I have no time for anything. No blogging, no letters to friends, no time to get out emails, and worst of all I am so exhausted and in pain, that I just want to go into a coma when I get home, when I know I would rather be having sex.The customers are barely friendly. They all wait till the day the family is leaving to go home on the airplane, or the last day to get the pictures back in time for Christmas. They all want the shots of perfection and the babies picture must have them doing this...
Just for the record... that is not the easiest pose to do. Half the time the damn stocking is falling off, or they are moving so much it is all crumpled up.Not only are the parents gripey they also are cheap. Same excuse every time "Its Christmas I need the money for gifts." Damn it if you don't spend some money, then I don't get to buy presents at all, because my check went to bills, and it has no bonus money on it from your large purchases that you did not make.
Oh and don't come to me all stressed out and frazzled. You think you are stressed out trying to take these pictures so that you can get them out in time for Christmas? Try being me and dealing with 8+ different customers a day all wanting the same thing that you want. As the day progresses they get worse and worse.
You only have your frazzle day one day I have from the beginning of October to the middle of January. This is how we feel like the line is into the studio EVERY DAY 
This is a typical day at work. I am getting to work at 9:45am, we do not open until 10am, and already have 2 families standing there both without appointments. Each has 3 little kids. They are pissed off at me because I was not open at 9am when they arrived, the kids want out of the god awful Christmas outfits you are making them wear
, and I already have an appointment scheduled for the morning, and she is just walking up when I state this fact. So I explain to the other customers that I have appointments every 30 minutes and when one does not show I will be able to get them in, but until then it is just a matter of sitting and waiting 
and hoping that someone does not show up.Just for the record I do not care what anyone says. We do not just put the kids in chairs and click the camera. We have to make sure that everyone is sitting so that each persons face and outfit can be seen. Then we need to adjust the camera so that everyone fits into the frame. Fixing everyone over and over to make that happen. After that we need to do any final adjustments to clothes hair and body parts. This happen continuously as the kids keep squirming. Now that the shot is set up we need to make sure the right lights are on then get the smiles and the eyes all on the camera. Once that is complete then it is 2-3 attempts, sometimes more, at getting the right picture
. While trying to get the picture right, I am jumping from where the customer is back to the camera numerous times attempting to get all the eyes on me and smiling. Once the shot is complete we now need to break everyone down into groups. It is not just one shot and your out of there. It is 2-3 shots of every pose that I am mandated to do.For Example: I have to take 7 different pictures, with 7 different backgrounds, with 7 different poses.
The first picture lets say consists of Mom, Dad, a 11 year old, a 5 year old and a 5 month old. Mom and dad sit. Baby is on moms lap, 11 year old is off dads shoulder, the 5 year old is standing between mom and dad. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
The second picture is all 3 kids together. The two older kids in the back with the baby between them. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
Picture 3 is the baby. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
Picture 4 is the 5 year old. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
Picture 5 is the 11 year old. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
Then it is mom and dad. Props, background, lighting, posing, framing attention, smile, (me running back and forth) and final adjustment, then click!
Usually my 7th shot is either another family, all kids, or the youngest again.
By the time this is all over. I am hot, sweaty, and exhausted.
Now I have to sell them to the customer, while keeping the kids out of the photography room, watching for other customers, and listening to the customers in the waiting room complaining.
To top it all off. MY boss (who is not a photographer just a good sales person) expects me to shoot, sale, and ring up in 15 minutes. I am sorry I can not do warp speed photography.
. The company wants 16 customers a day and get out of work on time. I start at 10am, go to lunch from 2-3, and leave at 7pm. That is an 8 hour shift. Jesus it takes me 15 minutes just to do the shoot. I want perfection is my problem. The company wants you to click and move on. I want the cutest pose, use different lights, props and backgrounds for each subject. The whole damn process usually takes about 45 min. YOU DO THE MATH! It is not possible, even IF the family was super easy. The photoshop part is 20 min on its own and that is IF you are not having any issues with the program. It also does not help that the online appointment scheduler allows people to make appointments at the time of close. Oh lovely.Anyways back to the first customer of the day. While taking this appointments pictures the other two customers are bickering amongst each other in the waiting room.
That I am slow, that I need another associate, I am taking to long, and continue to complain and yell at their kids while sitting there. After finishing the photos which took 20 min. I then go to a sales counter. At this point the customer and I need to decided which picture we love most, then I have to enhance/photoshop every picture. Then I have to explain what I have to offer. Beg them to buy more and get shot down, then ring them up.IF my next appointment does not show up, then I attempt to take the family that got here first but since they were both there when I arrived I take the one with the youngest kids. Logical right? NO!!! The other one flips out because she has something to do and needs them done first. Explaining my decision does nothing. All I can do is apologize and start the people with a baby. Of course the other customer leaves pissed off not willing to wait any longer. I hear it later from customer service, they just had to make a complaint.
Now as I am taking care of all these customers all day the phone is ringing, customers are walking up to either pick up pictures, make an appointment or trying to be a walk in
. Being that I am the only person working it is stressing me out, wanting to have a cigarette and sweating my ass off. I AM ONLY ONE PERSON WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? 
Now it is like this. I am going to explain something to you people and hopefully you will take it and use it. Here are some things that may assist you when you taking pictures at a studio.
1. Though we do accept walk-ins appointments get priority! Also we prefer you make an appointment because sometimes you may have to wait. Kids can only hold out for so long.
2. When the signs are pulled in and the clock
is up please do not stand at the entrance and call for us, come walking in, or stand there and complain. We have signs posted and we are currently closed, we will come back.3. Just because your kids are dressed up right now does not mean will take you right that second. We have to eat too or there are other people ahead of you.
4. When you see someone working with another customer do not pace back and forth, sighing, and talking loudly. We know your there but we are currently working with another customer. Just have a seat or come back later.
5. Constantly calling then hanging up on the answering machine and calling back continuously does make me answer the phone it just makes me want to chew you out.
Sometimes the customer I am working with is difficult and leaving for even a minute can cost me to lose the childs attention.6. Telling your kid that they are not smiling right, and yelling at them does not make them smile bigger.
7. We are the photographers do not try to make your child smile, pose your kid, or get them looking somewhere until we have exhausted our options and are asking for your help. By you doing this it causes the child to not look in the exact spot we are needing. If you can do it why did you come to us. Might as well had a squirrel do it
.8. Insulting us does make us take better pictures. If anything it will make us want you out of there faster and start doing whatever snaps. Or in some photographers cases kicking you out.
9. Calling ahead and finding out our hours and asking questions is easier than you walking in with everyone ready to go. We could be leaving for lunch or closing for the night. NO WE CAN NOT DO A SESSION IN 5 MINUTES. KNOWONE CAN!
10. And finally.... and I am sure I can think up A LOT more things.... if you or your kids make a mess clean it up or tells us what has happened instead of hiding it then sneaking out of the studio before we notice.
