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Some wedding photographers can be a right pain in the backside and quite inconsiderate. It is all very well to take the photos and then publish them online. I suppose it means that anyone who wishes can have their own copy of the photos at a price of course.
The problem I have with this is when the official wedding photographer doesn't provide an adequate opportunity for friends and family to take some photos.
This means that no one else is able to capture the wedding party in a pose from the front. Instead we have to make do with awkward shots taken from the side and the subjects are invariable looking somewhere else. Not exactly a Kodak moment and definitely not wedding album material.
I have been to weddings in the past where this has happened and it occurred again quite recently at a family wedding I attended. The wedding photographers in this case were often quite abrupt and impatient whenever you were in their spot. Occasionally when I did find a good position, all I ended up with was a rear end in the frame as the official wedding photographers paid no heed to the fact that I was in the middle of taking a photo. This made it absolutely impossible to get a decent photo of the main groups of the wedding party and I had to be content with whatever I could snap regardless of where everyone was looking at the time.
As it happens, weve had a chance to have a look at the photos they took online and for the amount of time that was taken composing each shot; one can only hazard a guess at why some of the poorly framed subjects ended up on the website!
It does make you wonder though, whether or not keeping all the other cameras away is a conscious premeditative act so that they may reap the profits of selling the good photos later on through their website. I will offer them the benefit of the doubt in this case, because I know there are certainly some photographers who allow the amateurs an opportunity to record the event.
Maybe this isn't as common as I think, but I would be interested to hear if this has happened to anyone else.
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Okay, I gather you are not talking about wedding photographers: which boutique are you talking about?
What was your reason for asking for a refund?
01/06/14 grumpyoldwoman
What was your reason for asking for a refund?
0
Very unintelligent people, have no idea of customer service and they are pure liars, I was dealing with the manageress and she told me she only worked part time and nothing she could do, she is a liar she is the manageress
Please don't buy anything from this over priced shop, its embarrassing they call themselves a boutique, it's overpriced items you can buy from a market at half the price and the worst customer service I've ever experienced
The manageress lied and broke the law by not giving my money back which my law I was fully entitled to, pure liars and they have no morals
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items they wouldn't and they are liars
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they made both my little girls cry, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items
01/06/14 .
Please don't buy anything from this over priced shop, its embarrassing they call themselves a boutique, it's overpriced items you can buy from a market at half the price and the worst customer service I've ever experienced
The manageress lied and broke the law by not giving my money back which my law I was fully entitled to, pure liars and they have no morals
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items they wouldn't and they are liars
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they made both my little girls cry, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items
0
Very unintelligent people, have no idea of customer service and they are pure liars, I was dealing with the manageress and she told me she only worked part time and nothing she could do, she is a liar she is the manageress
Please don't buy anything from this over priced shop, its embarrassing they call themselves a boutique, it's overpriced items you can buy from a market at half the price and the worst customer service I've ever experienced
The manageress lied and broke the law by not giving my money back which my law I was fully entitled to, pure liars and they have no morals
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items
01/06/14 Lady with 2 very upset little girla
Please don't buy anything from this over priced shop, its embarrassing they call themselves a boutique, it's overpriced items you can buy from a market at half the price and the worst customer service I've ever experienced
The manageress lied and broke the law by not giving my money back which my law I was fully entitled to, pure liars and they have no morals
They tried to ruin my bridesmaid dress shopping experience which they would have enjoyed but they didn't, they are a disgrace of a business with very poor quality items
0
Which is why I said "to a reasonable degree".
What is "reasonable" is, of course open, to interpretation but if the photographer is a ski11ed tradesman and not an amateur posing as one then, with experience and tact it should be possible to achieve a satisfactory compromise and still provide the service.
26/12/10 Manx Hound
What is "reasonable" is, of course open, to interpretation but if the photographer is a ski11ed tradesman and not an amateur posing as one then, with experience and tact it should be possible to achieve a satisfactory compromise and still provide the service.
0
I was a wedding photographer for a good many years and this works both ways. All photographers appreciate that the guests at a wedding want to take their own photographs but you are there to do a job and it is expected that you will do that job in a professional manner and turn out professional results - especially in these litigious times. I've lost count of the many times I have set up groups etc. only to have someone wander in front of me and prevent me from working. Most photographers will allow pauses for people to take their own pictures but at the end of the day its the couple or their family who have paid for my services and expect me to perform. The question of hogging all the best shots doesn't come into it.
18/11/10 Davidwk
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Manx Hound..... you wrote "the ability to accommodate - to a reasonable degree - guests wishing to record their own personal memories of the event is paramount."
Sorry but I cannot agree with that. What is paramount is for the photographer to provide the bride and groom with the best possible photographs of their special day. Couples today would be quick to moan about poor photos and it is the responsibility of the guests to allow the photographer to do their job to the best of their ability for the couple that are paying them. The guests are way down the picking order in that respect.
A good photographer will accommodate the guests as well but they have to let him/her get the official shots first.
27/01/10 Freddie
Sorry but I cannot agree with that. What is paramount is for the photographer to provide the bride and groom with the best possible photographs of their special day. Couples today would be quick to moan about poor photos and it is the responsibility of the guests to allow the photographer to do their job to the best of their ability for the couple that are paying them. The guests are way down the picking order in that respect.
A good photographer will accommodate the guests as well but they have to let him/her get the official shots first.
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Pearl Boutique (Westfield centre, derby) ruined my wedding dress shopping experience. They claim to offer "haute couture" but the only thing "haute" in this shop is their rude manners. They use high pressure selling techniques, they have zero customer manners (phone or face-to-face) they treated me as a liar when I said I had left a message to call me and said I didn't call the right number (when I called they checked my reference number in their system and told me they would call. When I asked them why nobody had called me in three hours they they claimed nobody had called!)
After all this, and after being delivered the dress over one month late (with no explanation whatsover), the dress is not the right size and I will need to find somewhere else to fix it. The complete incompetence and unprofessional ism received from Pearl Boutique can only inspire a: please girls do not ever attempt to enter that shop!
26/01/10 Anonymous
After all this, and after being delivered the dress over one month late (with no explanation whatsover), the dress is not the right size and I will need to find somewhere else to fix it. The complete incompetence and unprofessional ism received from Pearl Boutique can only inspire a: please girls do not ever attempt to enter that shop!
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The wedding photographer is a tradesman like any other and should, given a fair opportunity, provide the best service he can however unlike most tradesmen he is operating in a unique social environment therefore the ability to accommodate - to a reasonable degree - guests wishing to record their own personal memories of the event is paramount.
A boorish domineering photographer who bullies and intimidates the guests in order to undertake his work is often as irritating to the bride and groom as one who meekly steps aside, unable to organise, pose and compose to obtain the best result.
I cannot accept the previous opinion that "And as they own the copyrights they don’t have to let anyone take photos of there poses" because it is the recorded image that is copyright not the pose however I do agree with other commentators in that even the best equipment is less important than skill, talent, knowledge and experience.
The best photographer is firm but tactful and always aware of his responsibilities to his customer(s).
25/11/09 Manx Hound
A boorish domineering photographer who bullies and intimidates the guests in order to undertake his work is often as irritating to the bride and groom as one who meekly steps aside, unable to organise, pose and compose to obtain the best result.
I cannot accept the previous opinion that "And as they own the copyrights they don’t have to let anyone take photos of there poses" because it is the recorded image that is copyright not the pose however I do agree with other commentators in that even the best equipment is less important than skill, talent, knowledge and experience.
The best photographer is firm but tactful and always aware of his responsibilities to his customer(s).
2
It is not the camera that capturers that once in a lifetime wedding photo it’s the pro behind the camera.
And as they own the copyrights they don’t have to let anyone take photos of there poses.
But most photographers will make time for guests to take there snapshots.
A professional wedding photographer works tirelessly to get those once in a lifetime photos and it seems to me that they are much unappreciated to
24/11/09 get it right
And as they own the copyrights they don’t have to let anyone take photos of there poses.
But most photographers will make time for guests to take there snapshots.
A professional wedding photographer works tirelessly to get those once in a lifetime photos and it seems to me that they are much unappreciated to
-5
I've got to agree with most of MikeP's points here. Often the equipment is much better than the amateur but what really sets it aside is that the person using it is an expert and would probably get better results with a point and shoot compact than most people would with a £10k camera. These people are professionals yet for some reason people think it is acceptable to disrupt their work and muscle in. These people are recording for posterity the most important day of many people lives. How would you feel if you got inferior wedding photos because the official photographer was unable to do their work unhindered. I bet you'd all be pretty annoyed. Let the photographer do their job and then take your happy snaps afterwards. Is that really too much to ask.
02/10/08 Freddie
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I am a wedding photographer....and a very patient and kind one, at that.
What do you do for a living?...How would you feel if you had a very important report to complete for your boss?...How would you feel if somebody walked-in, off the street, entered your cubicle without permission, bumped you from your chair, sat down at your computer and began chatting online with a friend, while you had an important deadline to meet? And a big "P.S." to that: While we are working our tails off, to provide a quality product, it is--after all-- what puts food in my children's mouth, just like you. So, if you are insulted that we expect to get paid for our hard work, perhaps next time you should think about being a wedding photographer and learn to appreciate how interesting and challenging it is to deal with rude people like you, in a dellicate way, without upsetting the bride and groom (our bosses), on their memorable day. Hope this put your question into perspective?
01/10/08 Beekley
What do you do for a living?...How would you feel if you had a very important report to complete for your boss?...How would you feel if somebody walked-in, off the street, entered your cubicle without permission, bumped you from your chair, sat down at your computer and began chatting online with a friend, while you had an important deadline to meet? And a big "P.S." to that: While we are working our tails off, to provide a quality product, it is--after all-- what puts food in my children's mouth, just like you. So, if you are insulted that we expect to get paid for our hard work, perhaps next time you should think about being a wedding photographer and learn to appreciate how interesting and challenging it is to deal with rude people like you, in a dellicate way, without upsetting the bride and groom (our bosses), on their memorable day. Hope this put your question into perspective?
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Mike
Three points, firstly most wedding photography these days is reportage so the posing is minimal - and that could be done just as well if not better by a portrait photographer.
Secondly the last three wedding photographers I've worked with have been using Nikon D200 cameras - the same as my wife has for her hobby and FWIW in which the imaging device is the same as in the Sony Alphas 100 at £300.
Long gone are the days when pros used gear that cost as much as mine - and I still have to invest in three identical cameras plus all the rest.
Finally, since they started using digital cameras, most wedding photographers click away like rank amateurs - presumably on the basis that at least one snap will be saleable. They're noisy and intrusive and generally bad mannered; hardly surprising the mood of Vicars and Registrars is turning against them.
30/08/08 flip1943
Three points, firstly most wedding photography these days is reportage so the posing is minimal - and that could be done just as well if not better by a portrait photographer.
Secondly the last three wedding photographers I've worked with have been using Nikon D200 cameras - the same as my wife has for her hobby and FWIW in which the imaging device is the same as in the Sony Alphas 100 at £300.
Long gone are the days when pros used gear that cost as much as mine - and I still have to invest in three identical cameras plus all the rest.
Finally, since they started using digital cameras, most wedding photographers click away like rank amateurs - presumably on the basis that at least one snap will be saleable. They're noisy and intrusive and generally bad mannered; hardly surprising the mood of Vicars and Registrars is turning against them.
-3
flip1943, there is some validity in your statement that modern digital technology makes the technical side of photography easier for an amateur in that focus and exposure are taken care of up to a point, but that point is pretty low in comparison to what a professional needs to do in order to ensure correct light and colour balance, depth of field, and above all composition and poses.
The equipment used by the professional is generally capable of far better results than that used by even enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateurs, and unless you are happy with mediocrity, you will find that there is in reality a huge difference between amateur and professional work.
If a pro sets up a pose and others muscle in on that, yes, they are in a sense taking food off his table. It may not be theft in the real sense but it is incredibly selfish and bad manners.
28/08/08 MikeP
The equipment used by the professional is generally capable of far better results than that used by even enthusiastic and knowledgeable amateurs, and unless you are happy with mediocrity, you will find that there is in reality a huge difference between amateur and professional work.
If a pro sets up a pose and others muscle in on that, yes, they are in a sense taking food off his table. It may not be theft in the real sense but it is incredibly selfish and bad manners.
-6
I strongly believe the traditional wedding photographer has passed his sell-by date. Modern digital cameras take pictures that are properly exposed and sharply focussed. No wonder the number of houses springing up that take the guests' pictures and photoshop; them into beautiful and very personal albums. For almost every otheraspect of the photographer's work the video does it better ie with sound and motion. We can even supply still frames from our High Definition original tape for inclusion in an album collage.
The only thing the professional photographer does that no-one else can is the wedding portrait and we're actively encouraging our clients to choose a portrait photographer who'll do their job on site for £100-£250 and give the bridal couple at least an extra hour with their guests.
Stills photographers would do well to worry when they see the number of couples who put throw away cameras on every table - doesn't that tell them that the clients are happy with what they're charging £1500-£4000 for?
Finally, to those who've already posted complaints about people stealing the bread from their mouths, may I suggest that if you're concerned that the guest working over your shoulder might take as good a picture as you, perhaps you ought to be seeking a different line of work.
28/08/08 flip1943
The only thing the professional photographer does that no-one else can is the wedding portrait and we're actively encouraging our clients to choose a portrait photographer who'll do their job on site for £100-£250 and give the bridal couple at least an extra hour with their guests.
Stills photographers would do well to worry when they see the number of couples who put throw away cameras on every table - doesn't that tell them that the clients are happy with what they're charging £1500-£4000 for?
Finally, to those who've already posted complaints about people stealing the bread from their mouths, may I suggest that if you're concerned that the guest working over your shoulder might take as good a picture as you, perhaps you ought to be seeking a different line of work.
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collar