So I have a client, let’s call them “The Institute for Quantum Computing“, or “IQC” for short. Now let’s say that IQC hires me every now and then to take care of their photographic needs. Well let’s go back in time and visit my first job with IQC before we get to the real topic at hand. They asked me to cover an event and I did. I billed them, they paid, they received their images and were very happy. I was very happy because everyone at IQC is kind of awesome, and I also got to meet a legend (to me) and I had a blast. Bla bla bla my job rocks. Now IQC had another event, and I know I did a great job for them the first time, and I was prompt polite and professional (aha! the three P’s of photography!.. well not really but) and so for them it was a no brainer. They hired me again and I had yet another wonderful time doing a job I loved to begin with. At this point it’s already safe to call IQC a repeat customer. I know that they’re happy with their images and I know that I did a great job. So what does this mean?

Well, as a photographer, you can overcharge people to get the most out of a job, or you can half-ass the editing or simply not have great energy, or use some equipment that’s questionable at the professional level or well.. etc… All this might gain you a shiny penny come the day of the job, but if anyone has ever had real repeat clients, you’ll know how much fun it is to go see them, with an already established relationship, and get the work done well, get paid again and have everything wrap up nicely. Half-assing this process will lose that potential for repeat business. Repeat clients are so great because they come back! Not only that but they have a knack for recommending you to other potential clients. So losing this potential is a massive flaw.

If you put your true effort behind your work, that tiring act of selling yourself, which I know you do, and I know you hate doing, will not be as necessary. After a period of time, you might only need to have a handful of clients to make your yearly income respectable. I know that I cherish my repeat clients a bit more than most. That’s not to say I care less about the one-off jobs, not at all actually. What I mean is that I know that through these repeat clients especially I will see major gains in my business.

Now of course we do have other repeat clients as well as IQC. I just had to mention them because of how much fun it is to actually shoot for them. There exists a chance that one of the employees over there will read this post, and I hope they don’t take me too seriously when I say that: I would probably come down to their institute for free, to shoot or not.. that’s how much fun I have while there. It’s great to know that I’ll be back there and I can look forward to a another gig sometime in the future.

Take care of your clients, and they will surely take care of you.

David Dvir