jordin_gignac

Thanks for the advice! I'm new to the whole photography world and didn't expect a friend to bring up signing papers. But I shouldn't have given him a second chance. After he brought up signing papers I was almost baffled because I thought if there were any papers to sign that it would've been done before the shoot but I've learned my lesson to do it myself next time so I still have rights to my images even if it's under his photography business name.

I used to work with this photographer at my college newspaper and after working together he wanted to help me gain some experience by asking me to help him shoot a wedding. The wedding was of a couple that he is close friends with. They were only able to pay us $400 of which he gave me $100 for helping. By the end of the wedding, he asked for my SD card so he could edit my photos. I guess I didn't fully understand why he hired me because this was my first paid photographer experience and I just wanted to see what shots I could get. When he wanted the photos I was hesitant because I know what it was like working with him in the past (I hired him and he never complied to the newspaper rules) but I gave him the card and asked for it back the next day because I was going to shoot a concert in the city and needed it (it was my only card - 16gb) he agreed to do so. When the day came around, he failed to answer my texts or calls. I was very upset and aggravated because it was like the newspaper all over again (my fault for thinking people change). He managed to text me back a day later apologizing and reassuring me he'd be able to give me my card (with the wedding photos on it) the next day. I really need these photos for my portfolio and he completely understood that because that's why I did the job (he knew this). He called me the next day and said he could stop by my house to give me my card but mentioned that I needed to sign some "things". I assumed it was for legal purposes, but didn't understand how legal this whole thing had to be since I was going to put up my photos on my Facebook and Instagram (my person social media sites, not affiliated with my photography portfolio) and he agreed to this and actually wanted me to do so as we had discussed prior to the shoot. But when he arrived at my house, he asked me to bring a price of paper and pen out to the car. I was annoyed because if he wants me to sign anything professional it should be done professionally so I argued with him about it. He said if I don't do it he will drive away. So I stood my ground. Mind you, prior to this, he had texted me after the wedding saying he needs to talk to me about how I "suck" and need to learn the dos and don'ts of photography (he hasn't gone to school for this but has been an assistant photographer for a well known photographer in Chicago). He was never being professional during the whole wedding so I didn't feel comfortable signing anything. It has now been a month since the wedding and I want to know what I should do to get my photos back so I can use them on my portfolio ( these are my images that were taken by me).