One of the saddest questions you could ask your photographer: can I get it for free?

I remember many times when I worked in the dental field that people would come into our office with a tooth ache. We would diagnose the tooth needed a root canal, and they would refuse to pay for it, and end up having us take the tooth out. Then once it came to checking out, they would either A. ask for a discount, or B. refuse to pay entirely. The dentist would get upset, the front office would get in trouble, and we would joke around in the back room how you don’t go to the grocery store, have the cashier ring up all your food, and then say “well actually, I didn’t make as much money as I thought I was going to this week, so I’m just going to come back and pay in two weeks. Okay?”

I’d make this face….

Nope.

Doesn’t work that way.

I mean sure, the little credit card reader always asks “Is $450.84 okay?” and you want to scream at it that it’s NOT ok. It’s definitely not ok. But you still have to pay that $450.84. So this made me think of this question that comes up too often.

“Can I get it for free?”

There are times that I give things away to people. When people are deserving, or they’re super sweet, or I’m feeling like I need to do a little good in the world, I’ll go out of my way to do a shoot for free. Those times that someone tells me “you’ll get GREAT exposure.” Chances are, you won’t. And really, when was the last time “exposure” made you money.

I can’t think of any.

It makes me sad when I hear those six little words. It makes me feel like my work doesn’t hold any sort of value. It makes me feel like my time isn’t worth money to them, and it doesn’t matter. And the more it happens, the more sad I get.

Luckily, I have been pretty fortunately lately. I have the sweetest clients. I work with the most amazing people, and I really can only remember one time recently that someone asked me to do something “for free” (and it wasn’t even a client-it was business…booooo).

When it comes down to it, this is my business, my livelihood, and just like I wouldn’t come to your shop and ask you to dish out all your time and your goods, I just ask for the same courtesy. 🙂

I’d rather make this face… 😉