Apologies if this isn’t allowed, it’s more of a rant. Just wondering how everyone deals with the whole family asking for free photos thing.
For context, I’m a professional fashion/commercial photographer so family portraits aren’t going to help my portfolio or anything. My schedule is incredibly busy year round, even more so during the holidays, and I’m also a mother of two young kids. So if I’m not in parent mode, I’m working- often until midnight, and then I’m awake around 5:30 with the kids. I know it sounds like I’m complaining and… well, I kind of am, but want to give an accurate picture of how little time I have available to be doing free photos.
So every year, my in-laws want a family session. Not just a quick snap but like a full session. And every year I do it because they’re my in-laws and I don’t want them to think badly of me. The one time I hinted at being annoyed at this yearly request they were flabbergasted, saying “I thought you liked photography? It doesn’t take much time, does it?” This year I feel like I might snap. I’ve been racing to meet deadlines for huge clients that I’ve worked hard to get and I keep getting sidetracked with all of these family shoots (it is also happening with friends, other relatives). It’s not just the shoot- it’s deciding a location, responding to lengthy texts about what to wear, doing the editing- you guys know. It’s never “just a few pics”.
How can I deal with this?! Do I need to just suck it up and be a nicer person? I’m just burnt out af. Help.
Yep. Learnt my lesson the hard way. I was doing weddings as an almost part - time job basis I had enough work. My cousin got engaged to her gf of 13 years (it wasn’t legal in our country then it was so she proposed)
I offered them free engagement photos on the basis I could use them for my business but I knew my style wasn’t there for the wedding and I assumed they’d hire someone else.
1 week before their wedding (it was very quick, under 2 months and it was organised) she sent me a list of photo poses they wanted and told me where to go and who to talk to. I was like “excuse me? I’m not taking the photos!”
Turns out my Dad had told them that I would do it and not once did they think to speak to me beforehand. I obviously did it because they were never going to find someone in 1 week but when I sent them my $4k bill (I worked 7am to 11pm for them covering a SHIT ton more than I normally do in weddings) they said my Dad said it was free. I said nope. Served them the bill then when they didn’t pay I stopped doing family photos of friends and family and I’ve been to their house many times and not one photo of their wedding is hanging anywhere