HELP - ADVICE/OPINION WANTED

[Trever1t]

I have a wedding this Saturday that I booked almost a year ago. A young couple whom I charged a very low rate for both the 8 hour wedding and 2 hours E session.

Yesterday I am contacted by the bride to be about her images on my blog, she wanted me to remove them. I kindly offered to change the couple's names to provide some anonymity but told her that was the best I could do. In a number of emails she basically told me that she didn't want me to link the venue and to only use images she approved of for any public portfolio use.

Now my contract is pretty clear and I have full 100% right to use but she is very upset and I have to shoot her wedding this Sat..... What am I supposed to do? If I stick to my guns I will be working with BRIDEZILLA and if I bow to her desires I am out my best wedding images.

Options I see:

1) Ignore her. (do my best to provide my services)

2) Remove her images, don't use her images. (I am out valuable material and basically working for free)

3) Offer to sell her the copyright (I think this would only make her more angry)

4) Take everything down until after the wedding and then repost (not very honest)



What would you do?

 

[Mach0]

I would speak to her. Tell her that you do have a contract. Ultimately, you can bet your a$$ off that if you don't cooperate, it will get around. However, I will kindly express the contract but in the effort to please her and be beneficial to you, go over which ones you think that are the most important and why. Most likely you aren't going to post the entire wedding but if someone has an inquiry or request to see an entire wedding, maybe have a private linked gallery? Your mileage may vary but that's my though process. Otherwise, it may be sticky this Saturday.

One of my old bosses used to say
" If a customer was completely satisfied, they may tell one person. If they are dissatisfied, they will tell ten people."

 

[Trever1t]

I currently have a blog post up with like 6 images from her E session and she doesn't want me to have them up, wants me to take down any where you can identify her by face and to NOT LINK to the venue. I have tried discussing with her but basically she wants to be very private and have nothing that people could see and link to her.... so basically nothing of value for me.

I did discuss with her usage and it's importance. Of course I'd only post a few of the very best images on my blog/port but to her this isn't acceptable. Add to all this is I am paying a 2nd shooter...25% and now he can't use the images? Egads!

 

[PixelRabbit]

Speaking from a personal level I think I would appease her for now, let her know that you will take them down for now and when all is said and done you can sit down together and discuss things again. I can almost guarantee she is freaking out about things being perfect and trying to control everything she possibly can ( or thinks she can lol) amid the chaos leading up to the big day.

Pushing it now may mean bridezilla as you said and I would wish that on nobody. If you go that route you risk not getting the best out of the wedding and you WILL be working in a hostile environment.

As long as taking them down temporarily doesn't effect your contract in any way you still maintain the right to use them after the fact if you have to go against her wishes then but having the discussion after the craziness of the wedding is done will at least give you a fighting chance at having her see your ( contract's) side of things and be ok with it.

 

[Trever1t]

I think that is probably the lessor of all evils but I really despise being dishonest.

More thoughts please!

 

[IByte]

Discuss it with her advise her you will take the photos down, and concentrate on the wedding. Just advise her that it's only temporary bases and you need to promote your work. She's probably just stressed.

Don't let her bully you like she's going to bully her hubby.

 

[PixelRabbit]

I don't think it's being dishonest unless you tell her she can do what she wants, you are only giving a little time in hopes of a better outcome when you discuss this again after.

"Ok I will take them down for now and when we have the whole package together we will sit down together and go over it."

Where is the lie? She knows your position and it is unchanged IMHO.

 

[sm4him]

How hard up are you for this job?

Personally, I think if it were me, and I had a signed contract in hand stating my rights to the photos, I'd likely turn the tables and put HER feet to the fire.

"You don't want me to use any of the photos? Oh, well, okay--but since the contract clearly states I *DO* have the right to use the photos, if I agree not to use them, it will essentially be voiding the contract. I don't work without a valid contract, and I won't sign a contract where I don't retain full rights to my images, so I'm afraid that means I won't be able to shoot your wedding THIS Saturday after all. Good luck, though!"

But then, since I'm not a pro and don't rely on that for my living, I wouldn't have to care whether I p*ssed her off or not.

 

[tirediron]

Are the bride and groom actually paying you themselves? I think my approach would be to take the images down for now, telling her you will do this as a temporary measure and discuss things after the wedding, shoot the wedding, and at the proofing session, explain to the client that you've done her/them a large favour by taking the images down which you did not have to do, and you've potentially lost a lot of money because of this. Explain to her that you now have one of two options: You can either replace the images and carry on with the terms of the contract, OR, you can re-work the contract and you will have to increase the price of the finished product to account for potential lost revenue. Hopefully, by then, she will have de-stressed and relaxed, and see reason. You could also offer an incentive price on a one-year anniversary session as a 'sweetener'.

 

[pixmedic]

did you go over the contract with her beforehand? What i mean is, did you really explain exactly what your usage rights were?
one of the things we tell every client is that we reserve the right to use any image we take for advertising. this includes all social media sites as well as blogs, websites, printed displays, or whatever. That beings said, every situation is different and requires different handling.

in this particular case, I feel you need to take a hard line here and you and the bride and/or groom need to make some tough decisions.
i would explain that you only gave them the price you did because of the ability to use these pictures in your portfolio, as well as the second shooters. (that was not free btw)
losing the ability to display those photos is potentially a huge hit to your portfolio, and is usually compensated for by an increase in the wedding package price.
Except for simply eating this one, I don't see much of any way to get around it without A: sounding like a dick. or B: being a bit deceitful. either way could end up with an unhappy camper. one just sooner rather than later. No doubt she will be checking your webpages periodically looking for her pics on there.

I would absolutely PASS on doing this wedding if they do not want to abide by the signed contract. Especially if you are doing it on the cheap. I would politely tell them that you will release them from the contract and they can find another photographer that is able to meet their demands. Otherwise, chances are pretty good that this will go sour at some point.

 

[Mach0]

I don't think it's being dishonest unless you tell her she can do what she wants, you are only giving a little time in hopes of a better outcome when you discuss this again after.

"Ok I will take them down for now and when we have the whole package together we will sit down together and go over it."

Where is the lie? She knows your position and it is unchanged IMHO.

I like this. It's acknowledging and hopefully can leadto resolution.

 

[DGMPhotography]

I don't have experience with it, but I think your best bet is to cancel on them. If they don't follow the contract, it's not fair to you. And if you're doing it cheaply it shouldn't be such a loss to you.

If you're hard set on doing it, like others have said, I would appease her for now and talk to her after the wedding. After that, if she still doesn't agree, put the pictures up and don't talk to her anymore. If the contract says you can do it, then you can do it.

 

[tirediron]

How close is the wedding?

 

[Mach0]

How close is the wedding?

This Saturday.

 

[pixmedic]

I don't think it's being dishonest unless you tell her she can do what she wants, you are only giving a little time in hopes of a better outcome when you discuss this again after.

"Ok I will take them down for now and when we have the whole package together we will sit down together and go over it."

Where is the lie? She knows your position and it is unchanged IMHO.

I like this. It's acknowledging and hopefully can leadto resolution.

the problem is...what does he do AFTER the wedding, when they sit down and she STILL insists on her pictures not being used in any way.
after the fact, neither of them have much ground. he either takes a hard line and sticks to the legal contract and pisses her off....or he takes a hit on all that work he has put out to make her happy. there wont be any middle ground. I think it may be better to just cut his losses. her mind is not likely to change. i sure wouldn't gamble on it.