10 September, 2013

Here We Go Again

It's happened again... some knucklehead who thinks that it's wrong to make money in your business. Last night a woman contacted me about shooting her wedding next month. First off, waiting this late is NEVER a good idea to find a photographer. It just so happens that the Saturday she was getting married is the only Saturday in October that I'm not booked, and I really was not wanting to fill it because I'd like to have time with my family, but she told me that they did not want the reception, only the some pictures before and after the ceremony. Normally my smallest wedding package is $600 but I offered to do it for her for $400 and I was not even going to charge her mileage, even though it was going to be an hour away from here. I thought I was being more than fair. 
She didn't.

She fires back at me that I was trying to rip them off and she would not stand for it. She told me that she would give me $300 to do the job and that she wanted a leather wedding album, all prints and the CD with a copyright release. I told her that was impossible, that it would cost me more to do that job than what I'd be charging. She went off on how I was just trying to make money off people and called me a con artist. 
Wait... have I missed something? I thought the idea of running a business was to make money? Am I right... or did I miss the memo. She actually said that she thought I could give her the album and more than 100 photos for less than $100.  I don't know what planet she has been on, but she has no clue. I told her that I was not interested and wished her good luck. She has emailed me twice since then and called again just a few minutes ago telling me that she is desperate because she can't find a photographer. I told her that I was trying not to be rude, but that she was demanding and insulting and that for what she was asking for a package that would be more in line with $800 - $1000. She admitted that others had told her even more than that, and then, believe it or not, she offered me $350 to do the job. I told her that my time with my family was worth more to me than that, thanked her and hung up.

Where in the world do these people come from?

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