Senior Portraits?

Question:An aquantance asked me to take her daughters senior pictures at the beach. I have taken another mutual friends family portrait and they were quite happy with it. I like doing photography as a hobby...not necessarily the pressure of a buisness. I don't want the negative feed back of clients. Should I do it anyway? I think she expects it basically free. Any ideas of how I could get some unique shots?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: An aquantance asked me to take her daughters senior pictures at the beach. I have taken another mutual friends family portrait and they were quite happy with it. I like doing photography as a hobby...not necessarily the pressure of a buisness. I don't want the negative feed back of clients. Should I do it anyway? I think she expects it basically free. Any ideas of how I could get some unique shots?

You're going to spend the day doing this for free (plus a gallon or two for gas to get there and back).

If you are confident that the photos will be good, then don't lose any sleep on it. If you like the results, hopefully they will, too. Give the girls the instant feedback on the LCD screen and they should be able to tell you how much they like / dislike the photo(s).

Another thing is if the parent complains--tell her it didn't cost her anything (rather than, "what did you expect?") They will learn their lesson and get a pro next time.

I don't like cheapskates. If they are not going to pay, then their expectation should be as low. You do the best you can (take a lot so they have many to choose from)--and hope that they might refer you to someone else (who will pay you money).

Find a beach that has nice scenery and hopefully some shady areas and just pose the girl in these spots. Seniors are usually great subjects and game for anything, so just go out there and have fun, the poses and ideas will come to you.

If you are not confident, then decline.