Business Practice

Photographing for You and Your Clients

When I first started professionally, I could hardly turn over a set of proofs to a client without feeling like I was giving up my own children! I was so attached personally to my work! Now, six years later, I understand that everyone has different reasons for needing photography of their horses. Some clients need photos for advertising, others want that special photo of a beloved horse and still others believe that their advertising photos have to look just like the hundreds of other staged photos they see in the magazines. I had a client recently instruct me that her miniature horses (30” tall) absolutely had to look like full sized Arabian horses in the magazine she would be advertising in. I understand that concept, but was so tempted to ask if that was the case, why they weren’t breeding full sized Arabian horses! Since I am motivated by the personality of the horses I shoot, I find clients many times choose completely different proofs than I would have selected. When I arrive for a photo shoot, I will ask what type of poses the client has in mind for their ad and ensure that I photograph the look they need, then go after the shots that capture personality and essence.

It was hard in the beginning when clients passed over work I felt most strongly about, but it did not change the way I photograph. I love the liberty photos of horses just being themselves. Some are real hams for the camera and it comes across in their eyes. So many times, I've had handlers literally whipping horses trying to get that canned halter photo, only to find the best shots came minutes later when the horse was relaxed and focusing on something in the distance. I always like to spend a few minutes with each horse I shoot to attempt to connect with their personal “attitude”. I have had clients who never consider or even know their horses personality traits. When I show them what I saw in their horse, I am trying for the image that takes the owner’s breath away when they first see it. If an owner doesn’t respond or offer any feedback on their photos, I feel dejected. That’s only human. You have to understand that everyone has different ideas of what their horses should look like and how to deal with them is paramount. Some clients aren’t communicators. Where you may be outgoing and excited about a certain set of proofs, the owner may not be comfortable in their knowledge of photography and not say much. Another typical scenario is the owner who didn’t bathe or brush her wooly horse before your arrival, but still thinks they should see that “million dollar” photo in your proofs! Those are the hardest clients to please. I have found I can suggest different alternatives to them for the future. Clipping the horse, trimming ear hairs and feet, etc go a long way. Educating owners is also our job at times and makes for happier repeat customers.

I believe the personality shots go so much farther in advertising. I recently photographed a son of a leading sire “hugging” his owner with his body practically wrapped around hers. She had taught him this trick early on and was sharing the personality her sire passed on to his get. The photo really stood out and caused the reader to want to read more about these particular horses. Sometimes you can convince clients of that and other times, you’re glad you do this for a fee, since the aggravation level can get intense. I feel it’s my job and privilege to show them poses that make potential buyers take a second look and that make their horse come alive in the print.

Bottom line: don’t take it personally. There are a hundred reasons why you might not be getting the feedback from a client you thought you would. The longer you interact with clients, the better you’ll be able to “read” their reactions and attitudes and help them to achieve the best results for their needs.

Linda Sherrill
sweau@msn.com

Justus Photography
Sturgis, Michigan

www.arabiansites.com/equinephoto/justus.htm

DIGITAL CONNECTION:

It seems that digital imaging is coming at us at warp speed. I'm reminded of the growth of the World Wide Web and Internet (ever notice how we're supposed to capitalize those words now?). It's truly phenomenal. Just look at what has happened at EPNet's DigitalEquinePhotographers list in the last few months and you can easily imagine the global implications.

But, what about the varying technologies that are needed in this industry? Remember the cat & mouse games with computer, software and memory? Software providers want to supply the best and baddest games, utilities and business programs they can, but are limited by the ability of the computer to keep up. When the hardware manufacturers make a giant leap with newer and faster machines, the software providers scramble to use up every last megahertz they can! And then, within the computer, there is the memory issue. The fastest hardware is also somewhat limited by the memory available at an affordable price. Remember when a 40 Meg, stick of memory cost $125, six or seven years ago? I just saw some on close out for $1!

Speaking of memory, how about we compare the above scenario to the digital photographer? We've got our $2,000 to $5,500 DSLR, our $1,000 to $5,500 (conservatively) pro-lenses, our $1,000 to $6,000 computer that does everything but sort the laundry, and our $400 to $6,000 (again, conservatively) printers. We happily run out and shoot a two day event, then run back to the office/home office, download the images to the computer and get to work. We've taken, say 500 photos and, depending on your modus operandi, either print them to proofs and send out, process special orders (proofs viewed/sold on site) or prepare thumbnails for Web pages.

But, what R E A L L Y happens to those 500 images? And what R E A L L Y happens to the images that you enhanced and keep separate from the originals? Plus those utility images you might create to make the final cut? I guess that was one of the good points of the good 'ole days. All we had to do was catalogue and save our negatives in files. Not so today. These images are invisible! They are just magnetic zero's & one's placed along with billions of other zero's & one's on a little round disk we call a H A R D D R I V E (sans Bill Cosby's "The Chicken Heart that Ate New York City").

Now, let's say the servo system on your hard drive, which employs an impregnated fluid-bearing spindle motor was ever so slightly under spec and did not provide quite enough lubrication. The three year old drive, which rotates at say, 7,200 RPM (4,320,000 revolutions per ten hour day), begins to wear on the bearing causing a low frequency vibration, which snowballs in no time at all into a wailing, shrieking and screaming, which eventually freezes the rotation as solid as a certified weld. What now?

"Boy! It's a good thing I backed everything up". Right? Did you actually back up those originals right away when you got home? Did you back up to tape (ouch!), CD's or DVD's? Hopefully, you did. If not, you might have lost everything from that weekend's photos to Aunt Mary Jane's great grandmother's restoration that took you two weeks to do in your spare time.

We are going to spend some time over the next couple of newsletters, discussing storage and backup's for your work. This is an important subject to us, especially given the recent amount of traffic on our lists discussing the subject. Our goal will be to find the most convenient, economical and easy form of back up that is dependable and durable.

We will continue to research what has been discussed, and see what others are doing to meet these needs and with what level of confidence. So, stay tuned for part two of Digital Storage - Solutions or Setbacks?

Stephen E. Lasko Photography
Specializing in things equine
slasko@bellsouth.net