Wedding Reception Dissapointment

<p>Hello everyone,<br>

So I recently had my first job as a wedding photographer, taking photos only at the clients reception. I am not a wealthy person by any means, and pretty much went in to the job equipped only with a Tameron 28-75mm 2.8 on a 5DmkII. I've been doing cinematography for years, and personal photographs in my own time, so I knew this equipment well, and knew it would suffice for the outdoor reception. My "boss" gave me the site location, and the time frame that I was supposed to attend (6pm-8pm). I imagined that I would have been staying longer than that, which was no problem for me. I arrived 30 minutes early, and almost immediately began snapping all the people, decor, design, etc. that I could. I ended up leaving a whopping 6 hours later, after only being initially scheduled for 2. This was fine, I enjoy photography, and I was getting paid, how bad could it be?<br>

After the shoot I immediately went about the process in a typical way - dumping, sorting, editing, publishing, and felt great. Despite the horrible lighting conditions (and lack of a CF) the photos looked great, and I felt confident and proud to have pulled off some pretty sharp images, while using such a slow shutter in a high intensity setting. I send them to my boss, and he reassures me; "those look fantastic, great job!" <br>

Awesome?<br>

No.<br>

I get an email forward from him today from the lady that ordered the photographer (wasn't the bride or her mother). She was so disappointed. Her main complaints included the following:<br>

-The images were out of focus. (the images were mostly focused & partially blurry due to motion blur of moving faces, bodies, etc. but keep in mind it was pretty minimal)<br>

-There were many shots of signs and food and not enough focus on candid shots of the guests. (I hand counted 119 portraits out of 161 total photos. Those including a variety of 75 different faces)<br>

I got paid $300 for a 6 hour job. Not including editing, and gas.<br>

So here I am, sort of in shock.<br>

I have won awards for cinematography, which I know does not really mean anything for my photos sake, but I KNOW that I know how to properly expose an image, I just graduated for it.<br>

I felt as if I did the job correctly, capturing the story of the day, and including as many different faces as I could. I even asked the DJ at one point to make an announcement asking people to simply come get me for a photo in hopes of eradicating the chance of doing my job poorly, and missing people, but some were bound to not get captured (to them I'm the random kid with a camera, and some keep clear of me because of that).<br>

The client wants me to "fix" the photos. So what do I do now?<br>

ps. I've already looked deep into shake reduction tools, and they're only a tad bit helpful. </p>

<p>Thank you in advance for any responses.</p>

<p>You might confirm that you were at an inside venue in the evening and NOT using Flash for candid portraiture?</p>

<p>On the face of what has been disclosed, I’d guess that the compliant stems mainly from the SUBJECT MOVEMENT due to using too slow shutter speeds without Flash. My guess is that the Complainant has a direct comparison and/or has experience with other Wedding Photography where flash has been employed.</p>

<p>You mention: “the images were <strong><em>mostly focused</em></strong> & <strong><em>partially blurry</em></strong> due to motion blur of moving faces, bodies, etc. but keep in mind it was pretty minimal”.</p>

<p>Again, just on the face of what you write: “<strong><em>mostly </em></strong><em>focused</em>” doesn’t really cut it as “acceptable” for a Professional Stills Photographer at any Event.</p>

<p>Also, the description “<strong><em>partially </em></strong><em>blurry” </em>– the degree of “acceptability” of the blurriness is quite subjective and it would be reasonable to assume that same would NOT be acceptable when comparing Available Light Shooting of Candid Portraiture to Flash Illumination in a similar situation: especially if the majority of your Available Light images had some Subject Motion Blur in them.</p>

<p>***</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The client wants me to "fix" the photos. So what do I do now?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You mention the use of Post Production Tools: I have used “Focus Magic” on some Student’s images and it has rendered reasonable results for minor Subject Movement caused by too slow shutter speed, but each file needs to be addressed individually and the characteristics and degree of the movement assessed and corrected. I expect that it will be quite a time consuming job if you have a big batch to do. You might look into that program if you have not already.</p>

<p>You mention that you are an award winning Cinematographer and a graduate of a photography course but, on the other hand, this is your first Wedding gig – considering these aspects of the situation perhaps it is a situation where the images are simply not retrievable to the Client’s expectations.</p>

<p>All the facts about you knowing exposure; how much you were paid; how hard you worked; whether the Client was the Bride or the Mum of the Bride; etc – are simply not at all part of this equation.</p>

<p>The relationship and moreover <strong>the contract that you have with your “boss” is integral to what you should do.</strong></p>

<p>It has been stated that the “boss” was initially satisfied with the product that you provided to him/her: and yet later (it is implied by the "boss" forwarding you the Client's email) that the “boss” considers it your responsibility to correct the images to address the Client’s wishes and complaints. </p>

<p>What is at <strong>the crux of the matter is the Client</strong> (who, it is assumed has a contract with your “boss”) <strong>is unhappy with the results.</strong> And the next part of the equation is what contract you have with the “boss”. And <strong>the whole equation seems to be centred upon whether or not Subject Movement can be adequately addressed / corrected in Post Production</strong> – and most of the time, usually it cannot.</p>

<p>So if it is the situation that the Subject Movement cannot be corrected, then it seems that the resolution might be “<strong>Client Pacification</strong>” to a suitable resolution. I would expect that Client Pacification would <strong>come firstly from the one who holds the contract with the Client</strong> (assumed the “boss”): but I think that <strong>you should be prepared to take a role in that activity.</strong></p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>The fact of the matter is that the client is not satisfied - and the client is always right. So you have to find out what the client really wants.</p>

<p>Since the images have already been shot and can't be redone there is not much to do about that. So the only thing you really can do is give a full or partial refund together with an apology or offer some other form of compensation and/or try to improve the images in post.</p>

<p>But to be able to resolve this situation you really need to find out exactly what the client was expecting - a face to face meeting.</p>

<p>You might end up having worked for zero money and despite the best efforts end up with an unsatisfied customer. Chalk that up to experience and prepare to avoid it in the future by managing client expectations and being able to recognize and deliver a professional product in all circumstances and having a solid legal ground to stand on when clients are impossible to satisfy.</p>

<p><em>PS. I also suggest to contact an experienced wedding photographers here in private (email or PM) or if you know one yourself. Ask them if they could take a look at your images and give you their professional view of your images and what you could expect to salvage in post. Maybe WW above who is the moderator on this forum could help you or refer you to someone who could.</em></p>

<blockquote>

<p>The client wants me to "fix" the photos. So what do I do now?<br />ps. I've already looked deep into shake reduction tools, and they're only a tad bit helpful.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>They can't be 'fixed'. Possibly sharpened a bit, but fixed I doubt. I don't think you will get an answer to your question that will satisfy you or the client. Basically, this will be a lesson learned, I think. These archives are brimming with 'my first wedding' experiences.<br>

If you post a few of the images in question you might get some helpful suggestions. Did you shoot raw or jpg? </p>

<p>Big lesson learned just because your an experienced cinema photographer does not mean you're an experienced still photographer and vice versa. Sorry to hear of your disappointments. Thank God you stayed for the extra 4 hours or you really would have had a mess. You need to produce work that meets the clients expectations in the time frame you're hired in. Staying the extra time shows more insecurity in your work rather than your enjoyment.</p>

<p>Oh by the way in your defense they got what they paid for. </p>

<p>Good comments.</p>

<p>Also, I can't believe how few images that you took in 6-hours. I would have expected 1,000 to 2,000. Shooting in low light, you'll need the extras to get to the 100 best. What in the world were you doing? This is not a portrait shoot.</p>

<p>Where was your ISO and resulting shutter speed? Always go for noise vs. blur, except in a few special instances. There are excellent NR programs around today that make 5D2 images nice, even at ISO 6400.</p>

Well the help for your problems have been stated.

 

I have to commend you with your awards! This is something special. Keep up the fine work.

 

I'm changing the subject ever so slightly here - for future weddings. More of a few lessons.

 

A flash is a must. Even outside. In fact if you use a flash for every shot, inside and outside you will have

a very high success rate. Maybe 80 percent or higher. As high as 100 percent. A flash is by far your

best friend in the world of wedding photography.

 

For outside shots a lot of people may have dark circles around their eyes, due to the sun, shade, and

even the fancy romantic shots, including the portraits of the bride and the groom. The flash Will help fill

in those dull and dark eye sockets, that raccoon eye look. Flash actually makes the eyes of people

sparkle, mainly with the portraits. A bride with dark eyes simply isn't cool. It reminds me of someone

not having fun at their wedding. Dark and gloomy eyes.

 

At the receptions movement is your enemy as already stated by many. Without a basic flash you are

pretty much dead, very dead!. Even with those very high ISO cameras. With the high ISO settings and without flash

your chances of getting natural skin tones of the faces of people simply won't happen. For example if a

DJ uses those color light domes/balls that circle around, the lights in the room lighting, sometimes candles

will kill the skin tones. For example the DJ's domes with assorted lights inside the ball the blue, yellow, green, and

more dome will cast shadows on the faces of people. Yuk, green monster movie faces!!! Candles will make the faces turn kind of a glowing brown. Ceiling lights, depending on the type of lights can cast and cause greenish overtones.

 

In short I actually set up around 2 to 4 lights, mono lighting, radio slaves, so when my camera fires so

do the other flash units. I do this so I can pick up the entire reception room. I'm able to pick up

everything in the room, the background dinner tables to the first dance. Sure high ISO's are fun, but you sometimes don't need them. In fact I'm never over an ISO settings of 800. I'm not saying this is correct, however it works well for me going way back to the film days. Needless to say everyone dancing. My shuutter speeds are almost always around 30th to 60th of a second, favoring 60th, and the F-stop rating is solely dependent of the rooms flash unit light readings. I aim for about F-5.6 to F-8. Even if I take a chance at shooting a few shots at 15th of a second and using a flash, if the people aren't moving too much, or not at all, the the flash could stop any form of movent. In these cases I always take a few safety shots, just to be sure.

 

Try to practice outside and inside with some friends with and without a flash. I am positive you will enjoy

seeing the results.

 

I must conclude by saying once you get the feel of "Seeing light" as a photographer you can then play

around with natural lighting and this will surely be fun! Remember to always cover yourself, when

experimenting with natural light. Still use a flash.

 

This statement here is of extreme value. Your eyes can see about 10 F stops. With digital, the camera

can perhaps see 3 or 4 f stops without having to do some major corrections in PS. So even though we don't

SEE those raccoon eyes in people, your camera will.

 

Post a few pictures and I'm sure you will get some great help.

By the way, I'm not trying to blow/kill out the DJ's lighting dome, but to use it as part on the decor artistically. I still want

to see the domes. The same goes for other forms of lighting reception scenes and situations.

<blockquote>

<p>"I send them to my boss, and he reassures me; "those look fantastic, great job!"<br /><br /></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Good. According to the boss, you performed your work satisfactorily.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"I get an email forward from him today from the lady that ordered the photographer (wasn't the bride or her mother). She was so disappointed... ...The client wants me to "fix" the photos. So what do I do now?"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Nothing. Except to ask the boss why they forwarded the e-mail. Then you will know whether it is worthwhile to accept further engagements from them if any are available. It could have just been sent merely for reference or go as far as changing their expectations after the fact and demanding that you pull off the impossible after concluding the work was done properly. Whatever the reason, there really isn't much you can or should do. Continue to hone your skills for these settings if you plan to do further work in this area in general. You should do this last part no matter how good or bad the images are.</p>

<p>My simple thoughts:</p>

<p>1) If in doubt about enough light (unless you are told to not use flash), use flash. If have to use no flash, sacrifice noise for faster shutter speed.<br>

2) I agree, should be delivering at least 350 images for that many hours work.<br>

3) Not being able to talk to the client directly was a terrible handicap for you. You've got to talk about style and expectations if you want to please them.<br>

4) Chalk this up to experience and learn from it. Every new thing I have gone into photographing, no matter how much I practice, I learn twice as much from the major and minor mistakes I made shooting it for real the first time. Learn and come back stronger next time.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p> (I hand counted 119 portraits out of 161 total photos. Those including a variety of 75 different faces)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This seems a reasonable amount of delivered images for 2HR of coverage. ~1 1/3 images/min. While it is much lower than what an experienced pro would be <em>able</em> to deliver, it is a reasonable amount to have delivered.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><br />I got paid $300 for a 6 hour job.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

This is incorrect. You were paid $300 for a 2 hr job. The fact that you stayed an EXTRA 4hr (for $0) is independent of your obligation, and, given the client's satisfaction, and your lack of experience, a good darn thing, as it seems likely you would be unable to provide a keeper rate of even 1/min had you not done so.<br>

</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If have to use no flash, sacrifice noise for faster shutter speed.<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This advice is worth it's weight in gold. Varying your ISO to keep your shutter speed at a reasonable level (even when shooting WO) is, as you've discovered, part of the job. However, you should not have even attempted this task without a flash. That was pure inexperience. You should have known better than to attempt without doing some basic research IMO.<br>

</p>

<p>In 30 plus years of doing photography - you'd think I'd have learned by now that what I like and think are good, are not the same as what the client thinks are good. Nope. You're learning the same lesson. </p>

<p>It sounds complicated - you have both a "boss" and a client, right? Wrong - you have one "boss" and that is the client. If the client is happy, boss is happy. If the client isn't happy - then boss isn't happy. Period. </p>

<p>Did the client see any of your work beforehand? Or did the boss just subcontract the event to you without telling the client or showing them your work? Did the boss know you didn't have off camera flash and would be shooting available light? </p>

<p>99% of the time - there is little you can do to "save" a blurry image in post without it looking overly processed. </p>

<p>Then there's your numbers - the client doesn't care that you were paid for 2 hours - she cares that you were there for 6 hours and she "only" got 116 photos of guests. Depending on the event that may or may not be a lot of guest photos. I've done 300 person weddings. I've also done 25 person weddings... Big difference in the number of candid shots for those two weddings. </p>

 

<p>You could try Adobe Photoshop CC's camera shake reduction tool, it estimates movement trajectories and tries to unblur them by a sophisticated method. I have found it to be effective when the shutter speed wasn't fast enough to freeze movement.</p>

Adobe camera shake tool does not correct subject movement caused by too slow of shutter speed. Some knowledge is

required, not everything can be fixed in post. lol

<p>Blurry images have little cure and candid shots, especially reception candid shots are the bane of my existence. You are either most likely shooting through other people's head or you can buge in the conversation circle. But by that time people will be looking at you and that shot ceases to be candid anymore.</p>

<p>And in a dark reception hall with no flash allowed that makes it almost mission impossible. What I ended up doing most of the time is just to get some shots with people looking at the camera directly. That way you at least get people's faces right and whether that's candid or not, who can tell?</p>

<p><em>Adobe camera shake tool does not correct subject movement caused by too slow of shutter speed. <br /></em><br>

It doesn't matter to the algorithm whether the subject moves or camera moves, it is their relative movement trajectory that is being estimated and a correction is then attempted. I have tried this and it seems to work in situations where you might not have expected. The user can point to an area where the estimation is to be made (i.e. in this case, the subject).</p>

 

<p>All this is speculative based on words describing visuals with no visuals to reference.</p>

<p>The OP describes the blur as minimal. What we do not know is whether the blur effects the whole image, the primary subject, or secondary subjects that were moving faster than the primary subject.</p>

<p>There are a number of Post programs dedicated to fixing this issue, and some do a respectable job depending on the degree of motion blur.</p>

<p>That the "client" is always right is also speculative. I've had clients complain about the backgrounds being "blurry" when it was deliberate narrow DOF to isolate a subject from a cluttered background. Some people are used to fixed lens wide-angle P&S images where everything is "in focus".</p>

<p>The "Who is the Boss" discussion is odd to me. The Boss is the one who writes the check to the photographer. In this case, the OP was hired by another photographer to cover the reception.</p>

<p>Apparently, the OP had no input from the end client, and was just sent off to do the job … which was satisfactory to the hiring photographer upon completion. The OP is NOT a mind reader. Without input as to expectations that are usually conveyed when the client contracts for the work, how is he supposed to know what they want? He got his marching orders from the hiring photographer, and the finished work was accepted. </p>

<p>From then on it is the hiring photographer's responsibility to satisfy his client. Direct responsibility without direct input never works.</p>

<p>- Marc</p>

<p> </p>