Rebidding a Quote

So I got a phone call the other day asking for a quote on 40 doctors for a new website. It would require going to 4 hospitals whenever the doctors may be free for a quick 5 minutes or less of their time. There would be no staging. Where ever they may happen to be is how I take the shot.

This would take a lot of maneuvering on my part to be available whenever, to travel to 4 local hospitals, and not be able to stage the setting to give that doctor a “picture with personality!”  I gave the individual a terrific quote. She said she knew me and saw me work an event through the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce and would be happy to work with me. Oh, and she said, “by the way, I will be asking another photographer for their quote and if it is lower than yours, I’ll give you a call so you can rebid your quote!”

That’s the way our industry is going. Geez!

Backups

I was asked today by a mom looking for a professional photographer for her son’s bar mitzvah, “what about your backups?”  I had no idea what she was talking about at first. Then we got into a discussion about the various weddings she had attended recently, and how the photographer never showed up. YIKES! That would never happen with Joan Heffler Photography. No way! No how! I have backups!  Whether a wedding, corporate, or event,  I have a cadre of professional photographers in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga Counties who I network with and share with on a regular basis. If something happens to me, I get on the internet and shout out for a replacement and in a nano-moment, I am covered.

And that is what a real professional is all about!   Amen!

Having a good personality will get your everywhere!

Life as a photographer is so much easier if you have a good personality. You can get right in there and make people feel so much more at ease when you “play” with them while smiling and engaging them in conversation. I am not talking about the weather. I am talking about something like this: ” That sweater you’re wearing is just perfect for our photo session today. So glad we had the opportunity to talk about what clothing to wear before our shoot. ”  What a difference it makes in the quality of the photo session; whether a studio portrait session, an event, a corporate photography shoot, a wedding or bar or bat mitzvah. Engaging your audience with your good personality smoothes out the day.

A good personality will get you “Pictures with Personality!”