kelly_m.2

Sounds great I say switch over to those 500 dollar clients and leave all those icky $5000 clients to me! Just kidding! Like others have alreadt said there are many ways to cut down on the post time if that is what truly bothers you. But i would have to dissagree on saying the higher end clients are harder to deal with I dont find that at all. I have had a few difucult people before but I dont think it was a price thing it was just their personality and only you can decide who and what you can handel.

he he thats really cute, and quite a complement too!

In Response to David S.

There was no contract, she offered to pay me but we never discussed a specific amount. Im no worried about the money I worried about having something great to deliver and when I position my self at the end of the isle to photograph her walking in and a 6'2 man with an 18" lens steps out of the pew right in front of me it really makes me mad... and he litterally stuck that thing right over my shoulder the whole rest of the night. And as for charging my cousin I married into a family where my husbands parents came fomr families of 20 ( atleast) and 10 kids, all who turned around and had familys of ten them self and cousins range in age from 3-80 and most have kids themself who are also of the age of getting married so there are hundreds of relatives... I could have weddings every day of the year and not make a penny if I gave them away. ( but this was a special cousin so she got a deal) but it will bum me out if this guy hands them over a copy of all my work that he shot over my shoulder....

sorry above that was a 20d ( im just angry and typing exhausted)

Here is just a small recap of what happend to me today, and pleas let me know

if this had ever happend to any of you. I was hired by the bride and groom (the

bride is my cousin) to do their engagement, guestbook and wedding photography.

Everything had gone really well untill the wedding today when a guest from the

grooms side shows up with his Canon D20,EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, and I

kid you not...his assistant... aghhh what a frustrating day. Normaly I would

have walked off the job the second he steped in from of me as the bride walked

down the isle but it was my cousins wedding so I stayed and he shot over my

shoulder every second of the day. I even asked him as I was shooting the

formals if he would like his go at posing the 30 people when I was finished so

he could take his own, but he declined and kept shooting in my way for the rest

of the day with his "assitant" following close behind... agh... I dunno I guess

that is why you dont mix family and business. what is done is done now but i

cant shake this fusterated angry feeling! Any advice on what I should have

done? I try not to be too confrontational but in this situation I almost felt

the need for some violence....... jk jk.... well maybe not....

Ya im am planing on talking to her tonight in response to a nasty email she sent me today (wanting to know if it ALWAYS takes a whole month to process and print and if I also took that long for weddings) but my main worry was her saying bad things about me however she is in a region I dont travel to so i guess it wont hurt me

Hi everyone I need some advice on how to deal with an overbearing bride who hired me as her photographer but ended up cancelling her wedding. She had never paid in full but my contract has the retainer as non refundable. I felt bad because she had flown to my location for her destination wedding when it was called off so i offered to take indivudual photos of her.She really liked photoshoped images so I spent some extra time photoshopping and sent her all the images on a disk. Should have been the end of the story however now she is demanding ton of prints at no cost to her and want really ugly photoshop work done that even I (the photoshop queen) does not think is tastefull in anyway. And on top of that she calls me at all hours of the night ask for personal favors(that would require hours of my time) and to which I refused but enough is enough allready! I dont know what to do I have no contract or obligation to give her ANYTHING at all and I thought I was being nice but it sure came back to kick me in the butt. Help how can I get rid of her!?

Hi Christi, The client must have been expecting mother teresa herself to fly down from heaven and paint each moment by hand, because your photos are beautiful and she has no room to complain. Do NOT give a refund and just ignore their nasty letter. I think your images alone from that wedding will get you other jobs with clients who will love your work so dont let it get to you. And raise your prices up get rid of that "introductery" price. If you cost more people will book you based on whether or not they like your work not based on your price being the lowest( and then your style ends up not meshing with theirs and they complain) If the rest look like the ones you have posted then the clients are crazy to complain.

Smugmug!

Skin tones look fine on my screen. Alot of time clients thing that they want "PJ" style photos but dont realize that alot of the photos they see on peoples website are staged. I agree with Brook where people want one thing ( Doncumentary style coverage) but expect another, perfectly lit portrait studio style shots that look unposed) but they dont want to invest the time during the say. I always tell people I can be as close up ( without being inyour face) or as far away as you prefere however without any restrictions I can get better shots.( While still respecting their space and day) Most couples tell me just to do my thing. I have only had one couple say that they didnt even want to be able to see me that day. ( And I didnt do their wedding) ;) Post a link to the rest. It sucks to get a negative letter like that.

 

Oh another thought I had is maybe the bride just dosnt feel good about herself. It's very easy to look at photos of other people and because you dont know them and wernt at their wedding it seems very fantasy like and perfect. I remeber looking at photos on my wedding photographers site seeing a tall slim blonde and beautiful bride, and thought her photos were stunning. Lol and needless to say ( although my photographer did a great job) I was still slightly dissapointed when I was still a slighly overweight brunette and the person in the photo was just me. lol rational? probably not...( but I got over it and love the photos now)

 

Umm and besides she only paid $450. Beggers cant be choosey.

I use lightroom for overall bulk adjustments and minor color corrections etc. Everything goes through lightroom edits or not and then for a anything artistic, face touchups, B&W, Sepia, etc. I use photoshop.

How old are the other two kids?

Here's my "game plan" but I use two shooters. I stand in the very front to get the bride with her father as they walk in. Quickly turn around to get the grooms face as he sees her walk in, then get the mother etc. all looking at her, and close up the the bride and father ( without being to close or in the way) and then move out to the side to get the hand off. The second shooter gets the bride and father was they walk in from behind then the shoot from behind down the isle with the train, and if there is a balcony up to the balcony to get an arial view of the bride and father. its important to be in the action bbut not in the way. And everything changes or is adjusted base on the venue. In some (especially is there is a foyer in the church) You could get hte bride and her father walking in and then still enter the church go down the side and shoot from the front to get the groom and their entrance to the actual church. It all logistics... just get there early and make a plan!

One with a great photographer behind it..... or a Canon 30D ;) ( I love mine)

I always take some individual shots ot the B&G with each member or the party usually before the wedding.I also try and get the B&G alone with each of their paretns (outside of the formals) I dont know if this is standard or not. As for the other photos during the reception,unless there is a specific request for certain people who may not be incorperated into the wedding, I just shoot the action as it happens. I usually try to ask in the pre wedding consulations who is important to photograph that day but if no mention of people like aunts and uncles are mentions then how are you supposed to tell one anonymous stranger from another?

I love weddings... it has its good side and its bad side, but how many people get to do their work at a huge party? It sure beats a cubical... and its the happiest day of someones life! I love it!

I would have to agree and say go with a professional...I would also check to see if the album is lignin free ( most store bought albums that are ment for preserving photos will say acid and lignin free) that is another chemical that will ruin photos over time, and whether you do it yourself or have a professional do it,you want to make sure they stay preserved!

Coming from another photographers point of view I spent about 21% on my photographer. My photos and album cost me more than a sit down filet dinner for 280 people at the hilton... and it was worth it. After all that good food was gone I wouldnt want to risk forgetting how wonderful it was! But as William and Paul both point out percentages can be easaliy manipulated depending on the total cost of the wedding!!!

Ya I had at least 4 requests for 07-07-07 these past few months...

Being Catholic and a photographer, at my wedding I wanted photographs of the communion. Alot of thought has gone into the mass, especially a full mass and many people invloved are asked to by the b&g inlcuding those who walk the communion down to the alter. I dont think I would be offended of the vendors had ( mainly because i was kneeling and woudlnt have been able to see) however it is a personal act, and may be best kept your own mass. Besides, how many of us really havent eaten anything before the comunion at 2:30 on a sat. Not me, im not starting a job hungry! So I would say it's really not appropriate..... IMHO :)

Ya I would have to say crop it or retouch like peter did, the leaves with the clone stamp looks kinda amature... mm but that bottle of Cliquot looks good!

Photoshop and lightroom!

Thats a great sugguestion Conrad and Bob, I think I will just put him in contact with previous clients who I know wont mind sharing their experiances!

That is what I ended up doing, I just said that the photos on my website are very typical of what I shoot at every wedding, but there are certain events that cant be controlled such as "excited" guests who may step in front of me, however thats why I have a second shooter, and also a back up camera should somthing happen to my first. I also explained the dif. between digital and film and how I will know right away whether or not the photos are "in focus/light properly etc". So if one or two shots dont come out right I keep shooting untill I get what I want and the restof the day is still recorded properly. I also said that the only way a full refund will be given is if no images are produced ( which I couldn't imgaine 4 cameras failing, however stranger thing have happend im sure)I didnt want to sound harsh about it however I dont want down the road for them to say.. umm we dont like any of these ( due to personal taste) even though they are "quality images" And he contacted me through my website so I would imagin that he has seen my work. I think a meeting in person will clear up everything.

Ya, I like what you all are saying, "quality" just seems so vauge. i think I will just refere him to my website and contract but I still dunno about this one...