I’m sure you’ve heard it before. If you haven’t, it means what people perceive is their reality. Notice i said THEIR reality as their reality and ours as photographers, do not always mesh. This is why it’s important for us as photographers, models and people in general, need to make sure we are 100% clear in everything we do and say.

When dealing with clients, I’m of the opinion that we need to be totally clear in our expectations and in our doing, our clients are totally clear with us. This being said, how we address such things often determine our outcome. I am HUGE on choosing the correct words to elicit a proper response. I make it a point to stay away from words that in my opinion, demean what I do for a living. I take great pains in educating my clients through constant correction minors that are noninvasive. What do I mean? Review;

Client: I want a photo shoot, how do I go about getting one?

Me: I’d love to book you for a session, tell me, what did you have in mind?

I don’t say “photo shoot” Why? the words “photo shoot” often have a negative association with them. Meaning when people hear it, they think free/reduced or Mom with a camera shoot. Right away I want to steer people away from this thinking as they are not getting free, so I silently educate them with the response above.

Client: I’d love for you to snap my pic!

Me: I’d love to create great images of you/I’d love to capture great images of you.

A professional in my opinion, doesn’t “snap” photos. Grandma Lucy snaps photos of the grand kids on the weekend. Professionals create memorable images of various scenes and situations, not snap. You wouldn’t ask an Orthopedic Surgeon to “snap” your bone back together would you? No, you’d ask him to “reset” your bone.

How we present ourselves is how we’ll be perceived. If we present ourselves as a photo shooting snap happy MWAC who will shoot any and everyone free or for 20.00 with every image on DVD in full sized jpeg.