Bad Wedding Photographer

I am in need of assitance with this one. I was married 7 months a go. To date,

I have nto received my final wedding photos. We reeeceived the proofs on-line a

month after the wedding and the proof book shortly after.

 

Overall, the photos are OK but could be better. The photographer did nto take

one photo of my husband and I. He captured all group shots, etc. Still not

clear on how he did not get the bride a groom. He had a list of needed photos.

 

For the past few months, we have been playing phone and email tag to have a

conversation for him to do the following:

1- crop a few group shots to get the bride and groom only

2 - put a select number of photos on CD to send to the videographer

3 - confirm the photo numbers of the shots to be enlarged.

 

I am disappointted and disgusted with this process. He came highly recommend

for the local area. So I thought I had the best and everything will be OK.

 

I've been told that things were going to get done bey a certain date and they

have not been.

 

I am ready to ask for my money back but I don't want to do this until I have

the photos.

 

I have given him a date to have all of this done and if it is not done by this

date, I do not want to talk to him anymore. I want to have my legal rep have

all futre dicussions with him.

 

Does it usually take 7 months to get wedding photos?

 

Any suggestions?

It doesn't take 7 months. Did you have a signed contract with your photographer?

 

To not take any shots of just the bride and groom is odd.

 

What is in your contract?

As a backup, perhaps you could ask your guests for copies of any photos they took.

Instead of playing phone tag, Write it all down, including your version of the history so far,

make two copies and send one via FedEx or registered mail (so you know that he received it)

to the photographer. Include a copy of your contracts and any notes you have made. Set a

deadline for resolving it and a date by which you expect to hear back from him on how he

will resolve the situation.

Don't expect to get your money back AND get your photos.

not taking some kind of formals of the bride and groom alone,( unless your not telling us something) is pathetic, even if he/she says he is stricly P.J. it sounds like youve already got the ball rolling in a certain direction. and 7 WEEKS, would be a long time these days.

Most of my clients take 6 months to a year to place their order, but once I have the order my turn around time is approximately 2 weeks. If I'm really busy with other orders, or have one really large one, that might add an additional week.

You might be better off asking this on a forum for lawyers?

I'm sure that you and your husband had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that your photographer didn't get any shots of just the two of you. I don't how many times I've heard 'Are we done yet? I'm ready to go get drunk and party, by the way I'm already half lit so I really don't care what pictures you have or haven't taken. See ya.'

It does not take 7 months to get your finished album and reprint order done. I second Ellis' suggestion of beginning a series of communications where everything is in writing, sent registered/certified, etc. Do this before calling your lawyer, but if you don't hear from him, call your lawyer. If you hear from him, negotiate a delivery date, put it in writing and have him sign off on it. If he doesn't deliver by that date, call your lawyer. I don't see anything wrong with saying that you intend to call your lawyer if you don't hear from him, and if you don't have your order by the due date. Not a threat, but a statement. Since your communications with him up to this point have been by phone and e-mail, I'd try the "in writing" series of steps before the lawyer. There is no excuse for any wedding photographer who fails to get a single image of the bride and groom alone. An image like this is number one on the "must haves".

Anderson - too bad you didn't hire me as your photographer! I'm serious - this never would have happened.

 

no, 7 months is too long.

 

2-3 months, maybe.

 

when did you order your prints? did the photographer specify a turnaround time for them?

 

it might take 2-6 weeks to fulfill your order once you place it.

 

do you have a contract? what does it say?

So.... you want your money back AND you want your photographs? Hmmm....

 

Not having seen your images or your contract I can't say whose right and whose wrong here.

But this is certainly an issue for your lawyer - not for a bunch of competing photographers!!!

I don't often get my finished albums done much bofore 6 months. Why? Because I am busy shooting for the summer months and then work on the albums in the winter. I do manage to get some done earlier, but I also warn my clients about the expected timing/delay. I would argue that your times are in the realms of normal.

 

If you want to get your photos AND a refund, you are not addressing a very sympathetic ear. In fact, my contract explicitly points out this behaviour as being in breech of contract and results in arbitration. In turn, any normal arbitrator finds for the photog. and now the couple is paying an additional fee to the original for time wasted trying to gain a discounted service. In my very limited experience, your case doesn't sound like a winner.

 

He does sound like a busy guy, so I would guess he plans to take care of you sometime soon(ish).

 

You might mention that you will be contacting those who recommended him if you cannot reslove the seemingly small difficulties. Hope that this jogs his cart a little.

 

Best, D.

"To date, I have nto received my final wedding photos. We reeeceived the proofs on-line a month after the wedding and the proof book shortly after."

 

Were you to receive all of the wedding photos with the package you purchased? Many photographers give either a proof book or copies of the final photos, but I've never heard of a wedding photographer doing both. What was included in the package you purchased and what does your contract say?

 

"put a select number of photos on CD to send to the videographer"

 

Did you have an agreement ahead of time for the photographer to provide the images to the videographer? Have you purchased full-rights to the images or the selected images?

 

"I have given him a date to have all of this done and if it is not done by this date, I do not want to talk to him anymore. I want to have my legal rep have all futre dicussions with him."

 

Sounds like you already know what to do.

So many "Ifs and why" hard to tell with only one side of the story here but Ive seen it where the Groom and Bride are to show up before the wedding and take pics or stay after and do it and then they do neither. So getting money back would be slim chance if you have a contract.

 

At any how what you might ask if the photographer will take an hour and shoot you and your now husband in a few shots. Secially if you can get a few at a wedding site that hasn't occured yet. In and our with no real focus or distinguishing photos other than the two of you.

 

Just and idea.