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I thought i would ask everyone if they take a non refundable deposit when taking a booking for a shoot. I up until now have not taken a deposit but due to people not turning up now feel it is necessary. Some people phone up and say their baby is ill and has not slept all night and some say they can get transport e.t.c Also some dont refer to my website until after booking and are maybe put of by prices. e.t.c e.t.c Bla Bla Bla. I am now going to request that a non refundable £30 deposit for the studio session is payed 7 days prior to booking. I am fed up getting up at the weekend setting up studio for people to fail to turn up. I think that sociaty is ignorant towards photographers and people seem to lack common decency. Has anyone had any similar experiences and how to you react to this. james
What if the baby was ill, what if it hadnt slept all night.
Would you rather take the photos simply to get the money and have photos that really arent that good cause the child was cranky and the parents worn out.
Or would you rather say come back next week and get better results.
I think for you it is just about money, myself i would rather get decent photos that the parents are happy with. For me that is more important because:-
a) the parents would be happy and they will more likely recommend you and
b) others are seeing happy smiley photos and are more likely to book you.
How about offering another date if the reason is genuine?
Having your photo taken should be fun, not a chore 
I agree to an extent Ian but its not all about money. I enjoy photography alot but i dont like getting my time wasted when i have taken say half an hour to set up the studio and waited around for someone turning up. I know babys turn ill easily but it is the parents problem and i dont see why the photographer should suffer. Part of my interest in photography is a hobby but at the same time i feel i should do something to ensure i dont come away empty handed if people dont turn up. james
Yup - deposit is an entirely necessary evil - nobody's booked in with me 'til I have a deposit. It is, unfortunately all about money when it's your living! You can still offer them another date.
i dont dispute that getting a deposit is getting commitment and you should do that if its your business, thats basic common sense.
you do need to offer another date though as i would not buy a picture of a cranky child who didnt want to be there.
James
Reading through your many posts, you seem to have a lot of trouble with every bit of equipment you have bought, I have some of the gear you have complained about and have had many years of excellent service out of them, Personally I think there seems to be only one common factor with every bit of kit you have bought and used, and the common factor is YOU! Many people on this site have given you enough advice and information to help you get the best out of your camera and lenses but you just insist on complaining about your gear, not following people’s advice and selling it to buy something else to complain about. If you are charging people for a service you should at least know your equipment and how to get the best out of it, at least for your paying customer’s benefit. I have taken many baby portraits, and if the mother says the baby is not well, then the baby is not well. A couple of times I have taken all my studio equipment to a clients house, set up the studio and not been able to take any photo’s because the baby has decided to practice it’s screaming and crying skills. You will get a lot more respect from her if you show some sympathy and ask if she would like to book another for another time, One unhappy mother can loose you a lot of business, however one happy mother is always a repeat customer and they just love to show off their photo’s, which in turn gets you more customers. However, tell her you are going to charge her 30 pounds because her baby was ill and I guarantee you will never see her or any of her friends with their children in your studio. If you have to get up and set up your studio on a weekend then photography is obviously not your only income, so if a client is unable to keep and appointment I suggest you take this spare time to practice and get to know all the new gear you have bought this week.
Edgie
James, take a deposit. If someone just doesn't bother to turn up, they lose it. If someone calls you with a good reason why they can't come, arrange another appointment. As others have said, you don't want to be trying to take photos of a squalling child!
Many of Jame's problems are of his own making, however if people simply fail to turn, that's hardly his fault. I'm not a pro, but to me, a deposit seems necessary. It's very easy to say the baby is ill, it might be, it might just be an excuse, and if they are not going to be penalised for not turning up, there is not a lot of incentive to turn up.
There are people here seemingly quite prepared to waste their time and not charge for it, that's fine, but if you get a few a week not turning up, you aren't going to make much of a living. And presumably, that's what he is in the business for. Offer another date by all means, but what's to say they won't do the same next time.
Quote: Reading through your many posts, you seem to have a lot of trouble with every bit of equipment you have bought, I have some of the gear you have complained about and have had many years of excellent service out of them, Personally I think there seems to be only one common factor with every bit of kit you have bought and used, and the common factor is YOU!
Another Fan James!!!!!
Quote: Reading through your many posts, you seem to have a lot of trouble with every bit of equipment you have bought, I have some of the gear you have complained about and have had many years of excellent service out of them, Personally I think there seems to be only one common factor with every bit of kit you have bought and used, and the common factor is YOU!
Quote: Another Fan James!!!!!
Home James! LOL!
Quote: James
Reading through your many posts, you seem to have a lot of trouble with every bit of equipment you have bought, I have some of the gear you have complained about and have had many years of excellent service out of them, Personally I think there seems to be only one common factor with every bit of kit you have bought and used, and the common factor is YOU! Many people on this site have given you enough advice and information to help you get the best out of your camera and lenses but you just insist on complaining about your gear, not following people’s advice and selling it to buy something else to complain about. If you are charging people for a service you should at least know your equipment and how to get the best out of it, at least for your paying customer’s benefit. I have taken many baby portraits, and if the mother says the baby is not well, then the baby is not well. A couple of times I have taken all my studio equipment to a clients house, set up the studio and not been able to take any photo’s because the baby has decided to practice it’s screaming and crying skills. You will get a lot more respect from her if you show some sympathy and ask if she would like to book another for another time, One unhappy mother can loose you a lot of business, however one happy mother is always a repeat customer and they just love to show off their photo’s, which in turn gets you more customers. However, tell her you are going to charge her 30 pounds because her baby was ill and I guarantee you will never see her or any of her friends with their children in your studio. If you have to get up and set up your studio on a weekend then photography is obviously not your only income, so if a client is unable to keep and appointment I suggest you take this spare time to practice and get to know all the new gear you have bought this week.
Edgie
What has this got to do with taking a deposit. You must be in a bad mood today and just want to have a dig at someone.james
I take a deposit, amount depending on session length, to cover studio fees should the people not show up or cancel at very late notice, (I’m not keen on paying to sit in an empty studio) for that deposit they can rebook a session or walk away and loose their deposit, if they show up the deposit is deducted from their final payment.
To be fair I have never had a deposit paying no show, it probably sorts out the can’t be bothered from the genuinely unable to make the booking.
I think what i will do is take a deposit and if they need to cancel due to unforseen circumstances i will allow them to book another date before loosing their deposit. james
Agree with Simon-P. People today seem to have no regarg to appointments or timekeeping, unless (sometimes) it costs them lost deposits. I came over to UK from Ireland to do a shoot for a family, which because of their timepressures never took place. Yhis was last week and am still fuming. So can sympathise with James
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