The Power of No- How Turning Down Projects Can Improve Your Photography Work. Photography Mentoring & Education, Devon, UK
It’s been a weird couple of months… A flurry of illnesses (*cough* Covid) a lack of inspiration in my projects and about a gazillian emails to reply to which had me panicking about getting on top of things, upset at the thought of people waiting on me and culminating in me grabbing a coffee, sitting down and powering through like the pro life juggler that I am.
So this week I really wanted to focus on a common theme that appears during my mentoring sessions (see above). That awful feeling of doing a project that doesn’t fit with our business, style, editing etc…
It has been instilled into us that we should be grateful for work when it comes along. I still have an inner battle when I’m approached with a project that doesn’t excite me. I can hear a voice in my head saying “why would you turn the money down?" and indeed- why on earth would I?!
Part of me thinks that I should suck it up, just do it and don’t share the images, whereas the other (creative) side of me stubbornly sits, cross legged and scowls.
She is the one that I will ultimately listen to- she is the one who is always right. After 34 years of experience as a person on this earth, and 11 as a professional Photographer, I know what I want to be saying with my work, the style of the work, the voice and the way that I spend my time. In my eyes any time away from my children, doing the things that I love had better be worth it and must contribute in other ways- (monetarily, yes but also…) towards my portfolio, filling my up my cup and towards the message that I am trying to get across.
Saying no can be incredibly liberating.
From that client who gives you the warning signs that they are going to be an awkward one, travelling too far, the wrong location, insisting on changing your style, wearing (and perhaps not compromising) on styling of the set/clothes… the list goes on and, as I mentioned above, if they aren’t filling your cup then you are gaining far less from working with them.
If they aren’t sparking joy then are they ‘your client’?
And after all- isn’t that the whole point? To find your people. YOUR CLIENTS. Every business knows exactly who their ideal client is, their age, job, class, marital status, what car they drive etc… a picture is drawn up so that their marketing isn’t wasted on the people who will never buy from them, instead it is focused on their targeted audience.
A few years ago I said no. Then I said no again and with each time it got easier.
I focused and regrouped, I targeted my work to the people who loved it, who appreciated it and who became my very best clients. They understood at a deeper lever that it is art to me and what I create is more than just a photo, it is a freeze frame of love, memories encapsulated, political statements screamed from inside of an image.
I will never say no to them, these are the people who inspire me, push my work forwards and give me the incredible focus that has brought me to where I am today.
