You probably know a few.
The potential client who is just not sure if you can deliver. So they ask if you have any sort of "money-back guarantee".
Money-back guarantees are not the norm in the photography field, but sometimes clients need to be educated. That's where a conversation needs to happen.
The reason you have an online portfolio, whether you use your IG feed or a website, is so that clients can know what sort of work to expect from you. In other words, your portfolio needs to be what sets the expectations. If they're not so sure or have doubts, let them know that you, as the professional, are hired to deliver photos that are on par with your portfolio and so you can promise work of that caliber.
If you tether (which I totally recommend, especially when working with designers!), that's another tool that you can use to ease a potential client's mind. Tethering brings them into the shoot process, and keeps the communication going so that they can make sure the final photos are exactly what they want and need.
If your client STILL has doubts or doesn't trust you yet, ask them what their concern is to see if there's a solution that you can offer. If their doubts persist, you may want to consider whether they're a good fit for you as a client. Those red flags are there for a reason, my friend.
What about the contract?
On the contract end, it's a good idea to have a section that speaks to this. This section should simply state that you, as the photographer, have final say on the editing done on the photos. Once signed, your client is essentially handing over all decision-making to you when it comes to the editing. As an example, here's the wording for that section in my contracts*:
"POST PRODUCTION AND EDITING: The final post production and editing styles, effects, and overall look of the images are left to the discretion of the PHOTOGRAPHER and her artistic abilities. Requests made by the CLIENT deemed reasonable by the PHOTOGRAPHER, prior to the session, may be honored. Major photo manipulations are not performed under this agreement and may be subject to additional fees. Any additional fees for major photo manipulations will be discussed with CLIENT prior to performing said photo manipulations."
*This is not intended to be legal advice. If you're not sure of the wording for you, please consult with a lawyer in your area.*
What if they’re still not happy?
What if, after all this, you still have someone that says they're not happy with the photos?
Well, chances are slim that this will happen. If it does, though, know that all of us have nightmare client stories; it's just part of being a business owner!
You have a few options on how to handle it.
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You can offer to reshoot. I would only do this if there are specific things the client objects to that I know I can correct by going back and reshooting.
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You can refund the money. It's important to let them know that if you refund the money for this shoot, they automatically lose all their usage rights to those photos. I would consider this a last resort.
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You can do a partial refund or partial reshoot. These options would most likely not come up in most cases, but just know that you have options!
No matter what, stand proud of your work and remember that you are interviewing potential clients just as much as they are interviewing you.
xo,
Natalia