r-e-s-p-e-c-t

I refused a customer this morning.

That is to say, I wrote and sent an ambiguous email stating that I would not be working with them, but not why, and a text message telling them that I would not be making our 10am meeting.

I'm disappointed in myself that I couldn't just call him and tell him, but I've never really been able to do that sort of thing. Well, I can do it with people I know and the one and only time I ever dumped someone by letter was when I was fifteen, and even then we weren't even going out. It was more of a request to stop stalking me.

Like I say, I was ambiguous in my email as to why, advice I heeded from LB before he left for work. For some reason he felt that the truth of the matter wouldn't have gone down very well. The truth being that I think the customer is going to be a nightmare to work with and that I don't need that kind of stress. He haggled the price over the phone with me for about four days, so much so that I started ignoring his calls, preferring to continue picking dead bugs out of the fog lights of the car with my fingernails than have to speak with him.

Photography is stressful enough without people questioning their own decision to go with you, hoping that the extra £25 pounds they're paying you for less product than what your 'competition' is willing to offer is worth it. Honestly, I've never had a customer make me feel quite so angry before. My prices are already at the 'budget' end. To have someone come along and try to take more off you for what they probably imagine is a walk in the park job wise is really insulting. Because it isn't a walk in the park. It actually takes years of hard work and practice to be even vaguely competent like I am.

And all of this over a event that is happening in less than two weeks. What made me decide to pull out ultimately was the realisation that I was going to be cutting into post production time for the photographs of a couple that I actually like. A couple who organised and paid for me months ago. A couple who appreciate that my prices are already so reasonable it's untrue. A couple who haven't had the hide to haggle with me then insist that I "not let them down".

I feel better for having weaseled my way out of it, but I don't like that I have turned off my phone to avoid any calls from him. I wish I was stronger when it came to this sort of thing. If I called him what would he say, really? Tell me how disappointed he is? Tell me I've let him down? Probably and to be honest, that's the stuff I don't want to hear. Because it isn't true. I haven't let anyone down. He let himself down when he became so disrespectful and my reaction is just a product of someone else's poor behaviour.

It's possible that I have saved myself from quite a bit of heartache. The only other customer that has really upset me over the years was one quite early doors who expected far more than what his money was buying. Working with someone like that again would be damaging to my ever so fragile artists ego. Maybe when I'm a bit older and made of firmer stuff. Or maybe not at all. No one likes to be disrespected.

This week has been the most work I've done in a very long time and boy, have I noticed it. At any rate, I've put the photo book side of things to bed and you can view the cover and the first fifteen pages of said book here. Hell, you can buy one if you want, though Lord knows why that would be.

To celebrate, this morning I have allowed myself to look at images other than those from Keith and Tracey's wedding and am sharing this pair of shoes with you as a consequence. Why a pair of shoes? They're not wedding photos, obviously.

nigh

Whisper it quietly, but I think the end is in sight.

The end of post production for the wedding I did on 2nd May. Not like, the 'end' end. I'm not qualified to comment on the 'end'. I'll leave that up to other more serious folk than me.

weeping with joy

Hooray!

It is with great delight that I announce the purchase of many Shewee's for me and my lady friends. That is, friends who are ladies.

After trying the disposable Shewee last year at Glastonbury, it's been stuck in my mind as something so empowering that I can't possibly face camping again without one.

No more leaving the tent in the dark of the night to trek to the toilet.

No more choosing to stay in the tent but trying to pee in a cup instead (and invariably missing).

No more sitting on rotten communal loo seats.

Power to the peeple!

Not writing about The Shits

Walking into the house just now I noted that for the first time in ages it doesn't smell like anything other than pleasant house. Not of cat, cat poo, cat food, chimenea smoke, cooking smells or even human gas.

Yes. Human gas.

This is where I started to write about having The Shits. In detail. But then I thought to myself, you know, self, no one actually wants to know that you've had The Shits for three days now and they certainly need to be spared the details of said affliction.

So yay me, I've just saved you all from having to read about my bowel motions. Call it community service.

That last post, that was me, having a moment. These moments come at times of extreme panic and self doubt right before wedding assignments. It's possible that this is entirely necessary to ensure complete focus on the task at hand. I fear the day I don't panic before a wedding. I will probably cock it up.

The first wedding assignment for 2008 is done. It hasn't been put to bed, that's a little while off yet, but the images exist and I am happy with them so that's half the battle won.

Except now you're not going to see me for days while I work at getting the photos processed. The sooner I do this the sooner I will be able to make products and the sooner I will be able to show these products to potential (and existing) clients.

er, Hooray!

Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!