16th 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
