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Archive 2012 · down with bad vendor meals

  
 
Ian Ivey
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p.5 #1 · p.5 #1 · down with bad vendor meals


nolaguy wrote:
I've rarely shot weddings. I do primarily studio work (and provide food and drink for my clients – again, I’m in the service business). But when I do shoot events, the last thing I want is to be expected to sit with guests and eat a meal (someone has paid good money for) when I could (and I think, should) be taking photographs.

The time period people here are discussing is a part of the evening during which you usually cannot productively shoot photographs. After you've done a few weddings, you realize there's nothing to gain from trying to shoot people who are eating.

This is the only time during the entire day when a photographer can take a seat for a few minutes. It is a valuable respite. Being able to eat at that time, rather than not eating or having to inhale cold food, later, is a blessing.

Nevertheless, approaching any of this with an entitlement mentality is unseemly.

D. Diggler wrote:
Most of the plated dinners aren't cheap: 50 to $100+ a plate. No one here looks at a fine meal as part of your compensation package?

Only once this year -- at L'Auberge Chez Francois in Virginia -- was a "fine meal" my actual experience. The remaining vendor meals ranged from reasonably good banquet food (e.g., overcooked medium- to medium-well steak or not-entirely-dry chicken) for which I was thankful, to whatever-was-left-over (usually dry chicken), to a barely passable boxed lunch, to revolting food best not discussed in mixed company.

So, no.



Nov 04, 2012 at 04:37 PM
nolaguy
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p.5 #2 · p.5 #2 · down with bad vendor meals


Ian Ivey wrote:
The time period people here are discussing is a part of the evening during which you usually cannot productively shoot photographs. After you've done a few weddings, you realize there's nothing to gain from trying to shoot people who are eating.

This is the only time during the entire day when a photographer can take a seat for a few minutes. It is a valuable respite. Being able to eat at that time, rather than not eating or having to inhale cold food, later, is a blessing.

I totally get this, Ian. I suppose my thoughts were more about....

Ian Ivey wrote:
Nevertheless, approaching any of this with an entitlement mentality is unseemly.


and equally, this...


Ian Ivey wrote:
D. Diggler wrote:

Only once this year -- at L'Auberge Chez Francois in Virginia -- was a "fine meal" my actual experience. The remaining vendor meals ranged from reasonably good banquet food (e.g., overcooked medium- to medium-well steak or not-entirely-dry chicken) for which I was thankful, to whatever-was-left-over (usually dry chicken), to a barely passable boxed lunch, to revolting food best not discussed in mixed company.

So, no.


I so agree with you. I'm sure we all have occasion to look forward to a particularly good meal.

In my experience, events/weddings aren't consistently among them. If I were to consider that part of my compensation, as D. Dig asks, I'd far prefer to add $75 to my rate and take myself out for a dinner I could be certain would be a perk rather than a challenge.





Nov 10, 2012 at 06:13 PM
D. Diggler
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p.5 #3 · p.5 #3 · down with bad vendor meals


Ian Ivey wrote:
D. Diggler wrote:

Only once this year was a "fine meal" my actual experience. The remaining vendor meals ranged from


Well I wasn't talking about "vendor meals". I had in mind served plated dinners eating with the guests.



Nov 10, 2012 at 10:30 PM
DavidCZ
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p.5 #4 · p.5 #4 · down with bad vendor meals


Just had another nice wedding. We vendors had a dedicated table among all the guest table. Our food was served first to insure that we had enough time to eat before the table greeting. The food was delicious and well cooked. I did not even need to ask.

Thanks for the couple who arranged this nicely. Had a great time taking photos too.



Nov 11, 2012 at 02:30 AM
D. Diggler
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p.5 #5 · p.5 #5 · down with bad vendor meals


DavidCZ wrote:
The food was delicious and well cooked.


Congratulations! Always nice to hear a success story when many of us end up doing more complaining about meals. What did you have?



Nov 11, 2012 at 05:22 AM
jmraso
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p.5 #6 · p.5 #6 · down with bad vendor meals


Yesterday I did my last wedding for this season, a beautiful autumn one with a little rain to inhance the floor, excellent light conditions, plenty of time at any stage, no rush ... so taking a look at the photos this morning while downloading, backing up ... made me forget that my meal in the wedding wasnt the best one ever I just ate a little bread and a soup as fast as I could, nobody´s fault just the flow and circunstances ...

I almost forgot, the waiter in charge having realized this particular issue gave a piece of the wedding cake which probably was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted as I was starving

We are not there to eat !!!

Jaime



Nov 11, 2012 at 09:40 AM
DavidCZ
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p.5 #7 · p.5 #7 · down with bad vendor meals


D. Diggler wrote:
Congratulations! Always nice to hear a success story when many of us end up doing more complaining about meals. What did you have?


My main course was Salmon and Chardonnay and my assistant got Chicken.




Nov 12, 2012 at 02:52 PM
D. Diggler
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p.5 #8 · p.5 #8 · down with bad vendor meals


jmraso wrote:
I was starving
We are not there to eat


When I'm starving, I like to eat.



Nov 12, 2012 at 04:09 PM
jmraso
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p.5 #9 · p.5 #9 · down with bad vendor meals


D. Diggler wrote:
When I'm starving, I like to eat.



me too !!!



Nov 12, 2012 at 04:52 PM
Chris Langer
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p.5 #10 · p.5 #10 · down with bad vendor meals


I think one of the things eating dinner first before the guests does is give you time to relax and recollect your thoughts for the remainder of the wedding. I know after shooting for 4-8 hours earlier in the day, actually having time to sit down is really nice. I was running around like a mad man and constantly making pictures, I need a breather! I could care less about the actual food, I just appreciate the downtime to recollect myself, have a Coke, and eat something. I am not picky about food but always appreciate receiving what the guests eat. I like buffets because I just jump up after the wedding party is called and no one questions me, I just look like a guest to the caterers and I don't have to beg anyone. The weddings with plated dinners are more difficult but usually I have not had any problems. I guess I am lucky!


Nov 12, 2012 at 05:30 PM
aclauson
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p.5 #11 · p.5 #11 · down with bad vendor meals


Tradition wrote:
who said that the goal was to book more clients or build business? The goal was to bring to light the issues
that constantly occur over and over again with caterers refusing to acknowledge a simple solution to a serious
problem that plagues photographers across the country. To reward those who recognize and adjust, and to
...not reward... those who continue to be a nuisance and hinderance to their clients.


If you're running a photography business (or any business), your goal is to book more clients and build more business. Complain all you want about minor things like this, but if your complaining takes away from booking clients and building business, you won't be in business for long.



Nov 13, 2012 at 04:45 PM
nswelton
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p.5 #12 · p.5 #12 · down with bad vendor meals


Eat it and get back to work. You'll probably get more calories from a vendor meal than a half portion of expensive filet mignon, and you'll eat them equally as fast. And you can munch on your cookie later in the night, and save the bag of chips for the drive home. If they serve you a nice meal, sweet. Eat it and get back to work!


Nov 14, 2012 at 09:12 PM
D. Diggler
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p.5 #13 · p.5 #13 · down with bad vendor meals


I particularly like it when they serve wine with the meal. They don't often come around with seconds on that, though.


Nov 14, 2012 at 11:35 PM
Charles Gallo
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p.5 #14 · p.5 #14 · down with bad vendor meals


Back when, before I was married, I worked a bit as a second, and I feel for you, to the point that we didn't order VENDOR meals when we got married - we had a table for the 'togs and the band, and they were served GUEST meals - we put them in the headcount


Nov 15, 2012 at 09:08 AM
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