I'm really confused and upset right now.

[elizpage]

So I had a photographer take some glamour shots of me.. And the "edits" turned out absolutely terrible. I paid $400 for the photos, and I'm very disappointed with them and the photographer for charging what she did. I only got 11 edits by the way. For $400. Which is a good price, if they were actually good.

How can it be possible that with 8 years of experience she is still absolutely terrible? There was nothing artistic about the photographs. They look terrible. I won't post them here, because it's a violation of her rights to her work. But still..

I don't know how to go about letting her know they are terrible. I don't really want to do another shoot with her, even though she offered. I really want to have at least $100 of my money refunded to me, if not all of it.

Sadly, she was the best photographer available for the shoot. I'll learn next time to get a friend or a photographer I know and trust to take photographs of me... free of charge or for a lower price than this nonsense.

What is everyone's thoughts? It's a tough call without seeing the photographs, but just trust me on this one...

 

[SnappingShark]

You win some, you lose some.

Tell her that the work wasn't what you expected and was there any chance of a 25% refund.

 

[sscarmack]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

 

[robbins.photo]

So I had a photographer take some glamour shots of me.. And the "edits" turned out absolutely terrible. I paid $400 for the photos, and I'm very disappointed with them and the photographer for charging what she did. I only got 11 edits by the way. For $400. Which is a good price, if they were actually good.

How can it be possible that with 8 years of experience she is still absolutely terrible? There was nothing artistic about the photographs. They look terrible. I won't post them here, because it's a violation of her rights to her work. But still..

I don't know how to go about letting her know they are terrible. I don't really want to do another shoot with her, even though she offered. I really want to have at least $100 of my money refunded to me, if not all of it.

Sadly, she was the best photographer available for the shoot. I'll learn next time to get a friend or a photographer I know and trust to take photographs of me... free of charge or for a lower price than this nonsense.

What is everyone's thoughts? It's a tough call without seeing the photographs, but just trust me on this one...

Ok, well I guess my first question would be when you say "terrible" does there seem to be a consistent problem such as underexposure, over exposure, composition, etc etc that makes them "terrible"? My next question would be what sort of agreement did you have with the photographer in question?

 

[elizpage]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

But I've been in the business for 6 months, and I know I'm not good. She's been in the business 8 years and should be flawless by now. Let's be real.

 

[480sparky]

..... She's been in the business 8 years and should be flawless by now. Let's be real.

Yes. Let's be real:

Where is this 8-year rule written down?

 

[sm4him]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

You mean, this one?
I looked, because I was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps this was a different shoot, though, because in the thread I linked to above she says she thinks the photographer did a fairly decent job for the most part.

OP: Regardless of whether this is the same shoot as your other similar thread--are the pictures you received from her representative of the work you saw in her portfolio before you hired her?
If she showed you stellar, beautifully-processed images that she claimed as her own, and then presented you with substandard work, then I'd demand a reshoot or a refund, sure.
But if what she provided you is on par with her portfolio work--you know, the stuff you looked at before deciding if she was the right photographer for you--then you got what you bargained for.

If you didn't LOOK at her "body of work" and hired her on the basis of "she's got EIGHT entire whole years of experience so she MUST be awesome"--well, perhaps you've learned now NOT to do that. The best way to tell whether a photographer is going to take pictures you'll like is to look at the pictures they've already taken.

And by the way--eight years isn't really all that much.

 

[elizpage]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

You mean, this one?
I looked, because I was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps this was a different shoot, though, because in the thread I linked to above she says she thinks the photographer did a fairly decent job for the most part.

OP: Regardless of whether this is the same shoot as your other similar thread--are the pictures you received from her representative of the work you saw in her portfolio before you hired her?
If she showed you stellar, beautifully-processed images that she claimed as her own, and then presented you with substandard work, then I'd demand a reshoot or a refund, sure.
But if what she provided you is on par with her portfolio work--you know, the stuff you looked at before deciding if she was the right photographer for you--then you got what you bargained for.

If you didn't LOOK at her "body of work" and hired her on the basis of "she's got EIGHT entire whole years of experience so she MUST be awesome"--well, perhaps you've learned now NOT to do that. The best way to tell whether a photographer is going to take pictures you'll like is to look at the pictures they've already taken.

And by the way--eight years isn't really all that much.

Her body of work was very different from what she delivered.

 

[elizpage]

..... She's been in the business 8 years and should be flawless by now. Let's be real.

Yes. Let's be real:

Where is this 8-year rule written down?

I guess it isn't anywhere. However, I would hope and pray than in 8 years I still won't make mistakes like this and be able to make people feel beautiful.

 

[sm4him]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

But I've been in the business for 6 months, and I know I'm not good. She's been in the business 8 years and should be flawless by now. Let's be real.

You ARE joking, right? Seriously. PLEASE tell me you don't actually believe that a person should be a great photographer simply on the basis of the length of time they've been in "business." Some people will be producing incredible work after shooting for just a year or two--some may have a reasonable profitable business but NEVER produce anything more than mediocre work, if they know how to market themselves.

 

[elizpage]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

But I've been in the business for 6 months, and I know I'm not good. She's been in the business 8 years and should be flawless by now. Let's be real.

You ARE joking, right? Seriously. PLEASE tell me you don't actually believe that a person should be a great photographer simply on the basis of the length of time they've been in "business." Some people will be producing incredible work after shooting for just a year or two--some may have a reasonable profitable business but NEVER produce anything more than mediocre work, if they know how to market themselves.

Yes, I suppose you are right. I'm just incredibly angry right now.

 

[robbins.photo]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

You mean, this one?
I looked, because I was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps this was a different shoot, though, because in the thread I linked to above she says she thinks the photographer did a fairly decent job for the most part.

OP: Regardless of whether this is the same shoot as your other similar thread--are the pictures you received from her representative of the work you saw in her portfolio before you hired her?
If she showed you stellar, beautifully-processed images that she claimed as her own, and then presented you with substandard work, then I'd demand a reshoot or a refund, sure.
But if what she provided you is on par with her portfolio work--you know, the stuff you looked at before deciding if she was the right photographer for you--then you got what you bargained for.

If you didn't LOOK at her "body of work" and hired her on the basis of "she's got EIGHT entire whole years of experience so she MUST be awesome"--well, perhaps you've learned now NOT to do that. The best way to tell whether a photographer is going to take pictures you'll like is to look at the pictures they've already taken.

And by the way--eight years isn't really all that much.

Her body of work was very different from what she delivered.

Well if such is th4e case then yes, I'd request a refund on that basis alone.

 

[JustJazzie]

If you want portraits done right, take a selfie. ;-)

Seriously though, I'm sorry you are so disappointed with what you received. I would probably let her try again. What could it hurt?

 

[sm4him]

Didn't you just post a thread the other day about some shotty work you had done??? Or am I mistaken

You mean, this one?
I looked, because I was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps this was a different shoot, though, because in the thread I linked to above she says she thinks the photographer did a fairly decent job for the most part.

OP: Regardless of whether this is the same shoot as your other similar thread--are the pictures you received from her representative of the work you saw in her portfolio before you hired her?
If she showed you stellar, beautifully-processed images that she claimed as her own, and then presented you with substandard work, then I'd demand a reshoot or a refund, sure.
But if what she provided you is on par with her portfolio work--you know, the stuff you looked at before deciding if she was the right photographer for you--then you got what you bargained for.

If you didn't LOOK at her "body of work" and hired her on the basis of "she's got EIGHT entire whole years of experience so she MUST be awesome"--well, perhaps you've learned now NOT to do that. The best way to tell whether a photographer is going to take pictures you'll like is to look at the pictures they've already taken.

And by the way--eight years isn't really all that much.

Her body of work was very different from what she delivered.

Okay, if that's the case, then simply tell her. You say you don't know "how to go about" telling her. LEARN how. This is a business transaction, and you are not a satisfied customer. Simply email/call/contact her and say, "I was disappointed in the final photos I received. Based on what I'd seen in your portfolio, I expected…(I don't know WHAT you expected, but try to explain it if you can), and instead the photos seem to me…(again, I don't know what you don't like about them…underexposed, out of focus, flat, uncreative??)." Then state what sort of a resolution you'd like. What does the contract you signed say about any sort of guarantee, like a reshoot?
You say you don't really *want* a reshoot, but depending on the contract you signed, that may be what you can get.

 

[elizpage]

You mean, this one?
I looked, because I was thinking the same thing.
Perhaps this was a different shoot, though, because in the thread I linked to above she says she thinks the photographer did a fairly decent job for the most part.

OP: Regardless of whether this is the same shoot as your other similar thread--are the pictures you received from her representative of the work you saw in her portfolio before you hired her?
If she showed you stellar, beautifully-processed images that she claimed as her own, and then presented you with substandard work, then I'd demand a reshoot or a refund, sure.
But if what she provided you is on par with her portfolio work--you know, the stuff you looked at before deciding if she was the right photographer for you--then you got what you bargained for.

If you didn't LOOK at her "body of work" and hired her on the basis of "she's got EIGHT entire whole years of experience so she MUST be awesome"--well, perhaps you've learned now NOT to do that. The best way to tell whether a photographer is going to take pictures you'll like is to look at the pictures they've already taken.

And by the way--eight years isn't really all that much.

Her body of work was very different from what she delivered.

Okay, if that's the case, then simply tell her. You say you don't know "how to go about" telling her. LEARN how. This is a business transaction, and you are not a satisfied customer. Simply email/call/contact her and say, "I was disappointed in the final photos I received. Based on what I'd seen in your portfolio, I expected…(I don't know WHAT you expected, but try to explain it if you can), and instead the photos seem to me…(again, I don't know what you don't like about them…underexposed, out of focus, flat, uncreative??)." Then state what sort of a resolution you'd like. What does the contract you signed say about any sort of guarantee, like a reshoot?
You say you don't really *want* a reshoot, but depending on the contract you signed, that may be what you can get.

There was no contract provided to me. And I don't really want a reshoot.