How to Handle Photography Client Complaints (And What They’re Really Telling You)

TL;DR: Photography client complaints usually come down to one thing: unmet expectations. In this post, we break down the 5 most common complaints – from photo count and turnaround time to pricing pushback and RAW file requests – and give you practical advice on how to handle each one like a pro.

We all get them. We all dread them. We all have to deal with them. 

Client complaints are some of the most anxiety driving aspects of being a photographer. 

You spend so much time doing everything right. You spend years gaining experience and building your confidence as an artist. You start to believe in your work. 

Your art. Your vision. Blood, sweat, and tears building your business and constantly working to improve and provide the best work possible. 

Until it happens. You deliver a gallery and immediately receive a response with some of the most dreaded questions you can receive as an artist. 

In this blog, we go through some of these questions and outline how you can navigate through them. So, let’s get started! 

---

Common Photography Client Complaints and Questions

1. We didn’t get enough photos 

One of the most common complaints. This might also get brought up before the session. When someone asks about not getting enough images in their gallery, the cause often is: 

• The expectations were not properly communicated with a client beforehand. 

Dive into this by asking yourself a few questions: Do you have a meeting with clients before a session? Are you just accepting payment and showing up to the shoot? Is there a photography contract in place that specifically mentions the amount or images that will be delivered?

I generally like to have at least two meetings with clients to set clear expectations about deliverables and logistics. Usually, that question is answered in multiple places: My first meeting with them and in my contract.

Now, it’s pretty much impossible to know an exact number of images that should be delivered. Mostly because there are going to be variables at every wedding that will play a part into the number of final images.

With that being said, you should be communicating either an average number of images you deliver based on the package they are considering. For example: “For a 10 hour package, I generally deliver (X) images. That number might change depending on a few things like: Is there a first look? Do you have multiple locations where I will have travel time? Is it a big wedding party? Do you have a large family?

Another way of communicating and setting this expectation is by giving them an average number of images per photo. Now, you definitely want to account for all of these things listed above and probably give a number on the lower end of things. In my area, most photographers are delivering anywhere from 50 to 100 images per hour of coverage, but, when I am communicating this, I usually give a number of 60-70 images per hour to be safe.

At the end of the day, clients have every right to know how many images they are paying for and I genuinely believe that they’re not looking for an EXACT number, just a rough estimate of how many to expect when viewing their gallery. 

2. Why are my photos taking so long? 

“Hey! Thanks so much for sending that preview! No rush but, when do you think they will be done?”

We’ve all received that text. It’s one of the most anxiety-inducing texts to receive but again, as stated above, it comes down to setting clear expectations. With this one, it’s about expectations and REMINDERS.

So, in addition to ensuring you set clear expectations on when to expect a final gallery, you want to ensure that you REMIND them of this every chance you get. I will generally mention it during the following: 

• During our first meeting (I bring it up if they don’t ask) 
• When I am leaving a wedding. I say goodbye to them and thank them for everything and mention that I will be sending a preview in the next day or two and to expect the final gallery within 8 weeks. They might be tipsy, so I remind them a THIRD time. I also include it as a line item in the wedding photography contract.
• When I send the preview gallery, I ensure that my message communicates how grateful I am to have been able to capture their day and to expect the final gallery (X) weeks after. 

All things said, my deliverables have SIGNIFICANTLY improved since implementing Aftershoot Culling and Editing. It has literally changed the way I run my business. Gone are the days of 6 month turnarounds. With tools like Aftershoot, I can deliver a gallery in a few days/week (as long as I don’t have a huge backlog!) 

And if you’re looking for a CRM to manage client communication and timelines, that can make a huge difference too.

3. Can you edit my photos like this? 

My controversial answer: YES, I can. 

Let me explain… 

I don’t fall into the thinking that we should be married to one style. 

I don’t fall into the idea that in order to be successful, we have to have a super pretty, cohesive Instagram feed. 

I am not a light and airy photographer. I am not a moody photographer. 

I am just a photographer. 

I firmly believe that my style revolves around photographing the ambience of the location I am photographing. I don’t try to force a certain style to the ambience UNLESS I think it could be done in a creative way. 

For example, I could be sitting in a room with beautiful white walls and great light with a big chandelier. I will usually get a nice image of the ambience of the room and if I have time, I will have my assistant help me get a moody image without flash by using high speed sync and really darkening the ambient light and creating a cool look! 

So, if someone asks if I can edit their photos in a certain style, I will generally say that I can take a look at the style and get back to them if it’s something that is feasible. 

At the end of the day, their gallery is going to be a combination of THEIR vision as the clients and MY vision as the artist. So, if I can make them happy while still staying true to my approach, I AM IN! 

4. The price is too much for “just photos”

Equipment, subscriptions, taxes, gas, second shooters, assistants and so much more. These are just a few of the expenses that come from being a business owner and photographer and some of the things that clients might not think about when they see thousands of dollars for “8 hours of work.”

That being said, I dread when photographers share charts about their expenses in order to justify their worth. 

In my opinion, it cheapens your brand if you’re constantly trying to justify your prices by posting expenses. If you need a solid framework for this, check out our photography pricing guide and our deep dive into how to price wedding photography.

If you want to justify your pricing, talk about how much experience you have. Talk about how incredible your art is. VISIBLY show your potential clients that they are paying for incredible images that they could only dream of having. 

For me, the ultimate compliment from a client perspective, is being hired because of my work and not because of my prices. And if a client ever pushes back hard on cost, here’s a guide on how photographers can confidently refuse price cuts without losing the booking.

So, start showing off your work and stop showing off sheets full of expenses to justify yourself. 

5. Can we have the RAWs? 

No. plain and simple. There is no need for any clients to have RAWs. Most clients won’t even know what to do with them and you are risking having someone else edit your copyrighted work with edits that might not be in line with your style or quality of work. 

Instead, ask them WHY they need them. Most of the time, it’s because they might want black and whites or certain fixes for certain images. In that case, be proactive and offer to do X number of images for them. 

---

“Your most unhappy clients are your greatest source of learning” 

Some of the biggest learning experiences are going to come from listening to and learning from those clients that aren’t as satisfied as you’d like them to be. We don’t learn from pats on the back. We don’t learn from people singing our praises and telling us we did an amazing job. 

So, let’s learn from the tough questions from your clients. Because it will help you become a better business owner!

FAQs