Keeping photography as a hobby

magnumlady

Do many of you feel pressurised into taking photo's of christening, weddings, communions etc?

I've been asked to do a few things. People don't seem to understand that it's just my hobby. How do you manage to say no and not feel guilty?

oshead

lol, that's gas. There's some here who would love to get the opportunity to those kind of events. Anyway, the best way to say no is.... Charge an exorbitant rate. Way over the mark. That way, if they still insist, you will be well remunerate for it.

magnumlady

The people that are asking me want it done for nothing. Not that it's a money thing.
I saw my dad getting so stressed about photographing weddings. I don't want to go down that road.
I prefer taking landscape photo's rather then people.

Squidgy Black

Me. Constantly being given out to or moaned at 'cause I'm not taking pictures at every single event for free.

'Cause once you're a photographer you can't have fun like :rolleyes:

Fajitas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCLs0jv_Efk

chuck eastwood

My sisters child was christened about two weeks ago. I never Ever bring my cam but i was phoned on the morning and told that i would be taking pictures in a dark church and these would be there main photos. I rarely if ever takes pics of people and if it wasn't family....

zephyrz

magnumlady wrote: »

Do many of you feel pressurised into taking photo's of christening, weddings, communions etc?

I've been asked to do a few things. People don't seem to understand that it's just my hobby. How do you manage to say no and not feel guilty?

Toughie, especially if it's someone you know who's getting married! You just wanna get locked with everyone else and not spend the day ordering everyone around taking photos!

CabanSail

magnumlady wrote: »

The people that are asking me want it done for nothing. Not that it's a money thing.
I saw my dad getting so stressed about photographing weddings. I don't want to go down that road.
I prefer taking landscape photo's rather then people.

Well that's easy. Tell them you will do it, as long as they stand a long way away, keep very still, have their event in the first & last hours of light and that you will probably only take less than ten shots.

jaybeeveedub

CabanSail wrote: »

Well that's easy. Tell them you will do it, as long as they stand a long way away, keep very still, have their event in the first & last hours of light and that you will probably only take less than ten shots.

and in a storm, you cant beat dramatic skies!

Jagera

magnumlady wrote: »

Do many of you feel pressurised into taking photo's of christening, weddings, communions etc?

I would say that's the case with any profession. Mechanic - can you have a quick look at my car. Carpenter - Can you just sort out the squeak in the stairs. etc..

If you really don't want to take any photos - you have to come up with a reason/excuse.

It's a tough one, because you can easily look a bit scabby if you don't do it.

magnumlady

zephyrz wrote: »

Toughie, especially if it's someone you know who's getting married! You just wanna get locked with everyone else and not spend the day ordering everyone around taking photos!

These are people that I don't even know, friends of friends that know I take photo's. I wasn't invited to the wedding they just wanted photo's done for nothing.

magnumlady

bw wrote: »

I would say that's the case with any profession. Mechanic - can you have a quick look at my car. Carpenter - Can you just sort out the squeak in the stairs. etc..

If you really don't want to take any photos - you have to come up with a reason/excuse.

It's a tough one, because you can easily look a bit scabby if you don't do it.

Wouldn't it look worse it I did it and the photo's came out awful (which is my biggest worry). Or didn't come out at all.

Kenny Logins

magnumlady wrote: »

These are people that I don't even know, friends of friends that know I take photo's. I wasn't invited to the wedding they just wanted photo's done for nothing.

That's just cheek, and a cheeky reply is justified IMHO.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Tell them you don't have the right gear for it.

If there's anything the general populace 'know' about photography, the fancier camera with the bigger lens gets better photos. Tell them you have a cheap camera and lens that's only good for taking pics of mountains, cause mountains don't move.

melekalikimaka

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

Tell them you have a cheap camera and lens that's only good for taking pics of mountains, cause mountains don't move.

quote of the week

Effects

magnumlady wrote: »

These are people that I don't even know, friends of friends that know I take photo's. I wasn't invited to the wedding they just wanted photo's done for nothing.

They sound like fúcking idiots. How can they expect you to do something for free when they aren't even friends?

dinneenp

I suppose just be firm and explain to them that you're not comfortable doing it. If they get the message then it'll 'be out there' amongst your family/friends that you don't want to do it.
Whereas if you do it for X they Y will ask you and say we'll you've already done it.

Just be honest and open and all should be easier. If they do get a pro in you can tut-tut at the finished photos and say 'I could have done better than that'.

Obviously it's not just taking photos- you have to be there early, work and afterwards spend a lot of time post processing and then print them for them. A lot of time....

magicbastarder

magnumlady wrote: »

I wasn't invited to the wedding they just wanted photo's done for nothing.

point them towards the nearest cliff and tell them to take a running jump off it.

i've done two weddings (as mentioned in a thread yesterday); both weddings were of friends, and i did the job as a wedding present.

i've never done a paid job, and i've turned a couple down; i'm quite happy to keep photography as a hobby i enjoy rather than something to stress over.

kev88

it may sound harsh but just say no. tell them its not really your area and you don't have a clue about wedding photography, I get asked allot to shoot things I wouldn't be comfortable shooting like baptisms, communions and stuff and its only because they see a big camera and not my work! even at this very moment I'm caught doing a wedding for free because my brother told them I'd do it and I didn't have the heart to say no.

Thoie

Show them your portfolio - a bunch of nice landscapes, interspersed with a bunch of drunk people taken from your phone at 2am with the flash right up in their faces, so everyone looks like they've been taken unexpectedly by the rapture.

the_syco

magnumlady wrote: »

Do many of you feel pressurised into taking photo's of christening, weddings, communions etc?

ATM, I'm known as the person who can fix computers. Which is grand, as I can fix most stuff the relatives throw at me (and laugh at them when they delete Windows "as they never use it"). I find that when you mention money, they'll go to other people that they know with a computer, etc.

magicbastarder

Thoie wrote: »

Show them your portfolio

no - show them robert mapplethorpe's portfolio but claim it's yours.
problem solved.

melekalikimaka

Thoie wrote: »

so everyone looks like they've been taken unexpectedly by the rapture.

we got plenty of warning

bullpost

Did two weddings years ago not long after buying my first film SLR. Didnt want to do them but one was for my sister.
That one was a disaster, camera jammed half-way through and couldnt sort it.
Luckily she had a friend there with an SLR and he took over.
Second one was for a friend who was getting married and had no money for a photographer. Was less pressured there as it was me or nothing and I told him I wasn't comfortable and couldn't guarantee him that he'd end up with anything usable.
Did get some reasonable shots at that one (It was a very small wedding done on a very tight budget anyway) so it worked out ok.

But never again.

PopeBuckfastXVI

magicbastarder wrote: »

no - show them robert mapplethorpe's portfolio but claim it's yours.
problem solved.

Google image search is VERY NSFW by the way!

jpb1974

Second one was for a friend who was getting married and had no money for a photographer. Was less pressured there as it was me or nothing and I told him I wasn't comfortable and couldn't guarantee him that he'd end up with anything usable.

Done one of those about 10 weeks ago... and at this stage the issue is for the bride and groom as I've yet to supply them with the photos.

I just couldn't be arsed processing them... there's nothing in it for me to get up on my rear-end and spend the 4-5 hours in front of the computer that is required.

Next time a 'friend' asks it'll be - "Sorry, on holiday in Spain that week"... besides I've a pain in my hole attending weddings... like feckin Ground Hog Day everyone of them.

magicbastarder

i have the opposite problem - for both weddings i did a quick scan of the negs and send them thumbnails (well, 800px on each side) and asked them to let me know which ones they really wanted, and i could do a proper job on them. neither couple has come back for the full size ones, for differing reasons.
the more recent of the two weddings was four years ago.

spinandscribble

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

Tell them you don't have the right gear for it.

If there's anything the general populace 'know' about photography, the fancier camera with the bigger lens gets better photos. Tell them you have a cheap camera and lens that's only good for taking pics of mountains, cause mountains don't move.

I snorted, especially hard when i saw your avatar.... you tell 'em.

davmigil

Tell them certainly you will do it, but that as you shoot film you will need re-imbursement for the cost of the film and development, which you can add, will be a slow and costly process!

K_user

I was asked to take some photographs at my sisters wedding recently. She had a professional, but wanted some "free" extras. No problem right?

Not really.

As it turned out they were all expecting "professional" images, ignoring the fact that to do so would have obstructed the guy who was getting paid for the job, and they were expecting them the next day!

If the people with the small compacts have instant images, why can't I?

So no pressure. Instant results. Top class finish.

Was never going to happen and it just makes you feel about two inches tall.

magicbastarder

funny thing is, my brother and SIL prefer the images i took at their wedding - where i was best man! - to the ones taken by the pro.

spinandscribble

But for every magicbastarder situation theres a k user situation, or a k user situation dressed up to soften the ego and made to appear like a magicbastarder situation. (did that make any sense?)

mlumley

Tell them you did one befor and it was a disaster and you wouldny want to spoil the memories of their big day, If that dont work, quote them a price more than a Pro would charge.

Shiny

I do small little photo jobs every now and again but the main reason I got into it was for fun. I have taken photos for couples as a wedding present a few times and it wasn't fun in the slightest to be honest.

You are taking photos with absolutely no emotion or satisfaction unlike say, landscape photography where you get to an optimum location, have everything set-up and capture a photo and think WOW! that's a cracker! Now I'm sure that is also possible with wedding photography also but in general I hated it. I also hated the days of processing which followed.

I now just point blank refuse to do weddings without any guilt whatsoever. I just tell them straight and that I don't have a price where I will give in.

bullpost

These days I tell anyone who asks that I'm happy to do the wedding but due to the diffraction limit of my camera optics they must avoid wearing anything green or red and stick with blue.

This is usually met with puzzled looks but funnily enough that's the last I hear about it.

WillyWonka

Tell them you'd love to but you have another paid job on that weekend (and they only way around is for them to pay you more)...I'm sure they'll change their tune then.

Or you simply don't have the right gear and as a result they shouldn't depend on you for any usable/professional photos.

Trigger76

WillyWonka wrote: »

Tell them you'd love to but you have another paid job on that weekend (and they only way around is for them to pay you more)...I'm sure they'll change their tune then.

Or you simply don't have the right gear and as a result they shouldn't depend on you for any usable/professional photos.

Brilliant suggestion subtle but to the point really.

Fajitas!

I really don't see the point in saying you don't have the right gear when you do, or you're going on holidays when you're not. Blatant honesty works best. Something like...

"Sorry, I'm really not interested in doing it."

"Sorry, I'm not a wedding/event/llama/etc photographer, I'd rather not do it."

"I think you might be better off with a photographer specialising in ________"

"I'd rather enjoy the ______ (Insert event here) without having to take care of my camera for the night."

...And so on, and all followed with "Thank you for asking though"

pixbyjohn

Fajitas! wrote: »

I really don't see the point in saying you don't have the right gear when you do, or you're going on holidays when you're not. Blatant honesty works best. Something like...

"Sorry, I'm really not interested in doing it."

"Sorry, I'm not a wedding/event/llama/etc photographer, I'd rather not do it."

"I think you might be better off with a photographer specialising in ________"

"I'd rather enjoy the ______ (Insert event here) without having to take care of my camera for the night."

...And so on, and all followed with "Thank you for asking though"

Commonsense

spinandscribble

Fajitas! wrote: »

"Sorry, I'm not a wedding/event/llama/etc photographer, I'd rather not do it."

..... followed with "Thank you for asking though"

thats all that needs to be said in any situation yup 100%.

I'd be tempted if it was friends of friends like previously mentioned (can't believe anyone would be that cheeky), just to tell them to Feck off, cheap asses.

magnumlady

Thanks for all your comments.

I ended up doing a communion 'afters'. For a friend of a friend. Was there for hours waiting for people to arrive. Did a dvd of pics, printed pics. Dropped them off.....nothing. Not even an offer of money for the cost of the pics and the DVD. Not even a thanks.

Will never do anything like it again. I hated every minute of it.

magicbastarder

if they can't even be bothered sending on a note of thanks, invoice them*.

*i would seriously love to see this happen.

DaireQuinlan

Say you can't do it because you're "going to a wedding" ... then turn up at THEIR wedding looking surprised and faintly bewildered.

spinandscribble

magnumlady wrote: »

Thanks for all your comments.

I ended up doing a communion 'afters'. For a friend of a friend. Was there for hours waiting for people to arrive. Did a dvd of pics, printed pics. Dropped them off.....nothing. Not even an offer of money for the cost of the pics and the DVD. Not even a thanks.

Will never do anything like it again. I hated every minute of it.

wow, not even the cost of the materials given over? even if they "imagined" it as your communion "gift", there's surely a pint and a thank you card expected.

magnumlady

magicbastarder wrote: »

if they can't even be bothered sending on a note of thanks, invoice them*.

*i would seriously love to see this happen.

I'm a bit pee'd off to be honest. I'm out of pocket with the printing (I'm delighted I used a cheap online company now).

magicbastarder

magnumlady wrote: »

I'm a bit pee'd off to be honest. I'm out of pocket with the printing (I'm delighted I used a cheap online company now).

seriously - make it known you want your costs covered. it's not for a friend, so they cannot hide behind the 'we thought it was a gift' excuse.

spinandscribble

Wait, this was a friend of a friend situation?? cheek:eek:

not even a simple thank you? unreal. bill her for materials and costs, letting her know while she did it as a favour to your mutual friend remind her the costs and a simple thank you is common manners.

magnumlady

I'm going to wait another week and if I don't hear anything I'm dropping the printing bill into them. As long as I get covered for printing that'll do.

It's a big lesson learnt for me and I wish I'd stuck to my guns and said no as I did for the wedding.

spinandscribble

magnumlady wrote: »

I'm going to wait another week and if I don't hear anything I'm dropping the printing bill into them. As long as I get covered for printing that'll do.

It's a big lesson learnt for me and I wish I'd stuck to my guns and said no as I did for the wedding.

I think thats fair, a week is as much time as they'd need.

Magnumlady, did they actually ask you for prints? Was there any agreement for anything like that before hand?

If they didn't ask for them (a lot of people seem to prefer digitals for Facebook and such now I do believe) then I wouldn't show up with a bill.


I did a communion photo session recently and didn't charge for it, but made it well known that I'd be happy to give free digital (resized, watermarked) images, but prints would be sold, and any prints sold, I would turn a profit on.

Haven't heard back from the people yet (though I do believe they want prints done) but it was all fairly out in the open from the first moment it was discussed. If there was never any mention of money with yourself and the people you shot for, I wouldn't go rushing out to invoice them (but that's just me, i wouldn't have given prints unexpectedly either, I don't think anyone would, so maybe they were expecting them, but i just thought i'd ask/clarify regarding the situation).

bernard0368

Weddings - communions, "I am sorry but the white balance on my camera is bust."