Real quick...

Last month, I was reminded exactly why I NEVER book a session without a "deposit."

When I first started, I didn’t know how important this was.

If you’re booking clients, you need to require an initial payment. No exceptions.

Here’s why. ↓

Last December, I decided to get into School Photography.

The Problem: I have experience photographing children from my time working at those mall portrait studios, but I don’t have any recent shots of children in my portfolio from my photography business.

Most of my clients are business owners or people who book want headshots and birthday sessions.

(Here's my most recent child's portrait I've taken ↓ )

The Solution: I decided to offer free mini sessions to 10 parents. Six parents booked.

Here's a sneak peek of how they came out!

So here's how day 1 of the free sessions went.

I prepped everything:

• Set up my lights
• Cleaned the studio
• Set up my backdrops
• Everything smells good
• Expensive objects tucked away

The first session was for two 5-year old boys.

Session was scheduled for 5:35 PM.

I give a grace period of 15 min. so by 5:45, I gave the mom a call.

...She forgot about her session.

Do you know why she forgot? Well I did!

Because she didn't put up any money. She had NOTHING to lose.

Now, I know this wasn't something she did on purpose, she sounded very sorry over the phone.

But the lesson is this:

💡 When people PAY, they PAY ATTENTION 💡

This is a universal rule.

Whether it’s college tuition, a concert, an online mastermind or a photoshoot—if money is on the line, and the price is set at an amount people wouldn't want to lose, they take it seriously.

This is exactly why dirt-cheap services and products often get ignored.

No investment = No commitment.

And the customers' assumption is the product/service has no value, or will break soon and will have to return it to the store. So why bother?

Here’s how I handle payments for booking sessions:

• I take a non-refundable initial payment (a.k.a. what most people call a "deposit." Though legally, it’s better to call it an initial payment).
• This locks in their session on my calendar and covers my time.
• The second half is due the day of the session.

I explain this over the phone to clients too.

This booking structure ensures that my time is respected, and clients actually SHOW UP. And if they cancel or reschedule? Cool, but that initial payment stays with me. My time is still covered.

For those using booking software like Pixieset or Book Like A Boss, make sure your system shows that you require an initial payment before confirming a session.

Yes, some clients will need to reschedule for serious reasons, but when they’ve already invested, they take it seriously. And if they reschedule more than once they’re out of “free passes,” and there’s a fee for that.

Moral of the story:

Always take an initial payment.

If they’re serious, they’ll pay.

If they don’t pay, you risking losing your time that you can't get back.

I hope this helps you in your photo biz, or whatever business you work on!

And if you have any questions about booking clients, customer service, or running the business side of photography, email me back! 😊

Talk soon!

Kyra

P.S.

This is most likely the last Photo Architect Newsletter. I have so much more to share with people regarding the life of a creative entrepreneur, artist, and content creator. I'm thinking of reverting back to my "Content Gold" name. I hope you stick around for it!

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