So, a few days ago I was emailed by a possible client and I'm still feeling a bit upset about it, I still don't know how to reply. I have not worked for this person yet but they want me to shoot a big property for them, I shoot a ton of real estate photography and architectural photography and I am always happy to get new jobs. However... this person started out by asking for a huge discount, they want to pay $400 for a virtual tour package I normally charge $700 for. Really?! Oh, wait, they are willing to wait until "slow season" for the discount.

I know most people don't understand the amount of work I put into boring real estate photography, they also don't understand the amount of money I invest into top of the line gear, and into my websites and into image storage. Many people think this kind of work can be done as easily as taking a snapshot with a phone. I'm trying to be understanding and patient but I'm having a hard time with this email.

I have some questions for you...

Do you think it's OK to approach a business and ask for a huge discount right from the start? With the attitude that if you don't ask, you don't get?

How would you handle an email like this? I'm not sure if I should even reply since I have nothing nice to say... Should I take on an educational approach and waste my time explaining why I charge what I charge? Should I let him know that I'm offended so he hopefully doesn't do the same to my photographer friends/colleagues in the area? Or do I simply ignore the email, this is what I am tempted to do but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do...

Here are a few of the images I have shot over the years to give you an idea of what I do. If you are curious about the virtual tours I provide, my prices, samples, and these images can be found on my website HERE.

Thank you for your time reading my little rant and I appreciate your answers to my questions! Have a great day out there!

Now, it's time to shoot two more houses today...

Scott Thompson
Scott Shots Photography



Click to view my Dynamic Steemians Discord channel. Feel free to ask me photo related questions there:

EDIT:

I decided to keep my reply simple and emotionless. Experience has taught me that this is the type of client that will not be happy regardless of how great of a job I do. My response was "Hello. Thank you for your interest in my photography services. I’m sorry but I don’t feel comfortable shooting for someone who is asking for a $300 discount. Have a great day."