What does this sound like and what would you do?

[Pobbs]

A photographer friend of mine, who charges etc, and who graciously allows me to badger her with questions, tips, etc, just asked me what I thought this meant:

For context, this is the third email from the client, who asked how much to shoot her two sons, then accepted the 'quote'.

"Also i have my 10 year old niece living with me as her mum is a single parent in the RAAF and away for work so i am thinking it might be nice to get some photos of her as well as a surprise for her mum. So if possible can we also do another lot with her on the day?"

Does this sound like please throw in these shots for free?

I told my friend I think it does. She doesnt want to do them for free.

How would you handle it?

[Mark L]

I'm no expert, and we don't know the terms of the quote, but I'm thinking, time for a new quote.

- - - Updated - - -

"Id be happy to take some photos of your 10 year old niece. It would be a wonderful surprise for her mother. Please find attached my adjusted quote .........."

[ricktas]

Not enough information. If I was doing a family shoot (which is that this seems like from the info we have) then I would expect to shoot members of the family, whether that be one, two, three children. For all intents and purposes this child is part of this family.

So without knowing the full details of the negotiations, shoot, etc, I would say if the photographer is taking on a domestic family portraiture shoot, then the photographer should consider this child as part of that family portraiture shoot.

[Longshots]

Yep down to how that photographer prices their packages - do they do a "family" shoot, or do they charge for their time, or do they charge for the end product (ie prints or digital images) and charge sweet FA for the actual shooting, because the more shots they have of the darling niece would mean more opportunities of more actual image sales.

Who's in charge here, the client or the supplier ? Up to the supplier to decide.

So, not to sound unhelpful, but your photographer friend who charges, probably needs to get out more and ask more questions about the industry she's apparently involved in.

[ricktas]

The other thing here is "who graciously allows me to badger her with questions, tips, etc". Seems to me she is asking you for tips etc. If you are looking at learning photography and then taking your skills to the next level and starting a photography business yourself, I would be looking for a new mentor at this time.

[pearson]

I feel an adjusted quote is in order. The customer agreed on a quote to do a photo shoot of her two sons. Deal done. After the fact she has thrown in the niece as well. What is to stop her from bringing along say - the nephew and the other neice, and the other nephew , and so on, just to watch and then inevitably they end up in the shoot because to say "no, you cannot be photographed because you haven't been paid for" would lead to a very uncomfortable situation that your friend will likely take on the chin rather than ruin the shoot and hence not be paid for. If there are to be 'separate' photos taken of the niece this would constitute in my eyes a second shoot throwing out the equation of which the original quote was designed to satisfy - there has been another level of work created your friend needs to deal with. As the supplier, your friend needs to leave no doubt in the customer's mind as to what they will receive upon acceptance of a quote and perhaps the terms and conditions of her quote are not clear enough.

It's a little tricky and a situation in which your friend needs to use a bit of tact.

[Pobbs]

Ricktas I totally took your advice and sought a new mentor! This lady now works for a child modelling agency.

I have started my business and now onto my second (my second is in a specific genre and rebranding was best) and both are going great guns!