# Unhappy client?!



## Benn (Oct 5, 2009)

I regularly shoot commercial work mainly for record companies/musicians. My clients are almost always 100% happy with the work they receive. However, I've just heard back from my last shoot and whilst the client is very happy with most of the images supplied, they are a little disappointed with the most important group of shots (themselves (musicians) playing their 'main' instruments). They claim that in the shots they look 'awkward'. Having looked back at the images I would tend to agree to a certain extent ie. this group of images are not as good as the other images supplied. Technically they're fine but the feel/atmosphere is different simply because of the way the subjects look in them- not uncomfortable but not as comfortable/relaxed as they do in the rest of the images.

My question is what should be my response to this? I'm not sure I could have done much more to get a better 'performance' from them at the time of the shoot. I feel that sometimes depending on the mood of the photographer, the mood of the subject, what they had for breakfast, any number of other things, etc can result in images not turning out the way one may have imagined i.e. if I'd done the shoot at the same hour the following day in the same conditions with the same background music etc, they may well have turned out perfectly.

So, do I take the responsibility and offer to reshoot? Or should they accept that from a shoot like this one, with multiple locations, that not all the shots may 'work' for them??

Your opinion would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Benn.


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## eric-holmes (Oct 5, 2009)

Post up some of the pics and I could tell you if I would be unhappy or not.


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## craig (Oct 5, 2009)

I have always bent over backwards for the client. Sometimes it costs me an arm and a leg. Mostly it was a reshoot at minimal cost and very positive results.

You will be judged on your ability to accommodate the client. One thing to keep in mind is that clients keep there mouth shut when you do a good job, but blab to 5 of their friends when you do a crummy job. Always keep that in mind.

Love & Bass


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## UUilliam (Oct 6, 2009)

Personally I would say do a re-shoot, at the end of the day, It is reputation, If you tell all your clients to piss-off (technically speaking) after the first shoot, That is exactly what they will do, and so will almost every other possible client, Word spreads, Good or Bad.

P.s. Please post up some images, I anticipate having a look at them


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## epp_b (Oct 6, 2009)

You'll really need to post a few of the photos if you want us to be able to accurately judge them.

Some anecdotal words from me, though: I've been shooting concerts lately and what I can tell you is that trying to get a group shot where _everyone_ in the band -- and that can be anywhere from three to six, or more, people -- is doing something interesting, requires intense concentration or sheer luck.

Some musicians are good "recording artists", but poor "live artists", which is to say that they make good music, but have no charisma and stand there like a plank of wood looking bored out of their skull when they perform.

It's like a 300lb porker expecting to look like a glamour model and being disappointed with a shoot when she doesn't


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## Christie Photo (Oct 6, 2009)

craig said:


> I have always bent over backwards for the client.



Yeah...  I pretty much guarantee satisfaction.

Now for "semantics"....  I NEVER do a "re-shoot," but on occasion have done "additional photography."

It's easier for me to say, "Lets do some additional photography" than to say, "I failed.  Let me try again."

-Pete


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## rhondag (Oct 6, 2009)

All it takes is for this client to spread the word that your work was bad.
I would offer a re-shoot.


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## Flash Harry (Oct 6, 2009)

Were they actually playing or just posing, if playing then its probably concentration making them look awkward, try just posing them and reshoot to keep everyone and yourself happy, the customer is always right, not. H


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## Benn (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for the responses. The shoot wasn't a live concert type shoot and I'm not going to post the images here as a) they are of a paying client and b) I don't need opinions on the images themselves, just wondered what your views were on dealing with clients who didn't like a few of the shots (very subjective).

Yeah, good advise on the 'additional photography' instead of 'reshoot'...

Anyways, in the end I did explain I would prefer them to be happy with the images produced and offered to shoot some additional shots for them. Defo the right response as the offer was appreciated. They changed their tune a little and thanked me for the great images (referring to the rest of the shoot I assume)...


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## FilmaTroy (Oct 11, 2009)

i dont see what the point of them "playing" instruments would be if it wasnt a show, was this their idea or yours?


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## UUilliam (Oct 12, 2009)

epp_b said:


> It's like a 300lb porker expecting to look like a glamour model and being disappointed with a shoot when she doesn't



^ The above defines my mother, Maybe not 300lbs but not a glamour model, 'n' I once took a photo of her and she started moaning and was like "Your rubbish! Im not the short n Im not that fat!"

I was like  Yeahhhh okay then 
The camera, Apparently DOES lie.


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## IgsEMT (Oct 12, 2009)

Its a tough call. I'd reshoot, probably won't even charge for reshoot. At the end of the day, I'd prefer my name to have positive association with it rather then being called an A-----E who won't be hired for the project again.


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## epp_b (Oct 12, 2009)

> ^ The above defines my mother, Maybe not 300lbs but not a glamour model, 'n' I once took a photo of her and she started moaning and was like "Your rubbish! Im not the short n Im not that fat!"


For your own life, you better hope your mother doesn't find this forum


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