How to screw up and look like an amateur photographer, BIGTIME

Recently I did a shoot for a client I had been seeking to land for nearly 5 years. It was today that I learned two of my most important lessons in photography thus far, and a couple less important ones as well. After five years of shooting automotive editorial, I had become comfortable with the wsy lesser magazines have allowed me to shoot, and knowing full well how to be excellent at what I do, these magazines simply didn’t have as high a standard, I could work fast and still make them happy so it didn’t matter. When faced with the new client I fell into the same old groove and used the same technique as always but that wasn’t enough. I got cocky. This client is one of the pinnacle automotive magazines in the country, to have the oppertunity is an honor and I let carelessness mixed with bad habits developed while shooting for less demanding clients screw it up. This isn’t a mistake I will ever let happen again but will they give me a second chance? That has yet to be determined. Editors don’t have alot of time on their hands, so when you send samples don’t expect they would say something if they had an issue, they may not have had time to look.

Let the lessons be:
1. Never accept “ok” because its good for the client
2. If you know the right way, do it.
3. If you are unsure of the clients needs, ask.
4. When you do screw up, and you will, don’t do it twice.
5. Pray they give you a second shot.
6. NEVER get cocky.

I stand before you an extremely experienced, extremely educated, extremely humbled photographer kicking the hell out of his ego and himself for making an amateur error.

-James

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