ME and MY CLIENT- we go formal

16^th May, 2013

It was café palette. My friend and I were doing a project together and waiting for our clients to arrive. I was pretty cool at start, just worried about how much to charge them. Didi did help me in the morning making my price sheet, chalking out the possible marketing schemes and making PARIDHI JAIN|PHOTOGRAPHY a brand. So I was determined to charge some random 10k for our first big project.

The meeting started with the owner of a beverage factory shaking hands with DB and me. We literally had to get up as he arrived with his thick Black Diary and a parker pen tucked to its hardcover. We discussed a few details and he showed us his product which we were required to shoot. We waited for the designer of the bottle, who was supposed to be our lead here. A lady with red streaks, a nice figure and a pretty good smile entered and as a ritual all three stood up again and shook hands. After introducing who is who to the girl she asked us, “So guys show me your work.”

Hehe. Errr. What bey. WE thought you have already seen it on that FB page of mine and contacted me. Although I managed to say that, my inner self sighed for it’s been one year and I haven’t spent a penny on few of the most important things to start a business in photography. I had no business cards to give to people. I had no portfolio to show them my work. They shook their heads saying, "a no they haven’t " and emphasizing that they would like to see our work first. (Well obviously!) But I had nokia E5 and DB BB which was of no good to show our pictures there and then. I drowned in more into my pool of negative thoughts.  

We ordered 3 café frappe’s and an omelet sandwich mean while. By the time it arrived she started to shatter my confidence even more. Her authoritative skills was to admire about although I detested the over demanding nature. She was one of those blabber kinds, but I accepted that too considering the two had been involved with their bottle designing and more for the past two years. She constantly kept bugging me with her question whether we would be able to do what she expected or not; Keeping in mind all the details she wanted from us, one part of my brain was asking me to increase the price up to 15k or even more and the other side kept thinking practically if I could actually manage to do a table top photography which I had no experience of. Only I knew it required great deal of lights and flashes; and I had none!  

The order arrived, I was happy even if at the end we declined to do this, we were getting a free coffee. No I wasn’t really happy. She asked me which camera I owned. I replied faithfully to which she reacted like, haww will that be enough! I was like bitch, what do you know about photography!?  Then came the worst answer, something you should never ever say to a SINCERE photographer! “My friend has this 2lakh camera and her results are awesome as compared to mine”

Purposefully wrote the sincere in Caps for I don’t want to include every tom dick and harry who are increasing at a great pace these days and for every random click they have their watermark reading TOMDICKHARRY|PHOTOGRAHY written in the most atrocious font.

Now she had to end it; End scrolling down her i-phone to show me a friend’s click form that 2lakh S.O.B.. I gave her a bold answer which every photographer (sincere) must! Madame (bitch) it’s not just camera, it’s also lights and lens! And it’s also people with an eye to click! Phew I felt like one feels when he pisses after holding it for a really long time. Finally she ended questioning my skills and cheering us up by telling her experience designing the bottle and that she was no girl with a designer degree. She read a lot and finally came up with this cute little bottle for the company. Both DB and me nodded and sipped our frappes while she stirred the cream in her glass to make it thicker.

For few peaceful minutes it was she talking to her friend and me to mine.  Our chat ended but they still continued, finally the meeting was coming to an informal shocking ending. Shocking because I just overheard the phrase ‘my husband’ in her friendly chit chat with the guy. Oops so the girl with red streaks and a cool apparel was a woman, AGE- 29! WOW! Kudos!  

We shook hands again and left. Remember we didn’t pay the bill! We didn’t have to ask them to give us a treat or to fight as to who will pay; we didn’t have to divide the money in four or to come home in guilt for not contributing. It was simple. We were in a meeting and they were our clients who wanted our services. So they pay. As simple as that!

At 19,

Pakhi