Most unprofessional wedding photographer

Nubbs · Jul 11, 2011

I have been to many weddings and have talked with many wedding photographers over the years. But what I saw this weekend was so appalling that I nearly went up to the photographer and said as much.

One of my wife's friends go married last Friday night. As I do for most weddings I took my camera. I never have any intention of shooting the actual ceremony or anything else that is in the realm of what the hired photog is to cover. I mainly shoot the guests during the reception. My intentions from the start is to stay as far away from the hired photog as I can. No difference this time around. The wedding was delayed so I took some shots while people were waiting. Took some candid's of the groom and groomsman while they waited. basically once the ceremony started I put my back against the back wall and never moved form there.

The photographer had 2 assistants with him both shooting video. During the actual ceremony one of the assistance phone rang twice and than the photographers phone rang right as the couple was doing their vows. Nothing like missing the money shot to your you phone off

Move onto the reception and the Photog is no where to be found during the Best-mans speech and than shows up at the end of the maid of honor speech. Fortunately right before the toast his phone rang again and he walked out of the room to take the call. When he came back he was nice enough to ask to have the toast reenacted so he could get pictures of it.

I was so pissed for the couple. I don't even want to know what they spent for that misrepresentation of professionalism.

Ok I'm done venting now.

Big Mike · Jul 11, 2011

The business of wedding photography is, unfortunately, a perfect haven for these types of un-professional idiots.
Firstly because it doesn't require any sort of professional certification.
Secondly because it's usually a once (or twice) in a lifetime purchase. If people got married every year, they would figure out which photographers are idiots and never hire them again.

tirediron · Jul 11, 2011

^^ What Mike said! Sad, but true.

joealcantar · Jul 11, 2011

Yep , second what Mike said. Kind of sad really.
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Shoot well, Joe

IgsEMT · Jul 11, 2011

What do you mean he 'unprofessional' ? He has a big camera and assistant (not videographers) shooting video.

Nubbs,
today, CLIENTS mostly (not all of them) care to spend less $. Back in the good ol' film days, REAL PROs were shooting medium format and if anyone was found shooting a wedding (other then candids here/there) w/ 35mm that person wasn't even considered a PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. Clients appreciated quality, quantity wasn't a question (how many pictures am I going to get?), no1 asked 'can you airbrush my left dimple out?' these things were RIDICULOUSLY expensive and clients took extra minute to LOOK GOOD. Today - everyone and their mother know "photoshop". My 3 y/o daughter comes up to me the other day, as I'm sitting on computer, asks me "papa, are you working photoshop?" It sounded really cute, very surprising but also scary that even 3 y/o knows what can be done w/ digital technology. Point is - clients care about quantity and not the art of photography thus every jackass w/ a big camera calls him/her self a professional photographer, underprices the business and delivers HORRIBLE quality!

BigMike - I'd LOVE for our business to be certified. At least Halls/temples/churches should require liability insurance prior to entering and starting to shoot - perhaps this way it would put some responsibility onto a shooter (owner) and not just rebel or d80 w/ big lens, flash and cracked version of photoshop.

Nubbs · Jul 11, 2011

I agree with what you are saying. Im interested in seeing how the pictures turned out. It was a pretty unruly crowed also. Based on how the attendees were acting I should not have been surprised at how the Photog was acting.

IgsEMT · Jul 11, 2011

You get what you payed for

Big Mike · Jul 11, 2011

You get what you payed for

They may have paid $15,000....we don't know.

IgsEMT · Jul 11, 2011

Big Mike said:
You get what you payed for

Click to expand...

They may have paid $15,000....we don't know.

TRUE...

behanana · Jul 11, 2011

Although I am nowhere close to being what I would consider good at photography, I have a great deal to learn, I made a decision that I will never get into weddings. For those of you who shoot weddings, my hats off to you, you are all correct, every a**hole with a D40 is posted on Craigslist and that makes it really difficult to know what you are getting when you book a photog. That person could have charged a comprable price to other true professionals in the area and unfortunatly it's hard to know what you are going to get in the end even if the person has a protfolio to look at. Like I said, hats off to you wedding photogs.

dnavarrojr · Jul 14, 2011

Every time I start thinking about doing a little wedding photography to help with bills, I come here and read about some idiot wedding photographers and the thoughts go away... I'm not interested in joining THAT hall of shame.

I'd love to find a good photographer who would be willing to let me be 3rd or 4th camera, just for the experience. But no way I'd take on THAT responsibility head on. The idea scares the crap out of me (having to go to a bride and say I screwed up and didn't get the right shots). I get asked to do weddings all the time, but I am content in putting them in contact with a couple of locals whose work I admire and collecting referral fees instead.

imagemaker46 · Jul 14, 2011

Unfortunately many amateurs see weddings as an easy way to make some good money on a weekend. They have a digital camera, know some of the basics and have been told by family and friends they should be professionals. Unsuspecting couples that don't know the difference are suckered into believing that a camera makes a person a photographer. I don't expect you saw as many professional amateurs back in the film days, I know I didn't. The cost of buying a good camera/film/processing and really having to know how the camera worked and understanding more about photography made it not so attractive for the average amateur. Digital fixed those pesky problems of learning and understanding photography.

Derrel · Jul 14, 2011

This two-camera-equipped Canon shooting, flash-a-blazing wedding photographer decided he needed a douche during a wedding...he came across as "muy pofessionale", no?

‪Wedding Bloopers - Wedding Photographer falls into Fountain in classic Wedding Blooper‬&rlm; - YouTube

However, these two Russian photogs REALLY take the cake for first-rate non-professionalism!!!!

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Josh66 · Jul 14, 2011

Derrel said:
However, these two Russian photogs REALLY take the cake for first-rate non-professionalism!!!!

‪

:lmao:

unpopular · Jul 14, 2011

From my experience most pros are pretty annoying, there was only one whom I trusted for my wedding. When I found that she was booked for that day and offered a replacement I declined. We didn't have any profo bafoons and just had guests take the photos, the results might have been a bit blurry, but I think the content was a bit better than the cliche garbage I would have had paid for (never mind the draconian copyright policies).This guy, though, takes the cake in the goofy profo self importance. if I did weddings, I wouldn't even bring my phone, and would insist my employees not either. Being that this guy had two assistants, he must have been pretty successful, which I am sure doesnt help his ego any. Reenacting the toast is just stupid.Then again, my uncle had a photographer at his wedding who opened the camera without rewinding the film...