We’re proud of what we create, of course, and the majority of people aren’t equipped to be able to effectively critique our work. So why is it still such a pain in the ass when they’re coming back to us for reworking an image?

Thankfully it’s few and far between that miscommunication or misunderstanding gets to a level where it’s impacting on anything to raise blood pressures or temperatures, but it does happen, and has happened to me. As image creators we’re not in a bubble where we’re just making things for people who don’t know any better, we’re part of a much larger picture that has a full spectrum of talents and abilities working within. That also means a mixed bag of expectations and abilities with whom our clients may have dealt with before.

So what’s the problem? I think there are a few things that we need to consider.

1/ Has the work been properly communicated? By that I mean when discussing the job/creative/shoot session did both sides give their expectation and understanding of what each side is going to deliver, specifically did You tell them what you’d be doing for them/providing them as part of what they’ve paid for?

2/ Once the work has been communicated what happens if there is a gap in expectation? By that I mean, you’ve done your shoot and got all the great images that you’re happy with do you all know the timeframe for the finals, the style, the retouching - and what happens if someone doesn’t like what’s been produced…

3/ Do i really need it in writing? Do I need a contract in place in case it all goes wrong….

The way I deal with all three things is to make sure I’ve sent an email outlining everything that has been spoken about with regard to what will be produced, when it will be finished and what it can be utilised for. I like to talk to clients pretty much straight away after an initial lead, that way no one is wasting time with back and forth getting a project moving. I’ll make notes during that conversation about what the project entails and ask clarification questions to ensure any potential budget issues are questioned right there. Then once the phonecall is done I’ll send an email with the notes in itemised into sections. I’ve found that this does two things, it solidifies what the client has planned with us as well as prepares them for the quote which will again be itemised into areas that correlate with what was discussed in the phonecall.

But what if….

Yeah ok I hear you: On the day you’ve tethered, shown the client test shots on the day with model/styling on set in shot so they can ok things, shown the client progress for each setup you’re doing to ensure they’re seeing what we’re getting, asked if there’s anything else that they want to try…. but still they come back and say something mildly offensive like “I don’t LOVE them” …

Well if you’re doing all of these little checks along the way then there’s no real way it’s on You. It’s on them and either an inability to communicate properly what they want, an inability to voice concerns on set or unrealistic expectations about what is being paid for/agreed on.

I make it clear that any retouching is included in post-production pricing at $50 per 30mins. The majority of the time I’ll not need more than that and even build in an extra 5/10mins to be able to address any issues that might come back. But some people want every.little.thing done to an unreasonable degree and as such making sure I’ve been communicative helps immeasurably.

Problem clients

Those clients are what all the preparation is for. And the preparation is what will stop you from getting into an stressy emotional anxiety ball. Because you can highlight exactly what was agree upon in the communication.

There are clients who come back again and again expecting more and more, saying they either expected differently or that they don’t like what you’ve done. Navigating this is not an easy thing. Coming back to where we started it’s not about You, it’s not a personal attack, it’s simply a differing of opinion even after everything has been communicated. Let me repeat that: It really isn’t about You, it’s about the client/other person and managing their expectations early or if all else fails coming to the realisation that they had unrealistic expectations (sometimes potentially of themselves, if they want an image retouched over and over again).

At worst it’s about something you’ve produced, something that at some point was misunderstood as being achievable or not, a photo that whilst you can still be proud of even if some contributors don’t see its merits.

If we agree that it’s not about You then we can surely agree it’s not worth getting upset about, disenchanted over, disheartened by, angry about, sad for or any other emotion that might come out. And if it does hurt, well then kudos you’ve discovered a shot that you’re really passionate about and the next person to book you for a similar shot is going to get the value of your former experience.

Client satisfaction

In reality our clients have come to us because they either like what they’ve seen of our work previously, or from talking to us trust that we can deliver as intended. So long as we aren’t pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes and we’re honest about what it is we can deliver then there should be no reason that this isn’t the start of a blossoming new professional relationship.

Remember communication is key!