At the start of every year, people make their way to social media to complain about how photographers run their businesses. Newly engaged couples express their frustration about our detailed contact forms and our requirement for a video call. At the same time, business coaches tell us we’re driving potential clients away over said contact forms and video calls. Though I’m not usually one to engage in these online debates, this topic is one I do want to weigh in on. Because there’s a good reason we have implemented these practices.
When I first started, I accepted every client who came my way. While I loved working with most of them, some sessions and weddings didn’t turn out as well as they could have. Over time, I noticed these clients had one thing in common: they weren’t willing to properly prepare for our work together. To them, booking a photographer seemed just another task to check off their to-do list. And I can’t blame them — it wasn’t their responsibility to know what I needed to create the one-of-a-kind galleries I deliver to my clients.
Now that I know better, I have proper systems in place. It starts with you answering the questions on my contact form and scheduling a short video call with me. I ask these things not to create extra work or annoy you, but because we both need to know if we’re a good fit. This is the simplest way to find out.
Let’s say you’re planning your elopement and dream of hiking through the mountains for several days — which sounds absolutely wonderful. But if you only mentioned that you were looking for an elopement photographer, and I let you book my services with just this information, we’d have a problem. While I love spending time in the mountains, my ability to join you depends entirely on the level of hiking you have planned. Wouldn’t you rather know that before paying your invoice?
Or imagine you fall in love with the work on my website and book a portrait session. We exchange emails about the details but never meet face-to-face before the actual session. Then, on the day, we discover our personalities don’t click — which rarely happens, but I’ve experienced it before. While I can still capture beautiful photos regardless of our connection, a personality mismatch can significantly impact your experience and comfort during the session.
So, the video call isn’t an audition where I judge your looks or personality. It’s simply a chance for us to get to know each other and see if we’d enjoy working together. This goes both ways — you might decide I’m not the right photographer for you. And isn’t it better to discover that before your session or wedding rather than during it?
