I was working in a photo studio which served only budget clients. There wasn’t budget for assistants, the place was very small and full of interior stuff. Clients used to pay for an hour glamor photography!?! Only the moving of the interior stuff in order to prepare a nice set up used to take about 15 minutes. I was running as Forest Gump to fix and change lights, to help with posing … I was more assistant than photographer.

How do you think? About which “B” do I write here? Were the clients satisfied from the photographer and the studio?

Nothing changed and I quit. I was invited to shoot for another studio with 4-6 times bigger budget. The clients had few hours more, for relax, make up, styling etc. Everybody in the studio were watching for the work of the photographer, helping with lights, gobos, reflectors, interior, fixing model’s clothes, hair and make up. There wasn’t unsatisfied clients in this studio.

We were creating Beauty.

Let me give you my simple advice. When you buy everyday stuff it’s normal to look for cheaper products and discounts – the first “B”, but if you pay for a product or a service which you order once a year or once in a life time it’s better to choose quality and reliability – the second “B”. When we speak in general this “B” is equal to Quality but in our case we buy and sell photo services and products and “B” stands for Beauty.

Few words about the wedding budgets. Now everybody can afford a photo camera. For me it’s the same to ask your colleague or neighbor to shoot your wedding than to pay funny budget for similar quality.

I was shooting on a budget and I didn’t have recommendations because I couldn’t produce the photo effects I wanted. My clients were getting average photos. I couldn’t spend much time on client’s photos cause I had to run for another budget client and another and another because the bills have to be payed. I couldn’t say “sorry I don’t have time for you”. I was stealing from my free time, another client’s time, my family time and sleep in order to prepare my client’s photos on a decent level.

Now I have different prices which include different gear and human resource. I can spend a whole day with a client or a week or even a month for a fancy wedding.
Now my clients receive what they want and what every client deserve – Beauty.

Peter Lane Photography – Destination Wedding Photography all around the world