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Archive 2014 · Including meal in contract

  
 
kessyud
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Including meal in contract


G-Gore wrote:
Being on the feet for 8-10-12 hrs a day is not fun :-( How do you guys and gals handle such issue?


Suck it up and cry a little on my way home.



Mar 05, 2014 at 03:59 PM
kessyud
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Including meal in contract


No place to sit... we just stand and eat or find a highball table or something. Oh well. I've also taken turns where one of us goes into the hallway and eats while the other one stays in and makes sure we don't miss anything, then switch.


Mar 05, 2014 at 04:00 PM
bryanlindsey
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Including meal in contract


Lots of photogs have this in their contract. I think it's ridiculous. I am there to serve, not to be served.

That said, I have never not been fed at a wedding. I never assume that will be the case.



Mar 06, 2014 at 02:27 PM
kessyud
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Including meal in contract


bryanlindsey wrote:
Lots of photogs have this in their contract. I think it's ridiculous. I am there to serve, not to be served.

That said, I have never not been fed at a wedding. I never assume that will be the case.


I think it really depends on the client and possibly even the location. I get about half my clients who say, "oh man I never would have even thought of that!", but another half who say, "of course we'll feed you!" There doesn't seem to be a "normal" around here.

I put it in there because I need to eat or I'll get shaky. And yes, I bring snacks, but I literally don't break during a wedding day. I usually don't stop for food, water, or bathroom breaks. But that's just me. I would hate for wedding guests to see me stuffing my face with a granola bar in a hallway somewhere. I know it's understandable, but let's just say that not all people are very understanding.

But the contract is lenient. It states that in the case a meal isn't provided, that my second shooter and I are allowed to leave to get food. So it's really an either-or option for them, but I assume they'd rather feed us and have us still there than leave the reception.



Mar 06, 2014 at 02:39 PM
dmward
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Including meal in contract


Most of my 30ish weddings a year are as a contractor for one of three studios. Personally I find these questions about meals in contracts kind of humorous for two reasons:
A) On most weddings I am offered more food than I could ever eat. Starting with the prep shooting at the bride or groom's location.
B) Most of the time, if its the meal being plated for the guests its over cooked chicken and I don't like dry chicken. :-)

My favorite venue, foodwise, is a golf course in the northwest suburbs. Their practice is to have the vendors, photographer, videographer, and DJ go to the bar and order off the menu. $25 credit not including liquor. Another is a private club in the city. They do a separate buffet for the vendors away from the main reception. Every wedding I've done there is a band so its a lot more people.

I think two of the studios have something about food in their contract and the other doesn't.

Personally, in summer, when its hot, most important thing after camera gear is Gatorade - lots of it. :-)



Mar 06, 2014 at 11:20 PM
ryansandsphoto
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Including meal in contract


I have it in my contract but would NEVER enforce it. I always bring plenty of food with me in my bag. I have Probars, 4-6 bottles of cold water, 2-3 bottles of iced tea, gum, headache medicine, apples, napkins, tums, wetnaps and a host of other little goodies I may need throughout the day.


Mar 07, 2014 at 07:24 AM
Mark_L
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Including meal in contract


Time to take a break and eat? Yes. Demanding food in a contract? Pretty rude imo.


Mar 07, 2014 at 07:52 AM
Prettym1k3
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Including meal in contract


Mark_L wrote:
Time to take a break and eat? Yes. Demanding food in a contract? Pretty rude imo.


The time it takes to obtain/eat a hearty mail after being on your feet for 5-8 hours is big. Asking someone to spring for a vendor meal isn't that big of a deal, especially if it's a buffet meal - there will likely be left overs anyway, and me grabbing a plate doesn't hurt anyone.

If you build the relationship with your clients like you probably should, you'll find what we've found - most of our clients ask us long before hand what we want to eat, and actually ask if we want to sit at a table with guests. About half the weddings we shoot offer us a table with guests. Which we think is pretty rad.



Mar 07, 2014 at 12:13 PM
DmitriM
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Including meal in contract


There were times when I wasn't fed and I told the client that I was...It's not in my contract and it's the last thing I want to do is complain about being hungry or demand to be fed. Well, some weddings I shoot are 14-16 hours long and in those cases I'd approach a staff member to inquire if there's a meal. Never would I bother the client.
Anyone with common sense realizes that a photographer being hungry for 14+ hours is tired photographer...

I've attended weddings as a guest recently where photographers would just do pretty much nothing and eat all day starting from the moment they arrive for the reception. I find it utterly pathetic. A lot of videographer don't do much either during the evening too. Most just eat, text and talk. And then they want me to recommend them! Sure sure....




Mar 07, 2014 at 05:59 PM
Mark_L
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Including meal in contract


Prettym1k3 wrote:
The time it takes to obtain/eat a hearty mail after being on your feet for 5-8 hours is big. Asking someone to spring for a vendor meal isn't that big of a deal, especially if it's a buffet meal - there will likely be left overs anyway, and me grabbing a plate doesn't hurt anyone.

If you build the relationship with your clients like you probably should, you'll find what we've found - most of our clients ask us long before hand what we want to eat, and actually ask if we want to sit at a table with guests. About
...Show more

I have the same experience. If it is offered, great but writing it into a contract ie. demanding it is rude in my book. My day job provides we with heath ins and a pension but still doesn't feed me - a hired contractor certainly doesn't get fed!



Mar 07, 2014 at 06:06 PM
Robin Usagani
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Including meal in contract


I just have a field on my contract that asks if meal is provided. I have not seen a no yet. If it is a no, it really is not that hard for me to pack one. It sucks but if that means I book a wedding, I don't care.



Mar 07, 2014 at 06:18 PM
IrishDino
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Including meal in contract


I never ask or put it in the contact and I always assume I'm not getting one. I buy a few foot long subs and some gatorade and put in a cooler.

The meals that I've seen are pathetically small anyway. If I relied on dinner at a wedding, I'd starve.



Mar 07, 2014 at 06:25 PM
mkfmedic
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Including meal in contract


johnrg wrote:
We don't have a clause in our contract about food but have always been fed. In fact in many cases the couple or their parents made it a point to ask if we've eaten. I bring along water, Monster, power bars, etc., just in case. That said it's important to think about since working on an empty stomach is not good.

It seems like many of the expensive/exclusive venues do this. Kinda funny, actually.


+1 on above. It seems like the nicest venues seem to be the "Cheapest" when it comes to providing the contractors meals. On the other hand I have always been fed and I'm not picky, so although its nice to have the meal that everyone else is eating, I don't expect it and would never complain.

Having said that, I do have language that specifies something like this:

MEALS. If the Assignment lasts longer than four hours, Photographer(s) shall be provided meals and refreshments and a reasonable time period to eat during the event.

It seems to be pretty much standard around here that the photographer and vendors are fed, but then again, I feel like I'm pretty close with my clients by the date of the wedding, so it always seems like they are concerned about me being taken care of, etc. I'd never worry my clients if for some reason I wasn't and always carry Lara Bars and water, so if for some reason I wasn't fed, I'd be fine!

It's a pretty basic statement, but I have yet to had a problem.



Mar 07, 2014 at 11:17 PM
DmitriM
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Including meal in contract


mkfmedic wrote:
+1 on above. It seems like the nicest venues seem to be the "Cheapest" when it comes to providing the contractors meals. On the other hand I have always been fed and I'm not picky, so although its nice to have the meal that everyone else is eating, I don't expect it and would never complain.

Having said that, I do have language that specifies something like this:

MEALS. If the Assignment lasts longer than four hours, Photographer(s) shall be provided meals and refreshments and a reasonable time period to eat during the event.

It seems to be pretty much standard around here
...Show more
Personally, if I'd hire a photographer for only 4 hours, I'd expect him/her to work those 4 hours and I would not expect to provide meals and drinks. In my mind, it would make sense for the photographer to eat before the start and after the session. I mean, I don't always eat every 4 hours myself so why would I feed someone else.
Basically, I wouldn't hire a photographer if there were such requests.
But that's just me - a guy who've turned down a good number of lobster dinners during an 8 hour coverage because I felt that the coverage of the event would suffer because of the break and just kept working until the end.



Mar 08, 2014 at 01:19 AM
eephoto
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Including meal in contract


I have a clause in my contract for any weddings over 6 hours. If you are interested, PM me and I can send you the wording.

I also send out an information packet a few weeks before the wedding outlining what the couple can expect while we are "eating". They know by the end of reading the packet that we eat on the fly, that we don't stop working during dinner, but that we do work hard for them and need a place to sit. I also let them know we don't have to eat what they are eating, nor do we have to sit with guests, but we do need a place to sit to eat and place our gear and laptop if needed.

Never had a client complain about the clause or lose a client because of it. Most clients response is "you're going to be treated like family". It's a nice feeling to know that clients respect how hard we work, even though vendors don't always. (I have more problems with vendors then clients regarding meals).



Mar 08, 2014 at 09:37 AM
Mykal
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Including meal in contract


There is a clause in our contract but it says a "hot meal is requested for weddings 6 hours and over" and we also request to eat at the same time as the bride and groom.




Mar 08, 2014 at 10:19 AM
matt.parker
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Including meal in contract


I've always been fed, regardless of whether I brought it up or not. In fact, I find most people make a point of finding out if I've gotten food. Just in case, though, I tend to pack some sustenance of my own. And definitely take advantage of cocktail hour (for the food, not the drinks).


Mar 11, 2014 at 12:26 PM
D. Diggler
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · Including meal in contract


Mykal wrote:
we also request to eat at the same time as the bride and groom


Ever get that?

If I'm seated with the guests, it's usually at one of the tables farthest away from the head table - you know, with the most-distant friends/relatives - which means it gets served last. Usually the waite staff starts serving near the head table.



Mar 11, 2014 at 09:59 PM
Prettym1k3
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · Including meal in contract


As someone who's second shot weddings of 12-14 hours were I wasn't fed, I'm not going to back down on the meal thing. I need to be fed. I can pack a lunch, sure. But something about sitting down for 15 minutes and eating a hot, well balanced meal is key. Subway sandwich doesn't cut it. Sorry.

I always request that we be fed when the bride and groom are fed. If someone gives us a dirty look about jumping into a buffet line right behind the guy in the suit and the girl in the white dress, I crack a joke about how famished I am because of all the great pictures we've been getting, and then chime in about how now is the best time for us to take a quick break because no one wants pictures of themselves shoving food in their faces, and the B&G are likely starving because most people forget to eat on their wedding day, or their nerves have curbed their appetite so they just can't eat. By dinner time, they're starving, and finally feel like eating, so they shovel food into their faces.

I understand some people think it's rude. And "at my day job, I don't get fed." But I'm not at my day job. I'm a contractor, with my own rules, requirements, and stipulations. And at any other job of 8 hours, I get two 10 minute breaks and a 1 hour lunch. At this job, I get no breaks, and a 15 minute time to shovel a hot meal into my face. I think that's fair.

I don't need to sit with guests or anything. I'll pull up a piece of floor in the corner of a room and rest my dogs. But a hot meal with 1-3 hours of shooting left in the day totally recharges me and gets me back on my feet. So yes, you bet your butt - it's in my contract.



Mar 12, 2014 at 11:49 AM
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