5 Tips to make your photography clients happy

International lifestyle, wedding and commercial photographer, Fiona Clair, has a distinctively romantic, yet modern fashion-inspired style. Some of her high-profile fashion clients include Finlay and Co., and international sunglass brand, and Shaea, a luxury safari clothing brand. She also does test shoots with models and, on occasion, family portraits with an artistic, documentary-style approach.

If Fiona could choose any model, brand and location for the shoot of her dreams, it would be outdoors somewhere along the South African West Coast with two fashion models that know how to work the camera and infuse the set with electric energy. Whilst focusing on playing with good light, her support team, comprising fashion and hair stylists, and a make-up artist, will get everything else ready to a T. Even better, if she could choose the client: “I would love to shoot for Spell & The Gypsy with models Maya Stepper and Kaia Gerber at Paternoster.”

Whether you’re shooting a wedding or commercial, your number one goal is to ensure that your client walks away satisfied with the work they’ve received from you and that they are happy to do business with you again.

1. Is your client aware of and do they completely understand your photographic style and its implications for the shoot? This is particularly important for wedding photography – do they want a documentary or a more posed approach, and can you deliver what they want?
2. With commercial shoots, ask the brand for a good set of reference images so that you’re both on the same page when it comes to envisioning the end product.
3. Before accepting the job, ask about the details – what is their expected timeline and how many images do they want? This will help streamline the workflow.
4. Also, always confirm whether editing, and how much, is required. Fiona doesn’t offer in-depth Photoshop editing services so, if necessary, she’ll budget for outsourced editing.
5. For wedding photography, make sure that the bride and groom know what to expect from the final product. Fiona offers all images in colour and many copies in black and white too. She never gives a client the raw images. Make sure that your contract covers all the finer details to avoid misunderstandings. The contract is also a backup in case questions arise later on.

“Deliver a good product, be nice to work with and work hard!”