, and 2 massages (she's a massage therapist). Total value about: $170. 

I've started using Thumbtack and I found a corporate event near where I live with a budget of $1000-$2000. I submitted a quote for $700. 

Now, compared to $170, that's a lot of money, and this event is only 3 hours. I let my friend know that I submitted the quote, just to give her a heads up. 

But going forward, if I got the corporate gig, would you cancel a previously scheduled gig to pick up the more lucrative one? I do have a cancellation clause in my contract, so I'm totally within my rights. But I know there are other things to consider, and I have to do what's best for my business, as well, and this corporate event could lead to other corporate events. 

What do you think?

Thanks!


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## tirediron (Mar 20, 2015)

NO!  Once a committment is made, it's made, and if you lose out on a better paying job, them's the breaks.  Do this two or three times and no witll touch you with a barge pole.  Happy clients may tell their friends, dissatisfied clients will tell EVERYONE!


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## DGMPhotography (Mar 21, 2015)

tirediron said:


> NO!  Once a committment is made, it's made, and if you lose out on a better paying job, them's the breaks.  Do this two or three times and no witll touch you with a barge pole.  Happy clients may tell their friends, dissatisfied clients will tell EVERYONE!



That's what I assumed. 

Thanks for reaffirming my suspicions. I will be sure to let my friend know I won't do the other gig. 

Thanks!


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## Austin Greene (Mar 23, 2015)

DGMPhotography said:


> So... just the idea of it sounds wrong, but based on my circumstances... what would you do?
> 
> A friend of mine wanted to hire me to do an event for her. It would be like 5 hours of photography, and out of the kindness of my heart (and the limitations of her budget), I'm doing it for $75,  a 3-course meal at the event, and 2 massages (she's a massage therapist). Total value about: $170.
> 
> ...



As has been said, a commitment is a commitment. I have an engagement shoot for this weekend. A fairly low-budget one at $300. The couple is driving 8 hours to shoot with me in a favorite location of theirs, and it's been planned for months. They've also signed a contract. 

Next thing I know, last week a contact of mine from LA offers me a two-day job that would pay over $1200. Problem is, it's on the same weekend as my engagement. 

Bottom line, I'm shooting an engagement this weekend. Money or not, my clients are what matters to me. If I don't do right by them, my business will fail. 

P.S: And wouldn't you know, about a day after turning down that other job, these same clients contacted me and have signed their wedding as well. Now that $300 engagement has gone up in value 6 times over.


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## fjrabon (Mar 23, 2015)

Unless it's a career making chance, stick to commitments. It's "just" $700. 

When would I do it?  If sports illustrated had a momentary lapse of sanity and wanted to hire me for a shoot? Yeah, sorry, got to do it then. A sports illustrated shoot can make a career. Ferrari calls and tells me they want to fly me over to photograph one of their prototypes, I mentally question their sanity, but yeah, I'm on that plane. 

Somebody offers me $3000 instead of the $200 gig I have scheduled?  Well, dammit I guess it'll be a few more months until I can buy those new strobes.


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## Gary A. (Mar 23, 2015)

fjrabon said:


> Unless it's a career making chance, stick to commitments. It's "just" $700.
> 
> When would I do it?  If sports illustrated had a momentary lapse of sanity and wanted to hire me for a shoot? Yeah, sorry, got to do it then. A sports illustrated shoot can make a career. Ferrari calls and tells me they want to fly me over to photograph one of their prototypes, I mentally question their sanity, but yeah, I'm on that plane.
> 
> Somebody offers me $3000 instead of the $200 gig I have scheduled?  Well, dammit I guess it'll be a few more months until I can buy those new strobes.


+1
No. Remember that everything you do reflects upon the person that you are. Some actions reflect more than other actions, but they all reflect. The choice is not only about money ... but also honor. Honoring a commitment is honorable.  Honoring a commitment at an expense to yourself is even more honorable. Making money is easier than earning honor.


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## DGMPhotography (Mar 23, 2015)

Haha, I get the point guys, and I agree full-heartedly. 

Thanks for the comments.


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## pgriz (Mar 23, 2015)

As said, once a commitment is made, it's made.  Escape clauses could include a death in the family, infection by ebola, and a force-majeur.  I think you already knew that, and were just checking whether your instincts were correct.  Gary said it very well.


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## DGMPhotography (Mar 23, 2015)

pgriz said:


> As said, once a commitment is made, it's made.  Escape clauses could include a death in the family, infection by ebola, and a force-majeur.  I think you already knew that, and were just checking whether your instincts were correct.  Gary said it very well.



Yep!


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## Light Guru (Mar 23, 2015)

My guess is you won't get the gig anyway.  Your bid is quite a bit below their budget, often times with too low of a bid and they will assume low quality from you.


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## Snapzapp (Mar 24, 2015)

It's bad business to commit to someone then change your mind because something else comes along.


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## sm4him (Mar 24, 2015)

I agree with the rest. I mean, that'd be like a head football coach of a major NCAA program signing a contract, and then not even a full year into said contract, disappearing in the middle of the night to jump ship because their "dream job" was offered to them….that's just craz….oh. wait.  

That's why, in MY neck of the woods, we call doing what you were considering "doing a Kiffen."


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## Mr. Innuendo (Mar 24, 2015)

Snapzapp said:


> It's bad business to commit to someone then change your mind because something else comes along.



"Commitment" works both ways.

I'll take a somewhat different view on this: Until money changes hands in the form of a deposit, nothing is binding.

I would contact the friend and explain to her that there's a possibility that a much more lucrative job could come up. If she'd like to lock you in, she can pay you now (even just a deposit), and then you're committed. When she hears how much your Thumbtack bid was, she'll appreciate the head's up you've given her.


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## Austin Greene (Mar 25, 2015)

Mr. Innuendo said:


> Snapzapp said:
> 
> 
> > It's bad business to commit to someone then change your mind because something else comes along.
> ...



I don't think that's a too different of a view. For most of us who shoot for a living, commitments and deposits go hand in hand, literally. At least for me, my clients pay their retainer at the time of the contract signing.


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## Mr. Innuendo (Mar 26, 2015)

Austin Greene said:


> Mr. Innuendo said:
> 
> 
> > Snapzapp said:
> ...



I agree. But I don't get a strong impression that there's anything resembling a contract in this whole deal. I could be wrong, but that's how it comes across.


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## pixmedic (Mar 27, 2015)

It's somewhat different in this case because it's a friend, so it might be assumed that a simple verbal agreement is sufficient.
I have shot for friends before and they all signed contracts, but i did not ask for deposits to secure the date.  In my case, once I personally committed to shoot for them on that day, it was locked in as far as I was concerned....for a friend.
For a regular client, until they have put down a retainer fee, (we don't call it a deposit) nothing is locked in. It is our retainer fee that locks in a date/time for a client.


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## dennybeall (Mar 28, 2015)

Would be a very good time for a WIN-WIN. Find someone else to do the $170 gig and you do the $700 one, if you get it.


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## snowbear (Mar 28, 2015)

Like most said - stick with the friend.



pgriz said:


> Escape clauses could include a death in the family, infection by *ebola*


  and chicken.

Sorry, leaderboard flashback.


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