sera

<p>He probably told you 1-2 weeks because he had not done a wedding before & didn't know how much time it really takes. Yes, its his fault for give you that timeframe, but I think maybe all your texts asking him about the photos bothered him & he feels pressured. I'd quit asking about it for now, you can wait awhile longer. I know the family is bugging you, just say it takes time to get the photos back & you don't need to tell the photographer that your family is waiting.<br /><br />What I would do is mail him a note apologizing if you were rushing him or pressuring him & that you are happy to wait for him to complete the photos. Maybe give him a gift card to somewhere you know he likes to go? I usually say a coffee gift card - all those long hours, but since he works there maybe not that! In the note thank him for his time at the wedding, etc. You can provide your mailing address there & just ask him to mail them to you. No worrying about meeting up & it won't matter what part of the world he's in, there's always a post office or fedex/ups somewhere nearby.<br /><br />Also, although he agreed to the price, that is very low. I think if you have the money you should pay him more than $100. I wouldn't say anything until you actually have the photos, go through them, etc. How long was he there for?</p>

<p>First off, I'm very sorry. I completely understand about the family photos & how hard that would be to not have. I really hope your videographer is able to help you out with some of this!<br>

Although the other couple told you they already asked for the hard drive, I would still ask her about it. She won't be able to give it to you. However, I would ask her what company she used. She may have just said she didn't have it because she panicked & didn't know how to refuse that other couple the hard drive. <br>

If she does have the memory cards & hard drive, I'd ask her to send them to one of the places others on this forum have suggested - the ones that the FBI, etc use. Even if it costs her $5k for all that, it is going to be much cheaper than to have anyone sue her. I'd even tell her that! Also, if she "ran a program" on her memory cards, she's not trying hard enough. She needs to send those out to a truly professional (yes expensive) service & that's all on her to pay. Maybe she did spend a lot already, but she may have just picked one... they are not all the same.<br /><br />Since she doesn't have insurance, than suing her will likely not get you very far. Insurance is there for when unfortunate things happen, so you're covered. Without insurance she likely has no money. Even if you did sue her & you won a lot of money, she likely wouldn't be able to pay it. Especially if either of the other 2 brides sue her.<br>

I would also contact the venue & tell them what happened. You said they have a contract with her so I'd want to warn them. I wouldn't say anything to the venue if it was just some photographer you found on your own, however since they're recommending her I'd let them know.<br>

Did you sign a contract with the photographer? You said you paid her, but do you have a contract? Or do you have a contract regarding photography with the venue?<br>

Again, I'm sorry you have to deal with this.</p>

<p>I would provide them with a disc of the low res files (not large enough to print anything but a wallet size photo) with your watermark on them. It sounds like they heavily refer you & I think this would make them happy. Also, it would be like free advertising for you as your watermark would be displayed, so long as you place it not on their faces but not too far into the corners where it could get cropped out. Also, it shows your images off much better than a bad screenshot does!<br>

Also, you could set up a referral system... if someone refers X number of people they get free prints or a free session, something like that. That would give them even more reason to promote you!<br /><br />Or you can add something like a social media CD package, where they get all of the low-res images (with watermark) to put on facebook, etc for a very low cost or free with a certain package, or so many referrals, etc.</p>

<p>I believe we were all under the impression that you missed the Bride & Groom shots together. Reading your last post, it sounds like you missed guest couples & the bridesmaids alone? In that case, I wouldn't issue a refund or re-stage a photo shoot. Not every image is possible to capture in every wedding. You can't force people to take a photo, that's why in our contract terms it says we're not liable for missed shots due to non-cooperation.<br>

<br />Also, do NOT apologize for your photos lack of quality, it will make the clients feel the photo isn't as good as they would have had you not said anything. Sometimes a photo I think is just okay turns out to be one of the clients favorites. Example: if you went to a coffee shop & the employee said in a shy tone "I'm sorry this isn't very good, I tried but I'm new, so sorry"... you are not going to want to drink that coffee! You are going to expect something's wrong with it. So if there is something wrong with it, it will be much more noticeable. However if the employee said in a confident, positive tone "Here is your coffee, hope you enjoy it!", I'm not going to be afraid to drink it & I expect it to be good, not expecting the best coffee I've ever had, but something I will enjoy & am happy with. Hope the analogy makes sense...<br /><br />I'd like to see your images, you can PM me if you don't feel comfortable posting here.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"they booked with me after we met and discussed what they would like they told me the venue the date and that<em> they were not very interested in set up shots of them</em> etc."<br>

<br />"because of the confusin, i didnt take couples set up shots because i thpught they wanted them naturally and<em> everytime i offered them to couples they did not want them</em>."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Did you offer to shoot this couple at their wedding & they said they didn't want to? If that's the case, than you did try to take the couple shots, but they declined. You also said you forgot so I'm wondering if you're referring to your previous clients as not wanting them?<br>

<br />I would document the day, as much as you remember, including what was going on when you asked them to take certain pictures that they declined (if that happened). Then keep this on file, not to give to them, but for your records in case they do pursue legal action.<br>

<br />Most of my couples want to take the bride & groom shots, however a very small amount did not (tired, so much going on, etc) & I had to persuade them to take them. When asking a client to take shots they don't want to, be confident & excited & that (usually) rubs off on them to want to take photos on their busy & joyous day.<br>

<br />As for trying to make your clients happy, I would ask for a face to face meeting, maybe take them out to coffee & bring all the (good quality) photos you have & give them to them then. If you have photos of the couple together in a group or family shot, crop it & edit it so they have something & also bring to the meeting for them. At the meeting I would offer to do a photo shoot with them at no charge dressed in their wedding attire. Do you have any friends who do make-up/hair (& are good at it)? Could they possibly help you out & do the bride's hair/makeup for the re-shoot? You want to be confident, genuine & professional at the meeting & be careful what you say. <br>

<br />Also, what else are they saying you missed?</p>

<p>Another option you may be able to look into is TimeMachine, its something that Mac computers have that lets you go "back in time" & can restore previous files (I think, you may have had to already done something so it has a backup point, but I'm not sure). I just know my friend had photos on his Mac and they disappeared. Turns out someone accidentally deleted all the photos on his computer about a week before he noticed & he had already emptied the trash/recycle bin. He used the Time Machine & he got them all back.<br /> Make sure you back EVERYTHING up if you use it, I believe you can also lose new files if you use it. Again, I am not sure how accurate I am in this, I would talk to your local Mac store & see if they can give you more info on it.<br /> Good luck!</p>

<p>I saw an ad on craigslist saying a photographer in Oregon is stealing another photographer's work in SC. I checked it out & sure enough, the OR photographer had the other's images on her site! I refreshed the page & she had changed out the pics from the SD photographer who had caught her. She didn't have a lot on her website, but there's quite a few photos on her Facebook that I'm pretty sure are stolen as well.<br>

Does anyone investigate this stuff? I don't know either photographer, but I'm sure the OR photographer is stealing other's work as well...</p>

<p>Thanks WW, my computer history has been cleared but I will contact Nadine. Thank you :)</p>

<p>Is there any way to see my history on photo.net? Like links I've clicked on?<br>

Really not trying to be a pest, but I do have a legitimate reason.</p>

<p>How can I contact the moderator?</p>

<p>I know I've seen this photo on here before. Anyone know who's it is?</p>

<p><strong>Moderator Note:</strong> Yep, I have to remove the image, per photo.net guidelines. You may provide a link to the image. Sorry.</p>

<p>I have done approximately 8 weddings. I do them only as a side hobby, since I have a different full time job. 2 years ago I was considering moving, so I did not book in case I moved out of state. Last year, I got married & I had to turn clients away due to timing except the 1 wedding I booked, canceled. This year, I'm starting up again. I have been photographing for small events, concerts, families, senior pics; however no weddings in 2 years. I have a client wanting to book me for a wedding & am unsure what to charge. Should I give them a discount since I haven't done a wedding in so long? I'm confident I will do a professional job, however I am a little nervous since I haven't photographed a wedding in so long.</p>

 

<p>I'm using the free version of Wix to see if I like it, but I don't. Using a slower computer, it takes too long to open. I generally don't like flash sites but there's not another option if I don't know HTML right? I don't know much when it comes to building a website, but I'm trying to learn. All advice here is appreciated :).<br>

Can anyone recommend a free website that isn't flash? I don't know HTML. I'm planning on learning HTML this year & I have the Adobe web design CS4 software to learn on. For now I just need something that will display my work while I learn the software.<br>

Thanks for that link, RobertK!<br>

@ReneGM I'm not sure why my pics are blurred online, I'll look into that. Thanks for letting me know!</p>

<p>Ok I was completely wrong when I said the DPI, I meant the Resolution was set to 300. Should I keep the resolution at 300 or does that matter for web use?<br>

I keep getting conflicting answers online, most say use 600 pixels wide for web use. Is that right?<br>

Can someone confirm this with me because I don't want to change all my images & than have this not be correct. Thank you :)</p>

<p>Thank you, I did not know about dpi for printing, I assumed it would also work for monitors, so thank you! What is a good pixel size for the web?<br>

I'm going to create a more professional website sometime later this year. I just had a few inquiries and they wanted to see my work asap. I have a Mac that is very fast, but I wasn't sure how fast it would display on older computers so that's why I put the flickr note in there. Its only temporary & I'll get that changed out in a few days (after I change all my images to the correct pixel size). I will look into jalbum as well!</p>

<p>Hi! I just got a new website & would like a critique please (all feedback & constructive criticism welcome).<br>

<a href="http://www.wix.com/seraphimage/home">www.wix.com/seraphimage/home</a><br>

On my computer it loads instantly, but on my work computer it takes awhile. Does it load at a good speed for you? If not, how do I get it to load faster? Its a flash website, but I did resize all my images to 4x6" @300dpi. I posted my flickr.com account on my website for those with slower computers.<br>

Also, my wedding gallery is supposed to slide when you place the mouse over it, on my computer it does that, but my work computer does not.<br>

Thank you :)</p>

<p>I would not matte them, as it may be a waste of your time/ money should they not like the matted look or some may prefer the double matted look. If you made it an option to matte & then another option to frame, that may help with your decision. When I purchase a print, I like to chose the matte & frame myself, as do some of my other friends.<br>

I'm not sure if the dancers meet or have rehearsals, but one option is to offer to meet them at the next rehearsal with their orders & deliver them all at once. It helps because some of the photos may get passed around & others may want to place an order with you. If they want just the prints, I've seen photo envelopes that have a plastic covering over the front, so you can see the image without taking it out off the envelope and insert a heavy duty cardboard backing to prevent it from bending.<br>

I would offer the standard sizes as well as offer a custom panoramic size, but you'll want to include matte & framing with the panoramics because I've found it hard to find panoramic frames unless I special order them.</p>

<p>Thank you, Tony! I found them :)</p>

<p>I'm considering starting up a Pet Photography shop. I believe I can share a space with another pet-vendor, so I would have a studio (finally).<br>

There are no pet photography studios in this area, so I would have the "edge" on the market. In this economy, I'm wondering if people will even want pet photography. How do I find out if this is something people are wanting?<br>

Backgrounds + pets = potential disaster. What type of fabric would work best & hold up to consistent cleaning? I assume I would need to disinfect & vacuum or lint-roll after every pet.<br>

Would I need people to sign model releases if its of pets? It sounds silly asking.<br>

I would go on-location to clients if they'd prefer that, so I'm assuming I'll mostly have dogs & cats. I would also space it out so that only 1 client comes in at a time.<br>

I'm sorry to ask so many questions!</p>

<p>To cover yourself, you should always get model releases (if its for a minor, you need the parent's signatures). Do you have any type of contract with the team about the team photos?<br>

I know there are cases where if a photo is taken in a public place, it can be okay. But I don't know the laws on that entirely.<br>

I wouldn't send him the sample board. If he's asking for the "exact sample board" he MIGHT be trying to get it so he can form a lawsuit. If he was asking for the photo on the sample board, that's different.</p>

<p>Sorry I've been out of touch on here!<br>

What happened is I received an email back that only said "let me know if you need anything else" with an attached signed Cancellation Agreement. I had emailed her the Cancellation Agreement & she printed it out, signed it, scanned it, & emailed it to me & I accepted that. I never spoke with her about it (she never returned my phone call, & it may be a sensitive subject to talk about so I didn't call her again).<br>

I kept the deposit & stated in my cancellation agreement that I would be keeping it. Honestly, if they would have let me know it was canceled, I probably would have given them at least part of their deposit back. I would have appreciated some type of "humanity" in their email to me (they didn't even say my name, just "let me know if you need anything else" & that's it). But its fine, they may be really upset about the whole situation.<br>

This is the only out of town couple I've ever had (I've always had clients who are somewhat local, even if the wedding was far away, I've always been able to meet with the couple). Plus it was just them with one of their friends & it was only about a 2 hour time frame that they needed me. It was a very unique situation.<br>

I went about this the way I did because of the short time frame I had to get everything cleared up. I am changing my contract to help avoid this in the future. Thank you everyone for all your help!</p>

<p>I did call the bride (just for clarification on here). I know that most conversations are better done via email, it helps both of us know exactly what was said & most likely won't turn into a "but you said this on the phone". I prefer emails & in person meetings, as phone calls can become misconstrued. I would have called her anyway (common sense), I just wanted to figure out what I needed to do before I called her.</p>

<p>I will reply to more of the responses I got when I have more time.</p>

<p>For now, I'm still waiting on the bride to return my call or reply to my emails. Most likely, she is still at work so I'm not too nervous yet...</p>

<p>Since everyone's curious about the money wording, I have:</p>

<p>Client will pay to Photographer a total price of $A on the following terms:<br>

A. A deposit of $1/3 A upon execution of this agreement; and<br>

B. The balance, $2/3 A, on the Wedding Day upon completion of photography<br>

& later on I state:<br>

Client may cancel this contract prior to the Wedding Day, thereby forfeiting all deposits paid, by written notice to Photographer.</p>

<p>I know everyone is giving me information to help my situation & that its not to be taken as "legal advice". I'm not trying to move slow on this, I would have called the bride as soon as I received that email if I knew what I know now. I'm making the cancellation notice detailed to cover my bases, but I do want her to be able to understand it, yet not have a "loophole" that I could be taken to court over later on. I think everyone on here has given me information that has greatly helped me. Yes, I know a lawyer would make 100% sure I didn't have a loophole & my future cancellation notices will have different wording. For now, this is what I can do with what I have.<br>

I did call the bride this morning and I left her a voicemail. I am a little stressed but everything will work out! I'm waiting on her call back.<br>

I would strongly prefer to get the cancellation notice ASAP rather than go to a wedding that is canceled & then charge her for additionally for that.</p>

<p>Typically, my turnaround is 1 month to give them all their pics. I give myself an extra week or 2 in my contract so that I won't pass the contract deadline.<br>

I'm going to start a blog soon(ish), because I would like to start doing "teasers" since it seems a lot of couples love that.</p>

<p>Barry, you make a great point. Its basically so the Client knew that I must receive the cancellation notice by the 15th. The cancellation notice states that no monies are owed by either party so if I don't receive the cancellation notice in time, than I will have to go to the wedding location (so as not to breech contract) & it is out of town, which costs fuel & wear & tear on my car & plus my time. She could mail me the contract on the 15th, say she sent the cancellation & say she owes no more money based on the cancellation agreement. It covers my bases, even thou it sounds a little odd & I'm not quite sure of another way to word it.<br>

I know I should consult a lawyer, I'm just not able to do so at this time. Yes, its the smartest & most safe & sound way to approach this situation, I just can't this week... if I had more time/notice than I would see the lawyer.</p>