Everyone wants to be a great client, and nobody wants to be that client, right? Here are some straightforward tips, in no particular order, to help you build a solid, respectful working relationship with your photographer.
1. Respect a Photographer’s Pricing
That amazing photography you want to hire the photographer to create for you? That takes years of hard work, studying new techniques and practicing to become the best they can be, and the money you spend on it is worth it because of all that experience. Prices might seem arbitrary (and let’s face it, with some newer photographers, they might just be, lol) but with professionals they really aren’t – they’re carefully calculated to be sustainable for the photographer while offering value to the client. Unlike many professions, a photographer’s costs are ongoing – they constantly need to upgrade their equipment, take new courses or attend seminars – heck, most people rarely travel more than a few miles to their job, but photographers will often have to travel dozens, sometimes even hundreds of miles to their gigs. It’s understandable if a photographer’s rates seem out of reach, but they’re definitely not unreasonable, and haggling sends the message that you don’t value their work at the price they think is necessary to run their business. Besides, when was the last time you walked into a store and haggled about the price? And the products you’re buying from that store are exactly the same as what a million other people will buy there – a photographer is creating a one-of-a-kind, custom, luxury product for you that no other person would create in exactly the same way.
Pro Tip: If you’re shopping based on the lowest price, be sure you understand what you’re sacrificing. For example, a great photographer might get you shots you didn’t even realize you’d want to see, a bad one might miss shots you thought were standard. And though it’s not always the case, cost can give you a pretty good idea of the photographer’s skill and experience.
2. Want Your Photographer To Stay Late? Pay Them for Their Time
Asking a photographer to stay late without paying is like asking a bartender “How about a round on the house?” after you’ve already closed out your tab…it’s basically like asking any professional to do their job for you for longer, with no pay. It’s just something you don’t do. Plan ahead and know the rates for additional coverage. And don’t be surprised if the overtime rate is higher than the standard rate – you’re asking the photographer to give up personal time or compress their schedule, so it’s reasonable for them to charge a bit more for the inconvenience.
Pro Tip: Sometimes you might get a reduction in the overtime rate if you pay for it in advance, but always consider bringing cash to your shoot or event (or have a payment app like Venmo with money in it) so you can be ready to pay on the spot if you’d like extra time.
3. Don’t Chase Your Images Before Their Due Date
If the delivery window hasn’t passed, trust the process. I know it’s super tempting to message your photographer with a quick “Hey, so excited to see the photos, could you send a few over?” but your session is likely not the only session they’re editing, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to stop what they’re working on to switch to your project just to edit a few images and send them to you early.
Pro Tip: If a deadline does pass and you haven’t received your images, it’s totally OK to reach out politely for an update – but keep in mind that delivery deadlines are often estimates, and understanding and kindness will go a long way when you message them. Photographers are often one-person businesses, handling not just the photography and editing, but also the marketing, the accounting, the supplies, the equipment maintenance and more.
4. Did the Photographer Show you a Photo on the Back of the Camera but it Wasn’t in Your Gallery?
Sometimes an image looks great on a tiny screen, but when the photographer gets back to their computer and looks at it full size, it turns out to be unusable. If a photo didn’t make the final delivery, there’s usually a good reason. The photo was too blurry, was inappropriate, or had a wardrobe malfunction that can’t be fixed with editing (or would require too much time). You can trust that professional photographers will deliver all the images worth delivering.
5. Definitely Don’t Ask for the Unedited Images
Culling and editing are part of the artistry you’re paying for. Asking for raw, unedited files misses the point of hiring a professional in the first place. You’re paying them good money because you like their editing style, so you can trust that they will do their job correctly. And no, “I’m a photographer too” or “My cousin/son/niece is great at editing” aren’t valid reasons to ask a professional photographer for raw, unedited photos, lol.
Pro Tip: If you’re worried about a photographer missing important shots, ask to see a full gallery from a past session/s before you book, so you can get an idea of the kinds of images the photographer tends to deliver.
6. Don’t Remove the Logo or Watermark
Unless you’ve negotiated to own the full copyright (which is rare and expensive), the photographer retains ownership of the images. A watermark is like a signature – it belongs there. You don’t remove the logos from your clothing, your car or your appliances, you don’t remove the signature from paintings or sculptures, you shouldn’t do it with photographs either.
Extra Credit: Why is it important to leave a photographer’s logo on? Because if someone re-shares your photo without tagging the photographer, the watermark ensures they still get credit. But if you remove the logo, they get no recognition for their work and any potential referral benefits are lost as soon as someone downloads or re-shares the image.
7. Speaking of, Tag and Credit Your Photographer
You’re generally not obligated to (unless your contract stipulates it), but it helps the photographer way more than you might realize. Photography is a referral-driven industry and a tag or a strong testimonial is often more effective than traditional advertising.
Pro Tip: For most photographers, a great referral network is how they get most of their business. It’s not through advertising or paid marketing, so a short post or review describing your great experience is better than any ad.
8. Don’t Expect Portraits When You’ve Hired a Photographer to Document Your Event
If you’ve hired someone for event coverage, it’s not reasonable to expect the photographer to do posed portraits – before, during or after – unless that was explicitly part of the contract. A few casual, candid group shots here and there or one big group shot? Absolutely. But portraiture and event photography are two different services and, unfortunately, many clients will try to get family portraits done for free at their event, since their family is already gathered.
Pro Tip: Want both? Many photographers will bundle event and portrait sessions at a discount – just make sure to ask in advance.
9. Respect Payment Policies
Times have changed and upfront payments and cash apps are standard in the industry now. They help reserve time and protect against last-minute cancellations. Just like you wouldn’t try to convince Walmart or your eye doctor to change their payment policies, don’t balk at the payment policies your photographer has in place.
Pro Tip: If you’re booking for a business, know that net-30 or payment-after-delivery is no longer industry standard for photographers. While it’s still standard with most corporate vendors, photographers are artists, not vendors, so if the photographer doesn’t accept checks or requires partial payment in advance to secure a session date, be prepared to use a company card or money from a discretionary fund or petty cash to make the payment.
10. Don’t Invite Extra Photographers
Bringing in another photographer (regardless of their skill level, and especially without discussing it) can be disruptive at best and can lead to lost shots at worst. If more coverage is needed, talk to your photographer. They likely have trusted second shooters they regularly work with and though you might have to pay extra, it’s far better than risking your guest photographer overstepping their bounds or blocking the shot of the professional you’re paying good money to be there.
Pro Tip: If you do ask the photographer to provide a second shooter, it’s definitely OK to ask to see the second shooter’s work. You’re entitled to know what you’re paying for.
11. Don’t Say “You Don’t Have to Edit These”
Editing isn’t optional – it’s part of the craft. Handing raw files to someone else to edit undermines the photographer’s style and standards. In order to represent their brand properly, any images a photographer delivers needs to be edited in their style.
Pro Tip: You’re hiring the photographer because you like their style, both how they shoot and how they edit, so make sure you go through their posted galleries thoroughly so you can be sure you dig their work.
12. Don’t Add Filters or Text Without Permission
It’s tempting to use apps to “enhance” photos, but altering a photographer’s work distorts their artistic vision and misrepresents their brand. No one would stop you from using filters or editing images in your own home or office, but for any images that you’ll be sharing online or through email, just know that a photograph is a copyright-protected piece of artwork (even if it’s just a shot of your cousin Jim grilling a burger!), so you should not add anything to the image or edit it with filters or otherwise, in order to maintain the photographers art.
Pro Tip: When in doubt, ask your photographer how flexible they are. Some might be okay with some editing, but most will not want any editing done at all.
13. Don’t Judge a Photographer’s Productivity by Their Social Media Activity
Most photographers don’t keep a strict 9 to 5 work schedule and you will often find them working at odd hours, even late into the night. Just because you see them posting a meme or interacting on social media during “business hours” doesn’t mean your photos aren’t being worked on. Remember: creatives need to take breaks just like everyone else, and their work schedule can be very different from others.
Pro Tip: Is your photo delivery behind and you want to nudge your photographer gently? Engage with their post instead of messaging – your name popping up is often reminder enough.
14. Tip (If You Can!)
Whether the session is paid in full, discounted or free, great photographers will often go above and beyond for you. They’ll deliver extra images, stay longer than contracted, or do extensive editing on specific images (often without you even knowing!), so if you feel like you received great service, even a $20 tip means a lot. The average professional photographer in America earns less than $60k a year and their pricing, though it may seem expensive, often has very close margins after equipment costs, travel costs, maintenance expenses and insurance. A tip is always appreciated, big or small.
Though this post might make it seem that way, at the end of the day being a great client doesn’t require perfection – just thoughtfulness, clear communication and a little empathy for the process. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you have a fantastic experience with your next professional photographer!
– Namu