HELP - ADVICE/OPINION WANTED

[Trever1t]

They've been on my blog for 2 months..maybe 3. She says privacy, she doesn't even want me to link the Venue because people will see her images. Like she's so important? That is the reason, she feels her personal security is at risk.

I have already made the blog nonpublic and sent her an email stating we can relax until after the wedding and resume discussion then. At least that allows a more pleasant work environment this Sat.

It sounds like something else is going on here that she is not telling you.

Hmm, I'm not getting that. I'm getting she doesn't want to be my model, have her images shared. That she wants to be private...and I CAN understand that, sure...but she should have said so months ago. Just looking at my website you can see other brides and weddings.

 

[pixmedic]

Maybe she didnt want to scare off your good price by making a fuss right away.
People have learned that as a customer, often times they can complain and bully their way into getting more than they paid for.

 

[Trever1t]

One thing about me, I fight fire with fire...and I am full of fire. But in this case the best for now is to give her her way until afterward...get through the job, do my best..and then plaster her images ALL over my website! Kidding but I don't let people bully me.

 

[pixmedic]

One thing about me, I fight fire with fire...and I am full of fire. But in this case the best for now is to give her her way until afterward...get through the job, do my best..and then plaster her images ALL over my website! Kidding but I don't let people bully me.

Well, i dont want to come off as saying she IS one of those people.... But if the pics have been up for months...its possible someone else had an issue with it and convinced her there was a problem where there was none before. Communication is key obviously, just remember that once you shoot the wedding, you have committed time and resources that you should be compensated for. I would have some sort of worst case scenario plan in case she is really going to stick to the no usage thing even after the wedding. Just so you know in advance what you are or aren't willing to do. Easier to negotiate when you at least know where your own lines are drawn.

 

[shadow3829]

The timing seem right, I just seen several scare posts on FB this morning about people being able to track you by pictures posted on the internet. The story showed people being tracked by data embedded in pictures and software that cracked it. The story was relating to Smart Phones, but maybe.....

 

[CCericola]

It's just one wedding. She doesn't want them up on the Internet? Fine. If your future business rests on this one wedding you have bigger problems. Relax. You can still use them in your printed album samples. You know we did survive as wedding photographers before websites

 

[DGMPhotography]

On second thought, yeah, don't cancel. Even though she might deserve it, it's an unfair world and it will probably not work out in your favor.

 

[12sndsgood]

I'd take the photos down for now. go thru with the wedding and then decide afterwards what to do. If it were me when I took the photos down I would send a letter stating that you removed the photos per her request even though the contract she sighned stated you have full rights to use them and that you are possibly taking a loss do to having to pull the photos down. never hurts to have a little paperwork in case you decide to post them up later and you find yourself in court.

 

[Trever1t]

exactly what I've done.

To reply to CCericola, I don't shoot too many weddings, this is only my 5th this season (one more next month) and usually my couples are not as attractive, go figure. So yes, this shoot would benefit my port tremendously, not to mention I have been honing my skills so these should be my best examples to date.

 

[Big Mike]

I think the girls may be onto something. It may be a stretch of the imagination...but maybe she's got a jealous Ex or estranged relative that she is worried might crash the wedding. So she wants to make it hard for anyone to figure out where her wedding is....thus she asks you to take down the images and any links to the venue.

Again, as mentioned by the lovely ladies...she's probably feeling stressed to the max...as is typical right before a wedding.

So I think that the best course of action is to take down/hide the blog posts to make her happy and shoot the wedding. But before you turn anything over to her...have a discussion about usage rights etc.
You do seem to hold all the cards, and you could put the pressure on her before the wedding, but I agree with you that that wouldn't be the best course of action. But after the wedding, you will still hold all the cards and you will still have possession of the images that she will want. So then you tell her that she can have the images (or whatever medium was agreed upon) but that you will have full rights to use them.....or she can pay you extra for the usage rights of all the images (up to you to figure a price). Then you give her everything and wash your hands of the whole thing.

Trying to imagine worst case scenarios...if you put the screws to her, she will likely tell a bunch of people and give you a bad rap. But if you play nice for now, and then go back to using the images...she may complain and tell people, but then she just sounds like a whiny B....unless of course, she has a very valid reason to worry about her privacy.

So, in the grand scheme of things...will it really hurt you if you can't show these on-line anymore? Maybe a little...but likely not much. And keeping her quite may be in your best interest. You don't want to just cave in to her bridezilla whims....but sometimes it's better to just keep quite, smile...and then never talk to them again.

 

[sm4him]

They've been on my blog for 2 months..maybe 3. She says privacy, she doesn't even want me to link the Venue because people will see her images. Like she's so important? That is the reason, she feels her personal security is at risk.

I have already made the blog nonpublic and sent her an email stating we can relax until after the wedding and resume discussion then. At least that allows a more pleasant work environment this Sat.

It sounds like something else is going on here that she is not telling you.

Hmm, I'm not getting that. I'm getting she doesn't want to be my model, have her images shared. That she wants to be private...and I CAN understand that, sure...but she should have said so months ago. Just looking at my website you can see other brides and weddings.

MY guess, based on the way some of my friends can act sometimes: She was fine with all of it when the contract was signed. But now, recently, *someone* has told her some horror story about "this person that a friend of theirs knows" who had their identity stolen, their wedding ruined, their credit cards maxed out and the icing removed from their cake, ALL because their photog posted this "perfectly innocent" photo online somewhere. And so now, she and all her little friends are saying, "You can just never be TOO careful, you know?" In fact, they're all relating these stories and admonitions to each...on Facebook!! :lmao:

 

[KmH]

At this point a contract review is in order, particularly because you are in California.

California contract law and release law has more specific requirements than a lot of other states.

Model Releases
California requires that any contract must have some kind of consideration, or the contract is unenforceable.

 

[CowgirlMama]

I think the girls may be onto something. It may be a stretch of the imagination...but maybe she's got a jealous Ex or estranged relative that she is worried might crash the wedding. So she wants to make it hard for anyone to figure out where her wedding is....thus she asks you to take down the images and any links to the venue.

Again, as mentioned by the lovely ladies...she's probably feeling stressed to the max...as is typical right before a wedding.

So I think that the best course of action is to take down/hide the blog posts to make her happy and shoot the wedding. But before you turn anything over to her...have a discussion about usage rights etc.
You do seem to hold all the cards, and you could put the pressure on her before the wedding, but I agree with you that that wouldn't be the best course of action. But after the wedding, you will still hold all the cards and you will still have possession of the images that she will want. So then you tell her that she can have the images (or whatever medium was agreed upon) but that you will have full rights to use them.....or she can pay you extra for the usage rights of all the images (up to you to figure a price). Then you give her everything and wash your hands of the whole thing.

Trying to imagine worst case scenarios...if you put the screws to her, she will likely tell a bunch of people and give you a bad rap. But if you play nice for now, and then go back to using the images...she may complain and tell people, but then she just sounds like a whiny B....unless of course, she has a very valid reason to worry about her privacy.

So, in the grand scheme of things...will it really hurt you if you can't show these on-line anymore? Maybe a little...but likely not much. And keeping her quite may be in your best interest. You don't want to just cave in to her bridezilla whims....but sometimes it's better to just keep quite, smile...and then never talk to them again.

I have a couple exes who'd be happy to show up and ruin my wedding if they could. One would just show up totally drunk. The other might try to stop it. So, personally, I wouldn't want my engagement photos (with names, dates and locations) available online until the wedding and honeymoon were said and done. I have no problem having such things posted. I just wouldn't want them until I'd gotten through the excitement in peace. Of course, I would have made that request *before* the shoot.

 

[CCericola]

exactly what I've done.

To reply to CCericola, I don't shoot too many weddings, this is only my 5th this season (one more next month) and usually my couples are not as attractive, go figure. So yes, this shoot would benefit my port tremendously, not to mention I have been honing my skills so these should be my best examples to date.

I understand that you need to build your portfolio but you can still use them in your portfolio without putting them online. A web portfolio should not be your only means of showing your work.

 

[Trever1t]

At this point a contract review is in order, particularly because you are in California.

California contract law and release law has more specific requirements than a lot of other states.

Model Releases
California requires that any contract must have some kind of consideration, or the contract is unenforceable.

my contract is quite clear and in large easy to read English. I have a signed release from both Bride & Groom