How trusting your expertise – and encouraging your clients to trust it too – leads to results nobody expected
Let me tell you a story about a client, a product shoot and a slow shutter speed image that became one of my favourite photographs I’ve ever taken.
But first – a confession. I said no to this client. Quite a few times actually. And they thanked me for it in the end.
The Enquiry
Scrapples – a brilliant, fun, beautifully branded snack company – got in touch needing new photos for pitches, social media and their website. I loved their product, their packaging, their ethos and their energy from the very first conversation. It was exactly the kind of job I get excited about.
Their marketing manager and I had a great discovery call. She and I were immediately on the same page – similar ideas, similar instincts, a shared excitement about what the shoot could be. She was brilliant from the start.
We discussed a bespoke package – two hours of photography with images only, since they already had a marketing and social media manager and didn’t need my extras. I was happy to tailor things to suit their needs.
They went away to consider their options.
The First No – Proving Myself for Free
When they came back, they had a few concerns – completely understandably. I wasn’t the cheapest quote they’d received, though they acknowledged “there is usually a reason for that.” They also wondered whether my style might be a little dark for their brand. And they asked whether I’d be willing to do a sample shoot to prove I could handle product photography.
No.
I wasn’t willing to work for free with no guarantee of a booking – and I was too busy at the time anyway. But I didn’t want to leave it there.
Instead I created a bespoke sample portfolio of my product photography – including some lighter, brighter shots I don’t typically share on social media – so they could see the full range of what my style looks like across different lighting conditions. Much more useful than a rushed sample shoot, and it showed genuine investment in their decision without giving away my time for nothing.
Their response? “The photos you kindly directed us to are so amazing – thank you! What a talent you have!”
The Second No – On Pricing
Encouraged, they pencilled in a date. Then came the next question: could I reduce the price further for fewer shots?
No.
“I’m so glad you like the gallery but I can’t adjust the price any further than I already have. I’m very keen to work with your brand – hence making efforts to fit you in at short notice and modifying my offering to suit your needs. I believe my portfolio and client feedback speaks for itself, and if you book me, I will work closely with you to make sure we create a gallery you’ll love. I completely understand if you’d prefer someone more in line with your budget – please let me know what you decide.”
Holding your pricing is one of the hardest things to do when you really want the job. But it’s one of the most important.
Three Days Later
Their deposit arrived. Along with this from the marketing manager:
“I have had 100% faith in you from the get-go, and I am so pleased to say that we would all love to go ahead. I really look forward to working with you – and hopefully this will be the first shoot of many.”
The Third No – On The Shot List
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Because even before the shoot day itself, there was one more conversation to navigate.
They arrived with a very specific shot list – individual images pulled from Pinterest, each one with “the product as the main focus” noted alongside it. Now, I absolutely encourage clients to create Pinterest mood boards. They’re brilliant for giving me a sense of the aesthetic they love, poses they’re drawn to and the general feeling they want to create.
But a list of specific shots to replicate is a different thing entirely – especially on a lifestyle shoot with real children, working to a tight timeframe.
I had to explain that this wasn’t a studio shoot where we set up each image individually and tick off a list. We needed the freedom to work with the children’s energy, go with the flow and capture the brand authentically within the time we had. Every shot saying “product as main focus” missed the point – a mixture of close-ups and wider lifestyle shots, with the product woven naturally into real life, would tell their story so much better than a series of product-forward shots.
The marketing manager completely understood and helped bring the client on board. Between the two of us, we got there.
And that decision – to relinquish the shot list and trust the creative process – is exactly why it became the best shoot they’d ever done.
The Image That Made It Worth It
With the freedom to work instinctively, I had the space to try a concept I’d been thinking about since our very first call.
Scrapples is a snack for families — real, busy, chaotic family life. So I set up a slow shutter speed shot of three children running around a kitchen island in a blur of energy and movement, while their mum stands perfectly still in the centre, calmly making packed lunches with Scrapples.
It tells the entire brand story in a single frame. The chaos, the calm, the product right in the middle of real family life. No amount of product-forward shots on a Pinterest-inspired shot list could do what that one image does.
It’s one of my absolute favourite photographs I’ve ever made.
The Feedback
After the shoot:
“The photos are absolutely brilliant! You really have done the most amazing job!”
“Best shoot we’ve ever done!”
And, my personal favourite, they told me they now love the darker editing style because it “makes the product pop.”
The Afterword
The story doesn’t end there either.
Some time after that, the founder called me personally to ask permission (as per our contract) to use one of my images for a major collaboration competition they were running with Netmums. Not just beautiful photos sitting in a gallery, but images good enough to represent a brand at scale, in front of a huge national audience of exactly the right people – parents of young children, Scrapples’ core market.
That call made me smile for days.
What This Taught Me
Saying no isn’t about being difficult. It’s about knowing what you’re doing well enough to stand behind it – even when a client is nervous, even when you really want the job, even when it would be easier to just say yes and give them what they asked for.
The clients who trust you enough to let you push back are the ones who end up with the best results. And the best results are what make both of your businesses grow.
It’s also worth saying: the marketing manager in this story was brilliant. She got it immediately. Sometimes the best thing a client-side collaborator can do is help bridge the gap between a photographer’s creative instincts and a brand’s understandable nervousness about handing over control. That partnership – between someone who knows the brand and someone who knows photography – is where the magic happens.
Believe in your expertise. Hold your pricing. Share your ideas even when they feel bold. And trust that the right clients – the ones who are genuinely a good fit – will meet you there.
I know what I’m doing. I know I’m good at creating what people need – which isn’t necessarily what they think they want. And if you trust me, I can wow you with a gallery that’s even better than you hoped for.
That’s not arrogance. That’s two decades of experience speaking.
Sound good? Let’s have a natter.
Not sure where to start? A £99 Visual Brand Critique might be the perfect first step.
