I have a few different family photography type projects in mind that I would like to see happen over the summer. You would think that having a whole bunch of photographer friends would make the decision a no-brainier, but it really doesn’t. See, I also know these people well enough to know what I am up against and I am not so sure I want to get into all of that.
In the case of one photographer, I simply don’t like his style or the way he edits. I have worked with him on projects before and we would butt heads constantly as we have very different tastes. Another will listen to all of my ideas but will simply go his own way and do what he wants to do to build his portfolio and I won’t end up with the finished product that I want. Others just simply don’t do “family friendly” stuff. It isn’t to say that any of them are incapable, I have just never seen this side of their work so maybe I can’t imagine it for myself.
And don’t get me wrong, I totally understand where they are coming from! Working in graphic design, I hate when people come to me with horrible ideas that I just can’t visualize and it makes things really tough for me. I remember retouching some head shots for a friend a few years back and she insisted on keeping them natural looking, but with each request she made they became more and more plastic and fake looking; not because of my editing, but because of what she wanted. She loved them in the end, but we were on totally different pages.
I am a creative person by nature; I have opinions, ideas, and photo editing knowledge as well. And I know that my ideas are not bad, they just need to be tweaked a little by the right person. So, while I respect the hobby/profession these people have, I also need them to respect my wishes.
I actually mentioned one idea in passing to one of these photographer friends and he automatically started planning out loud in a completely different direction. Politely, I told him not to get too far ahead of himself because I had someone else in mind. Offended, he asked me why I would go to someone I don’t even know. This made me realize that he wasn’t the only friend who would react this way, each and every one would comment about why I hadn’t used their services. Great!
There is a photographer in my area that many of my friends have used in the past and I absolutely love her work. I have talked to some people about their experiences with her as well and everyone has said that she always tries to make her customer as happy as possible and includes them in her creative process. And, I love her work! I don’t even need to tell her my ideas because everything that I have seen from her surpasses what I could come up with.
So yes, on one hand by choosing her I know I am going to offend others. But, on the other hand, if I choose one friend over another someone else is going to get offended anyway so I just can’t win. But, I can get some amazing family photos that I can proudly display and that’s all that matters at the end of the day!
So, apologies to those I do not choose, but it really isn’t personal… or, maybe I should say that these ideas are SO personal that’s why I am making this choice for myself.
