Hey guys, Andy here. Looking at recent global events can be dizzying. Decisions made yesterday seem to have changed today which bodes badly for tomorrow; how can anyone make any plans if the ground beneath them keeps changing? It reinforces my opinion that you can not reason with unreasonable people or with unreasonable behaviour.
Here are a two memorable moments from my highlight reel of unreasonable behaviour;
I was asked by British luxury brand DAKS to take a monthly portrait to be used in their newsletters. Over the course of several weeks I met the brand, I confirmed the brief and the rate, I recce’d the location, I booked lighting equipment… The rate was on the low end but reasonable given the limited use; the logistics and overheads covered the bulk of the rate but I hoped to meet interesting and influential people and the premise of my work being seen regularly on the brand newsletter was an enticing carrot.
However on the morning of the shoot events unravelled; DAKS requested a change in both licence and also usage, from email only to include website and also social media, at no extra rate, and then they went silent. In order to reach the shoot location, set up, and be good to go, I needed to be out my door at noon. However I was, and still am, unwilling to undertake work when details have not been confirmed (having done this before, the result is never pretty). Having communicated my timeline to the brand, I watched noon come and go with no reply.
That afternoon, past my deadline, DAKS replied. Despite the time urgency my point of contact had attended a meeting. Maybe it was an important meeting, maybe not? Either way it was clear my time urgency was not reciprocated. Emails were sent back and forth and a revised rate could not be confirmed. DAKS dangling the prospect of ‘an ongoing project’ both as justification as to why could not increase the rate and also as a reason why I should agree. However the brand never offered any details further than this vague agreement nor a guarantee of work. Having broken faith in such an abrupt manner, I was in no mood to give them the benefit of the doubt; I withdraw of services as I simply could not trust them not to repeat this behaviour.
Private White VC
For a number of years I covered men’s and women’s fashion weeks; my record was 26 shows, presentations, re- sees, etc… in three days during a men’s week in Milan. So when I was asked to photograph for menswear brand Private White VC, I accepted, thinking it would be straight forward.
The brand staged a presentation, ie rather than a catwalk show where models strut down a runway, a presentation is (usually) where models stand in situ or interact on a set of some description. Some shows are more extravagant lengths than others, depending on the brand and the budget; in this instance I found myself at a small venue in Soho, London, on a late January afternoon. There was branding on the wall and podiums for six models; so far so good. Except the lighting only lit the middle two podiums, and not all six, and that is when the creative director, Nick Ashley, walked in. Son of Laura Ashley I was told something both I had never heard before and something which immediately put me on edge, ‘Do not say no to this man.’
‘Take the models outside and photograph them walking around with Soho as your backdrop,’ Nick said and walked off. I had arrived, as a solo freelancer, under the expectation to photograph a fashion presentation, but here was the brand creative director wanting a street shoot in the dark with no warning, no planning, no direction and no assistance… and I had been told I could not say ‘no’. Looking at what few frames I kept from that evening they are as awful as you would expect.
I like to think I am a reasonable person with a positive attitude who will do my best to make things work. However such an attitude can be taken advantage of and unfortunately no terms and conditions will ever totally protect you as they will never cover every eventuality. And even if they do, if you deal with an unreasonable person, they may simply change their mind. As such it is important to read the tea leaves and how to spot a bad client to ensure you identify unreasonable behaviour do not waste your time.
andybarnham
I am a portrait photographer based in Cheltenham, UK. Born in Hong Kong to a Chinese mum and British dad, I had an international upbringing while I educated in the UK. I started photography as a hobby while serving as an officer in the British Army.
After my service I turned this passion into a career and became immersed in London's sartorial scene. I am now focusing my camera on portraiture and using this eye for detail which was refined over ten years. As a former Royal Artillery officer it is only fitting I shoot with a Canon camera.
