After your good advice, I decided to postpone the bridge burning and see if I could still make the sale. After a lengthy phone conversation with the (ex)potential client, I learned that "working with a photographer from Two Rivers just doesn't carry the same prestige as working with a photographer from Anchorage or Seattle. It's about business image." Then came the part that really burned me up "... but I really liked your ideas and I'd still like to use them." I almost lost it, but just responded that I would prepare a bill for artistic consultation services, thanked him for his time, and hung up. Now I fully expect I'll see my ideas on local posters with an out of town photographer's credit line, and I'll be shocked if I ever get a penny from it. I guess that's the nature of the business, but commercial work doesn't come along that often here, and it gets offered to local photographers even less often, so it really sucks to loose a job because, even though my ideas are good, my address just isn't prestigious enough. But hey, at least I know it's not because my equipment is too old. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]
Maybe I'm just not cut out for commercial work. Selling prints at an art show is far preferable to this kind of crap, even if there's no money in it.
Thanks to all of you for the feedback. - Tim
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