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I took a wide variety of poses and although there are others I like better, I want to satisfy her.
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The desire to satisfy a client is a strong one - the customer is always right. I think this concept is a good one in almost every manner of business enterprise. Even in the business of commissioned portraiture, however, our business is bit different.
Consider the difference between your job and that of a professional personal chef. The client comes to the chef and says he would like a lunch of creme brulee topped with collard greens with a side of Jello pudding. The chef agrees and prepares the dishs. The client enjoys and proclaims the chef to be the greatest in the land. Another satisfied client - everybody wins.
The difference between that chef and any portrait artist is this: with the chef - no evidence remains of his work or the choices that he made - all that is left is client satisfaction. Genius!
And still, we want to please. My suggestion is this: NEVER SHOW A CLIENT A REFERENCE THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO PAINT. Most laymen are not capable of making good choices. In fact, their emotional attachment will lead them in exactly the wrong direction.
There is a simple solution: go through your work in private and choose only the ones that you believe are worthy. If none are worthy you then have to go back and do it again. When you present your options to the client, and they inquire as to the other 95 images, you give your explanation: the characteristics of a successful painted portrait go beyond those of a mere "good photograph." One of the most (if not the most) important aspects of my job is to make that judgement.