my first wedding: horror story

[shawnxstl]

So, my cousin Danny invites me with him to shoot this wedding for his two friends who are getting married. We get there a few hours early and take about 200 pictures between us before the wedding even starts. so, before the wedding starts, i dump all of the pictures i had taken on my laptop (about 120 of them). So, the wedding begins and im shooting away, doing my best to keep my ground. This is my first time doing something like this and it was pretty overwhelming. The wedding is at a golf course and after they get married, the wedding party comes with us to a green thats on top of a hill with a really nice background. The sun had just went behind a big hill and lighting could NOT have been better. I was really excited about how the pictures turned out there. Anyway, we get back to the lodge and the reception starts. Again, im shooting away doing my best and i looked at the screen on my camera. I had about 20 pictures left. I switched that card out for the one in my pocket and then before the dances started, i thought, "i better put the old card in my case." So i did. I walked over to my case, opened it, put the card in there, closed it. About an hour later, i gathered my things and shook hands with the groom and hugged the bride, they said thanks a ton and that they really appreciate it (the photos were my cousins wedding gift to them). After I leave, i decide to go to my cousins house. I was thinking "wow, that turned out a lot better than i had expected it would." So when i get to my cousins house, i take out my camera case and bring it in the house so i can look at some of the ones i took. I get inside, open case....MEMORY CARD IS GONE.

Words cannot describe how mad i was. I looked everywhere where i was sitting. I looked everywhere in my case. I looked everywhere in my car. I went back to the wedding and looked everywhere there. The only logical thing i can come up with is that someone stole it. No more of having a case without a lock. I feel so bad about this that its not even funny. Thankfully, my cousin was taking pictures too...but...idk. He noticed his pictures were turning out a little dark in like the first 20 minutes we were there...so to solve this, he turned his LCD brightness up. I explained that that wasn't helping the pictures, it was just making them brighter on the screen. He doesn't understand anything about iso/aperture/shutter speed. (just goes to show he's not the best with his camera...)

So, I decided I'm never doing a wedding again. Im getting a lock with a case on it. Im getting more cf cards and never keeping too many on one, or atleast back up every now and then to my laptop throughout the day.

*sigh*

 

[JerryPH]

1 - Why would someone take nothing from your case EXCEPT the memory card?

2 - Why did you leave your case in a place where anyone would have access to it without you knowing?

3 - where was the professional photographer that the couple REALLY deserved during all this?

Harsh questions perhaps, and I am not wanting to disrespect you, however, you did miss the ball on several levels.

 

[chrisburke]

ouch

 

[shawnxstl]

1) i didnt have anything except the memory card, lens cap, and a mini usb cable in that case.

2) i had the case sitting near another cousin of mine and his fiance.

3) idk. we weren't doing that bad until this happened. They couldnt afford a professional and my cousin said he'd do it.


This was the first time ive ever lost anything while shooting. It just had to happen with a memory card and on wedding.

Why couldn't i have lost the one i had only been shooting on for 30-45 minutes?

Ugh this is making me sick.

 

[chrisburke]

no point in letting it make you sick.. you cant change it.. all you can do is learn from it.

 

[JerryPH]

I am sure the "thief" did not know the contents and took what they wanted, but find it quite strange anyways. Sitting near your cousin was obviously not the best choice on your part. How about locked up in your car?

People plan and spend a LOT on a weddings. As someone that has started to get into this field, the "cannot afford one" is just not a valid thing to say.

People spend thousands for their weddings, and to not budget a small percentage towards a professional photographer... well, then you are asking for these things to happen. It sincerely is too bad that it happened to you, but it is worse that it happened to the bride and groom. After all, THEY are the ones that lost the most (unrepeatable memories of an event that will NEVER happen again).

What can anyone say. It is gone. Though its NOWHERE NEAR the same thing, perhaps ask for a re-shoot or something. Yeah, I know it will be nothing like the real thing, but at this point they have NOTHING... perhaps some shots may be better than nothing?

 

[chrisburke]

jerry i hear what your saying, but take it easy on the guy, he wasnt the offical photographer, he was just tagging along.. yes weddings are expensive, and YES people shouldnt skimp on the photographer (if they did, I'd be out of a secondary job) but the fact is a lot of people do.. thats not something to lecture him about... he cant control it... his cousin was the photog, not him, so the bride and groom knew what they were getting into when they asked his cousin to do the photos... they didnt know he would be tagging along i'm sure...the very first wedding i did was as a backup or help, and its a good thing i was there, because the main photogs photos sucked.. but the fact is, they didnt know i was a back up until the day of, and thank god i was there, because if I wasnt, they wouldnt have any good pictures... yes, he shouldnt have left his gear laying around.. but its not his fault the bride skimped ont he wedding photos they dont have nothing, as you state, as he was just the back up.. instead, they have what they paid for, which sounds like underexposed amature pics from his cousin,

 

[rubbertree]

reading your first post, the most logical explanation to me is not that someone stole it, but that you lost it somewhere along the line. It must have fallen out. Retrace your steps AGAIN.

 

[JerryPH]

jerry i hear what your saying, but take it easy on the guy

You are completely right. I apologize for my rudeness.

 

[Peanuts]

Something is sounding a little funny about the whole 'someone stole it' theory. Theoretically most of the people there were guests of the wedding - who steals their friend's photographers memory card?

One note to learn from this is A. Put your name or at least your phone number on your card in case it is lost B. Write "REWARD" on your cards - this increases the chance for them to be returned if they walk off.

 

[Mike30D]

So, I decided I'm never doing a wedding again.

So you're going to let this one experience keep you from doing weddings? You should give it another chance.

 

[Bifurcator]

shawnxstl,

Some of us here are just old and cantankerous or young and think we know it all. Take it easy on yourself! It sounds to me like you did a very professional job and helped out your family and friends in need. :thumbup: I agree with Mike30D! Don't let some punk kid who thought he was getting over by ripping off your card put you off from doing future weddings. It's kind of a sad story for you, the newly-weds, and all involved but at this point it can't be helped. So shake the dread and woe and continue on. It's still early so do the couple still have their gowns and suits? See if the priest and the bride and groom want to go back to the golf course or a similar looking park and take some make-up shots?

If they turn down that option then it's not all that important to them. Any way you look at it you have zero fault and were only doing good all around so don't let that experience and a few lame-a$$ opinions here get you down or put you off from future weddings or from enjoying your camera and photography.

 

[shawnxstl]

idk. I dont want to do another wedding anytime soon. This whole thing has just made me feel really bad for the exact reason jerry is talking about. its their wedding. a once in a lifetime thing. and now they have some so-so shots from my cousin. im not even sure how many he took. I took probably double what he took though.

And yeah, noone knew i was coming until i just showed up with him. they didn't know they would have two shooters.

A lot of people there didn't know that my cousin was the bride/grooms friends. out of a wedding of that many people, not everyone is going to know everyone.

As for retracing my steps, i've done that so many times. Ive searched my car atleast 5 times. Searched the case atleast ten times. Searched the floor near where my case was for about a half hour. Asked a lot of people if they seen a memory card for a camera. Searched the walkway from where i parked at my cousins house to the door. Searched inside my cousins house. No luck at all.

Idk. I might do more later but Ill never do one again without having proper gear. I had a lot of fun doing the group shots of the wedding party. Im really bummed i cant show the bridge those. She was really excited when she was going through a few random pictures i had taken of her and her husband. =/

 

[rubbertree]

shawnxstl,

See if the priest and the bride and groom want to go back to the golf course or a similar looking park and take some make-up shots?

If they turn down that option then it's not all that important to them.

Clearly you've never been married! What about the expense of having to rent all the tuxes again, get all hair and make up done again, getting people in from who knows where, to come and pose for a couple pictures?
That would be highly unlikely that they would be able to do that again, it doesn't mean it is not important to them.

As far as saying it's not his fault? I don't get that. Ultimately it is the photographer's responsibility.

 

[JerryPH]

If this is a small town thing, the cost of a tux rental and a couple of hours in the local church with the priest-viccar-rabbi and B&G is no biggie. It would not hurt to at the very least ask and if they refuse, they refuse. At least an attempt could be made.

Obviously, if people came from all over, and one's desire is to do a complete re-shoot, it could prove impossible to hit that level... but how about the photographer offer to come along on their honeymoon, and add some risqué shots for free?