New & Already Venting

[NRP_Studios]

Okay, so I am not new to photography, however I am new to this sight. I wanted to ask the opinions of other photographers. I did a shoot a month ago for a very demanding client. (RED FLAG ALERT) They didn't "like" any of the other photogs work in town so they called me up (500 miles away). I live in NE but I am from CO so I "didn't mind" making the travel. I talked myself into thinking it was a vacation with family rather than work. I was wrong. They Asked for high use of HDR and Digitally Enhanced effects. I'm talking about taking the original photo and making it look absolutely nothing like the original. I suffered through numerous phone calls, emails, messages, you name it. The people were never satisfied with what I produced. Hours were spend in photoshop, online researching "how to's". FINALLY I produced ONE photo of the 300 taken, that they "LIKED". I let them post it to their website and social networks and they got raving reviews and my social network "likes" went up. However I randomly stopped the site and noticed my work was re-edited. Football jerseys were added to all the people in the photo. OMG I about died. Although it was not a "bad" photoshop of Jerseys it was still hard to cope with the fact that I worked like a dog to get them something they liked, and they just threw some other effects over it and posted it to their site. I am VERY passive (not proud of it) and don't know how to handle the situation. Note: the people who ordered this session are very well known in the community. How should I handle it? Yes I work with contracts, however I gave them a copyright rather than a print release. I can attach the form if need be. However, should I suck it up as a learning lesson?

 

[The_Traveler]

Yes I work with contracts, however I gave them a copyright rather than a print release.

Nothing to suck up.
You gave them the copyright; it's not your picture anymore.

 

[Overread]

On the one hand popular work that isn't your own but is being advertised as your own could be a pain as it would be miss-representing your own work and style.

That said check the contract, have you got the contract protections in place to defend against such a situation as this? If you have then you can consider using them, if not then I'd consider sucking it up and learning from the experience and modifying your future contracts.

Also with the client already being a heavy investment in time and stress and being known to be a difficult client I would be willing to say that causing more trouble could just backfire into a very long and drawn out series of problems - just lumping more stress onto things. In that light I'd just say take the hit and move on - there will be other clients and more work and if you're already well established it shouldn't be a concern.

If you really are worried about the matter you could always request that they put a footnote under the edited photo to state that "Photo taken by *your name* and edited by *their name*". That would at least be the least invasive way to ensure that they are not misrepresenting you.



Edit - I missed the copyright point - in light of that my last point is about the only one you can request; otherwise you gave them the photo and the rights to it; its theirs and they can adjust it however they want.

 

[Light Guru]

don't know how to handle the situation.

I gave them a copyright rather than a print release.

You gave them copyright. They can do what ever they want with it.

Why bother calling then and asking them to change it, you gave them copyright so they CAN change it if they want.

 

[NRP_Studios]

Thank you all for your advice. I really messed up by giving them a copyright release rather than a print release. I was in the "overwhelmed, just please them mode." Yesterday they called me telling me they wanted a re-shoot free of charge. Right after that they wanted me to re-shoot their wedding photos, as they didn't like how the photog they hired shot their wedding three years ago. They "love" my vision. My heart is telling me to just deny the request politely and move on.

- Just read over my contract and unfortunately I never mention that they can not edit my photos :/ **Making up a new contract that is clearer.

 

[cwcaesar]

My heart is telling me to just deny the request politely and move on.

I would listen to your heart. Just my opinion. Unless they are paying you handsomly. Either way, it sounds like more of a headache than you really want to deal with.

 

[joshua_]

NRP_Studios,

I have nothing real to add, but wanted to say I'm sorry for how this has gone for you.

The image of the little girl is great!

 

[jake337]

Thank you all for your advice. I really messed up by giving them a copyright release rather than a print release. I was in the "overwhelmed, just please them mode." Yesterday they called me telling me they wanted a re-shoot free of charge. Right after that they wanted me to re-shoot their wedding photos, as they didn't like how the photog they hired shot their wedding three years ago. They "love" my vision. My heart is telling me to just deny the request politely and move on.

- Just read over my contract and unfortunately I never mention that they can not edit my photos :/ **Making up a new contract that is clearer.

Why would they ask for a re-shoot free of charge??????

 

[NRP_Studios]

Not sure how to tag, but Jake, they said they didn't really like how the whole shoot turned out due to having a shooting time of 6am (they choose the time), so they want a re-shoot in the afternoon. They said, "my camera could probably produce better work if there was more light out." I taught my camera all it knows

 

[NRP_Studios]

@Jake- Sorry the re-shoot of the wedding was because they didn't like the photos that the photog they hired produced. Not sure if I said it right, however they also wanted a re-shoot of my session because they only got a few photos that they liked out of the session so they want more. I hope I am wording this right.

 

[pgriz]

One. Successful business people CHOOSE their customers. Think about the characteristics of a "good" customer, and then think about the "bad" customer.
Two. Redo your contract. But you already know that. Make it clear that you NOT licensing anyone the unlimited rights to the image, but specific rights associated with specific images.
Three. Tell them that the session you had with them was a one-time thing. Any subsequent engagement will have to have a written agreement with a limit on the time you spend. I have a contracting business, and people are always asking my crew for "oh, this is just a little thing for you to do...". I've got that covered in my formal agreement with each customer, where there is a detailed list of materials that will be supplied, and the tasks that we will do, with everything that is NOT on the detailed list being charged at $xxx per manhour. My foreman knows the routine - each time he gets the request, he mentions that my minimum charge for extra work is about $200, and every manhour after the initial hour is $80. Plus taxes. Those that want it badly enough, get a visit from me with an addendum to the contract, and they sign the authorization before we do any extra work. This approach tends to keep the requests for "free" stuff at a manageable level.

 

[bratkinson]

Reshoot? Free? Redo a 3 years ago wedding???

I'd start at $20,000 and go UP from there! Although I don't do professional photography, it's very obvious that you spent a significant amount of time Photoshopping the daylights out of their pictures only to get laughed at. And then to significantly alter the ONE they liked?

In my estimation, HDR and heavy-duty Photoshop is something individuals do to please themselves with their OWN photographs. THEY have all the time in the world to spend editting/altering. Someone taking pictures for a living doesn't. Tell 'em to go buy their own 5D3, some L lenses, and take their own pictures to do with as they please.

In my book, they're not worth the aggrevation, the 500 mile trip, or the PITA they really are! Let them be someone elses' problem!

 

[gsgary]

Thank you all for your advice. I really messed up by giving them a copyright release rather than a print release. I was in the "overwhelmed, just please them mode." Yesterday they called me telling me they wanted a re-shoot free of charge. Right after that they wanted me to re-shoot their wedding photos, as they didn't like how the photog they hired shot their wedding three years ago. They "love" my vision. My heart is telling me to just deny the request politely and move on.

- Just read over my contract and unfortunately I never mention that they can not edit my photos :/ **Making up a new contract that is clearer.

Tell them to **** off

 

[Benco]

Sounds like a client from hell, I'm not a pro photographer but I've had people like this approach me about commissioned art, they never know what they want but are also never satisfied, you end up in some sort of bizarre guessing game with them providing increasingly useless direction.

It's not worth it.

 

[BrianV]

Sounds like they need you more than you need them, but they are clueless about that fact.

Reshooting a wedding performed three years ago because they did not like the originals. Wow.

Pinky to Lip, "One MEEELLIONNN Dollars"...