I genuinely like this guy. He's been here before to workshops I've done and seems to get a lot out of them. But . . . as he was working through what he wanted to shoot (stock), he seemed to just not have his heart in it. He finished fairly quickly and, as he left to go home, admitted he wasn't on his "A-game" today. That was why he finished early.
I find this situation very interesting and it begs the question, "When you really don't feel like shooting, should you?"
As a full time, this-is-my-only-job professional, that option is not available to me or anyone else that does what I do. It's not like you work at the Post Office or an accounting office and can call in sick. When you are a full time professional photographer, when you have a booking, YOU HAVE A BOOKING! Clients do not want to hear you don't feel like it. Not only do you not want to reveal that you're not on your A'game, but you sure as heck don't want them to know that!
In cases like this, you, as a self employed one man/woman ongoing concern, just need to suck it up and do the job to the very best of what you can do. Work through the fog...engage the make up artist in what you're doing...ask the model how she sees what you are trying to do for a fresh viewpoint...
I find a lot of this can be avoided with some planning. Don't just show up having no idea of what you're doing. Exercise control over your shoots by detailing ahead of time, just what you want to shoot so you don't get distracted and you have some expectations. Look through some publications that show similar concepts of what you are wanting to do. You will get some inspiration and your "freak out " level will decrease.
Like my dad once told me..."People don't plan to fail. They fail to plan."
Good advice.
Chuck StJohn
"...if your not flexible, you're not workin."
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