one of the things that my recent clients have told me about why they decided to hire me over other photographers they contacted to request quotes was that in my message to them, i treated them like human beings rather than a payday.

the first time i heard this, i was really surprised, because it just wouldn’t occurs to me to treat humans like anything other than humans. but i suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that there are photographers out there who maybe don’t really like people and only deal with them because it’s the only way to make a living doing photography. or who have been in the trenches so long that they forget that while for them professional photography is an everyday thing, for their clients, it is a very special thing.

i guess the reason i’m posting this is twofold. first, i want to impress upon anyone who is looking to start making money at photography the importance of having empathy for your clients, of being kind, thoughtful and sensitive to your clients’ needs and ambitions. and secondly, it is to remind future me, when i’ve been at it for a longer period of time, not to fall into the same trap as these other photogs who have lost sight of why they became photographers in the first place.

don’t worry, i’m not going to drone on about this, but let me end with a point. every interaction matters. with every person. whether they’re a client or just someone you bump into on the street. you never know when our how you might run into that stranger you were rude to again in the future, and they might be the gatekeeper between you and something you’re trying to attain or achieve in this life. if there is nothing else that drives you to be kind, let that be your motivation.

treat people well in your everyday life and it will come as second nature to do the same for your prospective clients. and since i have actual evidence to back this up, i can say confidently that they will appreciate it. it might even be the difference between getting hired or getting passed on for another photographer.