I find when taking on a new client, it’s important to take the time to listen. I am asked, what is the most important skill needed to be a photographer? I always will reply, it’s the skill of listening. I have found that it is a skill in constant and continual development.
Listening to my client or a potential one makes me better informed of their expectations. It arms me with the necessary tools to better execute the photography I have been hired to perform.
I ask all types of questions about their life and goals. What will they be using the images for? Who will be the viewers of the photos? Where will the images live?
Some may think it is invasive to ask so many questions or to develop a dialogue with your client, however, I have never had a client reject the time to connect. I have found from my experience I have shot better photographs for doing so. Listening builds trust.
“A good thirty minutes of dialogue make the soil ready for planting the seeds for an excellent twenty minutes of shooting”.
I conclude with this thought; when you are researching to hire a photographer. Make sure they know how to listen. You might gain a friend in the process.🙂