subject: Even Photographers Need Great People Skills [print this page] Besides pushing the shutter down, a photographer must have other skills. He or she must be able to make his/her clients feel comfortable. It' important to have people skills and they need to be appropriate depending with the situation of the shoot.
In order to take beautiful and attention grabbing photos, a photographer needs skills. All in one, it's an art and a business. But if your lack people skills, so will your business. Your photography business won't succeed if you don't know how to make your clients feel relaxed or comfortable. That's where your people skills come in. It's possible for them to come back and be your long-term clients if they feel comfortable taking pictures with you. However, you may lose your clients if you fail to make them feel comfortable.
Great People Skills for Photographers
The Importance of Eye Contact: Line up the shot then step away from the camera if you're going to take someone's picture when using a tripod. When your instructing them on their position or angle, always remember to keep eye contact. This technique is a lot better than talking to your client while looking through the camera. Talking to them while looking through your camera can make them feel along and uncomfortable. Remember to maintain eye contact and keep your tone relaxed and conversational so your client would feel more comfortable. Since talking to the camera for the entire session would make your client feel uncomfortable, it's possible they wouldn't want to return.
Why Interaction is Important You need to keep the interaction going throughout the entire session. Your client needs to feel like they're talking to a friend, so make conversation, instruct them on their position, and give them compliments. If you want to earn their trust, then watch the tone of your voice, make good conversation, and make sure your body language projects a relaxed attitude. If you're a shy person then this would be quite difficult. But you can still learn how to be more open with your clients. Ask your family and friends for help or you can practice on your own. Put yourself in your client's shoes and imagine how they feel.
