Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

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Archive 2009 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

TRReichman
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p.3 #1 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Brian Lingle wrote:
TRReichman's post really is well stated. Maybe that could be added into one of the sticky notes on advice for wedding photographers.

Thanks! Not to derail but this is the second time someone has mentioned stickies and I was curious what that meant? Thanks again to Evan and Brian.

- trr

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:06 AM

lisy78
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p.3 #2 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

I hate to pile-up on the OP but I would be pissed off at them if I were the client.

[puts on client clothes]

...

Hey pro-photog...

You didn't manage my expectations - if it really takes 2-3 minutes to get a group shot then why didn't you tell me?

You accepted my list of shots and didn't express any clear reservations at the time

You never brought up the problem to my attention during the event. Maybe if you had done so I would have pared down the list to a more manageable number... but WTF you didn't even get a shot of me and my siblings?!?!?!

And don't you dare say something like "If you don't remember being in a shot with your siblings then obviously we didn't take it" ... the whole thing is a blur... If I thought *I* needed to keep track I'd a kept the list rather than giving it to you.

You left early after asking me if there were any MORE shots I wanted taken ... of course I assumed that the 54 I'd asked for had already been taken... WTF are you leaving early for if you haven't done what I asked you to do?

Sorry, OP... but that's how I see it.

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:06 AM

JLinkowitz
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p.3 #3 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

The only sort of shot list I will take is a "Formals Shot" list. This isn't time to take shots with the kids you knew from High School, and Facebook group shots so all your friends can be tagged later. This is discussed at the initial meeting and is in my contract as such.

Jim

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:08 AM

Tony Hoffer
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p.3 #4 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

I also agree with the managing expectations... As far as what to do now, I vote that you take some extra time/work and just make the client happy and move on.

I'm sorry to go WAAAY off topic here, but TRReichman, I just went on your website... this is a great shot....

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:15 AM

TRReichman
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p.3 #5 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Damn...I tried really hard to never have an image posted and you go and ruin it for me. I hate for other photographers to see my images. Feels like someone's peeking in my windows.

Thanks for the kind words, sorry about my judgmental tone in this thread.

- trr

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:20 AM

TRReichman
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p.3 #6 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Thought I should mention before I end up sleeping on the couch that my wife took that particular shot. Since its not mine I think its fair to say that its a pretty genius shot.

- trr

Jun 25, 2009 at 05:23 AM

Sam Hassas
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p.3 #7 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Tony Hoffer wrote:
I also agree with the managing expectations... As far as what to do now, I vote that you take some extra time/work and just make the client happy and move on.

I'm sorry to go WAAAY off topic here, but TRReichman, I just went on your website... this is a great shot....

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Gaaaaaah! Wow!!!!! That's incredible!

Jun 25, 2009 at 05:59 AM

G Lund
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p.3 #8 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

letenele wrote:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

here's one before/after. Inserted bride's brothers into the picture. Their faces don't match exactly but it's close enough, and if she doesn't like that, then B&W it is!

WHAT...are you suggesting that you would/can use B&W conversion to hide an imperfection??
Im just kidding!!! If you didnt know I got a little beat up for asking if ppl do that. Anyway...I think you did a good job with that pic...much better than I could have done.
To the op....sounds like you have gotten plenty of good suggestions...I too have a shoot list I go over with them before the event...but like someone said...some folks just wont be happy no matter what.
George

Jun 25, 2009 at 03:39 PM

Carl Feather
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p.3 #9 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

4eyes wrote:
ng in return.

On a personal note, this thread has been SUPER helpful! We shot a wedding this weekend with tons of extended family photo requests. By the time we got to the bride/groom shots the bride gave us one (1) minute to shoot. (Not kidding). She wanted to get to the reception. (Did I mention that the light was GORGEOUS?!)

When we tried to pull her away from the reception closer to sunset (as we agreed to before the wedding), we asked for 10 minutes to shoot and she said there was NO way she'd leave the party for that long. She gave us 5 minutes. I think we managed to get a few shots of the couple, but now I regret giving her so many extended family shots. I'll totally cap the request from now on.

A couple of years ago I was shooting a wedding reception when I went out to the car to get a light stand. It had just rained and we were in a church fellowship hall with a big field behind it. There was a rainbow arching across the field and the light was gorgeous. I ran inside and told the bride, but she said it was time to do the chicken dance the rainbow photo would have to wait.

Three minutes later the rainbow was gone, but the chicken dance went on and on.

You just have to keep in mind that this is their day and their priorities will not be yours, and since they are paying the bill, you have to go with what is important to them, no matter how frustrating that can be for us as artists.

Jun 25, 2009 at 04:48 PM

Mike Mahoney
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p.3 #10 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Carl Feather wrote:
Three minutes later the rainbow was gone, but the chicken dance went on and on.

Like life itself when you turn 30.

Jun 25, 2009 at 05:51 PM

4eyes
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p.3 #11 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Mike Mahoney wrote:
Carl Feather wrote:
Three minutes later the rainbow was gone, but the chicken dance went on and on.

Like life itself when you turn 30.

Ha.... you could ALMOST make that into a haiku!

"Three minutes later
The rainbow was gone but the
chicken dance went on"

Seriously though... this thread has been fantastic. Opening up to everyone about a weekness is a tough thing to do and the dialog its created has really made me feel like I'm part of something bigger.

*group hug*

-Catherine

Jun 25, 2009 at 05:57 PM

letenele
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p.3 #12 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Thanks to all who responded so far.

The bride emailed me again and clarified that she wasn't mad at me, but at herself for letting the receiving line happen and thus shortening our time for formals. We've compromised to photoshop her siblings into one or two images (one shown earlier here) and to group images together in the album to make it look more "together". I've also offered her to shoot her with her family this fall during another session we have scheduled together.

All's well that ends well. I'm glad this thread has helped other photographers. Yay!

Jun 25, 2009 at 06:40 PM

bignorm
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p.3 #13 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

jeremy_clay wrote:
letenele wrote:
jeremy_clay wrote:
May i ask how much she paid for her wedding package?

$2800... does it matter?

Yes. I was curious as to the correlation between certain financial groups and expected output from a photographer - in my experience, the bigger pricepoint booked from the couple, the more likely they are to just let us 'do our thing' for the photography then not.

This is very true... This is also what drove me to the higher pricing for my services... The less they pay the more the want... and sometimes the harder they are to satisfy....

I have lived Jeremy's comment....

Jun 25, 2009 at 08:24 PM

RichardLavigne
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p.3 #14 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

lisy78 wrote:
I hate to pile-up on the OP but I would be pissed off at them if I were the client.

[puts on client clothes]

...

Hey pro-photog...

You didn't manage my expectations - if it really takes 2-3 minutes to get a group shot then why didn't you tell me?

You accepted my list of shots and didn't express any clear reservations at the time

You never brought up the problem to my attention during the event. Maybe if you had done so I would have pared down the list to a more manageable number... but WTF you didn't even get a shot of me and my siblings?!?!?!

And don't you dare say something like "If you don't remember being in a shot with your siblings then obviously we didn't take it" ... the whole thing is a blur... If I thought *I* needed to keep track I'd a kept the list rather than giving it to you.

You left early after asking me if there were any MORE shots I wanted taken ... of course I assumed that the 54 I'd asked for had already been taken... WTF are you leaving early for if you haven't done what I asked you to do?

Sorry, OP... but that's how I see it.

I can't say that I don't agree with this... seems like a lesson well learned for you, myself and other new photogs... managing the expectations of clients and making sure those expectations are met or exceeded is IMPORTANT!

As I read further down, I was glad to see that you had successfully resolved the issue.

Jun 26, 2009 at 12:20 AM

Stephaniespix
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p.3 #15 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

Letenele,
Glad you got it resolved nicely

Great thread, it is a reminder for all of us (who don't know) to make sure we are all in the clear before we leave the wedding.

Last week, I seconded another photographer and reminded him that he had to get the couple shots. This group was eager to get to the reception and agreed to take the photos there, rather than at the church. Couldn't blame them, they had been in the church since 3:00pm with ceremony at 6:00pm, but the couple didn't want to be seen together so no couple shots. Plus, raining all the time, no outside shots there.

Well, they didn't cooperate at the reception, so MOB was not happy, no couple shots aside from the alter, dancing, two regular shots etc. Now the main photog is doing a day after session and paying for the rental of the tux. MOB said that he should have told her if they were not cooperating and she would have handled it then.

Lesson learnt.

Jun 26, 2009 at 08:37 PM

elkhornsun
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p.3 #16 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

I had a bride who sent me an email with a list of nearly 60 formals she wanted taken after the ceremony. I told it would take about 2 hours and she responded by cutting the list down to 12 groupings. If she had given me the list and I had said nothing and it took too long and I was not able to finish the fault would be mine as much as hers.

If your contract states "up to" then you are covered on the time and you can remind her of this and that you asked if she wanted anything additional before you left and leave it at that
Important in situations such as this to keep your correspondence short and to the point or it will ping pong back and forth forever.

I request that the couple appoint someone to be the "wrangler" and they are responsible for the group shots and this includes getting the people together. It is my job to arrange them and to take the picture, but not my job to round them up. Doing this makes everything go faster and smoother and greatly reduces the stress on the wedding photographer. When a group is together I arrange them, take the shots I need, and while this is going on the wrangler is getting the next group together.

As for the brothers I would propose having her and her brothers come to your studio and take some pictures that you can use in the album. Make her responsible for coordinating getting her brothers, husband, hair & makeup, and you are again just the photographer.

Far better to spend an hour taking new pictures than attempting to use Photoshop to add people to prior shots.

Jun 29, 2009 at 01:01 AM

jprezant
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p.3 #17 · Upset bride wants pictures that were never taken

I didn't read the thread because I don't see how there is more than one answer.

She is sh*t out of luck. You're contract covers you. She added things you didn't agree to.

Too bad for her.

Jun 29, 2009 at 02:01 AM


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