From Awkward to Awesome: How to Make Your Clients Feel Comfortable During a Photography Session
As a budding freelance photographer, I have found that shooting with strangers can be awkward (especially as an awkward person myself). Being a photographer, I find it easy to hide behind my camera, and I like to go about my job silently, focusing on what I am creating. Because of that, photographers like me are not typically known for their people skills. But the key to a happy client is photos that make them feel confident and beautiful. Trust me, you can always tell in a photo when the client feels uncomfortable, and you want them to look and feel relaxed. So today I am sharing with you some tips for how to make clients feel more comfortable, so you can take photos of glowing, happy clients and receive enthusiastic recommendations from satisfied clients!
Small talk: Ask the client to tell you more about themselves. Ask about their job and what they do for a living. Do they have any kids? What made them want to get pictures done? And you can even sneak in a question about how they heard about you: did they find you on Instagram or Facebook? Did a friend refer them? You don't want to dive into it and stick a camera in your client’s face as soon as they step out of the car, give them time to mentally prepare, and start a conversation before you start. Once you have started a conversation, you can continue it while you shoot and avoid awkward silence. Plus, getting to know their personality and mannerisms can help you properly portray them through your photos.
Go over some inspiration: Ask the client what they are hoping to get out of the shoot and if they have any pictures for inspiration. This will not only help them open up more, and get excited about the pictures you are about to create together, it also helps you plan the shoot and get an idea of what style of shooting or editing they are hoping for. When you have a good idea of what they are looking for, it will be easier for you to do your best to make them happy with their results. Because that’s the whole idea of freelance photography, you are no longer creating for yourself, but for the client. It helps to make the client feel that they are in charge, even if they don’t know what they are doing.
Grab a drink or bite to eat before you begin: If you have some extra time, it can be nice to loosen up and get to know each other while doing something other than awkwardly standing around trying to pose or taking pictures while chit-chatting. If it won’t interrupt or shorten the flow of the shoot, grab a drink or bite to eat nearby while you get to know each other. You can even grab a few candid pictures once they are feeling more comfortable, if they are okay with it, so they can get used to the camera. Just tell them to ignore you and the camera, and continue talking and laughing.
Play some music: Music brings people together. I would suggest investing in and bringing a small portable Bluetooth speaker. I use the JBL Flip Portable wireless speaker (not sponsered): its the perfect size so it will fit in a backpack or camera bag, it gets pretty loud so you can put in on the ground nearby or across the room with the rest of your stuff and you will still hear it, and the battery lasts a while so as long as you charge it before you leave it will last your whole shoot without needing to be plugged in. It can help fill the awkward silence, you can discuss common interests in songs or artists, and it will help the client loosen up if you play songs they like and know.
Show them the poses: While you are warming up and getting into the swing of it, they might not know how to stand or pose, or feel comfortable with you shouting directions at them. And that can come across on camera as awkward and weird as it feels. So put down the camera for a second and get down in the dirt with them, show them exactly what you are picturing instead of trying to direct them from behind the camera.
Don't rely on your first few shots: No matter what you do, the first couple of pictures will always look awkward. In all my time shooting I’ve almost never loved the first 5-10 pictures. So just keep shooting, the more you shoot together the more comfortable you will get and the better pictures you’ll end up with. The goal with client shoots is to make the client relaxed and comfortable, and remember not every single shot will be gold. But that’s the miracle of digital cameras you can shoot away and edit out the blurry and grainy or stiff and awkward pictures later.
Want to learn more about this topic?
This post has very insightful tips on interacting with clients, how to direct them to get your shot, and how to make your clients feel relaxed.
This post has more great tips on interacting with clients. They give you ideas of what to talk about and how to avoid awkward silences.
