This is why you don't hire an amateur for your wedding

[FatBoy]

Forgive me if this isn't in the right forum...

I'm not complaining as much as trying to warn people of what can happen.

I got married in 2009 and to make a long story short ended up hiring a weekend warrior photog. (I only saved about $300 over a pro who was in business 30+ years.) I hired him because he worked with my father. He claimed to be a professional and the prints he showed me looked good. He does not have a website or any online portfolio. The proofs of my wedding were in a "proof portfolio" so they were small and looked good. I only had three different prints made up and they all looked professional. When I met with him and signed the contract I told him I wanted a dvd of the photos (for a price that was agreed upon.) After the wedding he was reluctant to sell me the dvd. Well, I finally got it yesterday and know why. According to the exif data he shot with a prosumer grade point-and-shoot camera, a canon S5 IS. He gave me a speech that they are the jpeg files and not raw files because no photog would sell the raw files blah blah blah. I agree with that anyhow.. Well the canon S5 isn't even capable of shooting in raw.. 90% of the pictures have pretty bad lighting / shadows / subjects aren't in focus / etc.

So moral of the story is to find a reputable photographer and don't go off what they tell you or show you. Ask them about their equipment. Ask around and talk to their other clients.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

You can get shammed by any photographer, pro or otherwise. You went based on the factors available ( namely, his examples and word of mouth...his mouth ). You could have been more selective in your decision making by requesting more pictures, larger pictures, a list of equipment to be used, references etc. You do not have to be a pro to provide these. While I get the point you are trying to make, I think that the bulk of the failure would have been on your part for not being more thorough in your selection. I hired a "weekend" warrior for my wedding, but he also shot another family members wedding so I had reference that he was good. Not just because he told me so, thats silly to go off of. You get what you pay for. Its like going to buy a used car and the guy going "yeah it runs great" so you shake his hand and dump a boatload of cash into the other, only to complain when you break down on the drive home.

Also, did you NOT notice this guy shooting with a point and shoot camera at your wedding?

 

[DerekSalem]

You can get shammed by any photographer, pro or otherwise. You went based on the factors available ( namely, his examples and word of mouth...his mouth ). You could have been more selective in your decision making by requesting more pictures, larger pictures, a list of equipment to be used, references etc. You do not have to be a pro to provide these. While I get the point you are trying to make, I think that the bulk of the failure would have been on your part for not being more thorough in your selection. I hired a "weekend" warrior for my wedding, but he also shot another family members wedding so I had reference that he was good. Not just because he told me so, thats silly to go off of. You get what you pay for. Its like going to buy a used car and the guy going "yeah it runs great" so you shake his hand and dump a boatload of cash into the other, only to complain when you break down on the drive home.

Also, did you NOT notice this guy shooting with a point and shoot camera at your wedding?

This

 

[Tbini87]

For $300 more I would have taken the pro in a heart beat. Sorry to hear that you aren't happy with the photos.

 

[FatBoy]

Also, did you NOT notice this guy shooting with a point and shoot camera at your wedding

I had so much to worry about that day I didn't even pay attention.. He claimed to be a professional so I took his word he knew what he was doing. His camera looked like a dSLR and had a hotshoe flash.

You're right, it is my fault. I hope someone may read this and ask more questions than I did. Just imagine how many people out there who don't know anything about photography get duped everyday...

I'm not that unhappy with the photos because the select few I wanted turned out good and my album looks decent. Just a little disappointed that this guy lied to me and I took his word for it.

 

[BKMOOD]

I've been asked to shoot a wedding or two. But there are three things I make perfectly clear at the start of our conversation (and are the first three things on my written agreement):

1) I am not a professional photographer.
2) I am not a wedding photographer.
3) I do not have the proper equipment to shoot a wedding.

If they are that desperate and that poor and really need somebody to shoot, I rent what I need at their expense and we do the best we can.

 

[Jakefreese]

when my wife and I got married we got a highly recommended wedding photographer and she was TERRIBLE!!! Some of her 35mm pics came out ok, but she played with her medium format camera most of the time and all the medium format pics were garbage! One of our friends took excellent pics with her 35mm slr. Those are the only pics we have in the house, we have the "pro" pics in a box there not even worth having out of the box.

 

[Ron Evers]

Sort of an aside but you can shoot RAW with the S5 IS with a hack. I did but took it off as it gave me too many other issues. The S5 IS is a very capable camera.

 

[Croissant Seven]

when my wife and I got married we got a highly recommended wedding photographer and she was TERRIBLE!!! Some of her 35mm pics came out ok, but she played with her medium format camera most of the time and all the medium format pics were garbage! One of our friends took excellent pics with her 35mm slr. Those are the only pics we have in the house, we have the "pro" pics in a box there not even worth having out of the box.

Same thing happened to me. I'm a total hack photographer but even I wouldn't phone it in as obviously as this lady did. She treated us like we bought the budget package or something, like her time was more valuable than our wedding, and the most important shots look like the stuff my dad took in the front yard before my senior prom.

The best pics from my wedding came from the disposable film cameras we gave to people, which is really, really sad.

We did the consult with this lady and she showed us VOLUMES of pics, they all looked fantastic. She had really nice cameras, also. She just didn't try very hard.

 

[dnavarrojr]

I've been asked to shoot a wedding or two. But there are three things I make perfectly clear at the start of our conversation (and are the first three things on my written agreement):

1) I am not a professional photographer.
2) I am not a wedding photographer.
3) I do not have the proper equipment to shoot a wedding.

If they are that desperate and that poor and really need somebody to shoot, I rent what I need at their expense and we do the best we can.

^^^^^ This (mostly)

I basically say "I am not a wedding photographer and you will get MUCH better results from a professional wedding photographer, they are worth what they are charging you, trust me."

If it comes down to me or no photographer, then I do it.

 

[xjoewhitex]

We did the consult with this lady and she showed us VOLUMES of pics, they all looked fantastic. She had really nice cameras, also. She just didn't try very hard.

And thats usually the thing, I know of a few locals around where I am from that have "nice cameras" but ive never seen a good picture from them. And the pictures you probably saw were collected as her best in her portfolio. Weddings are tough, but I think its harder to find a photog that can handle them.

 

[Croissant Seven]

We did the consult with this lady and she showed us VOLUMES of pics, they all looked fantastic. She had really nice cameras, also. She just didn't try very hard.

And thats usually the thing, I know of a few locals around where I am from that have "nice cameras" but ive never seen a good picture from them. And the pictures you probably saw were collected as her best in her portfolio. Weddings are tough, but I think its harder to find a photog that can handle them.

I always wonder how a photographer learns how to shoot weddings, given that they're such a liability and it's really next to impossible to please a bride.

It's sorta like learning how to be a field general. You can't just show up on a battlefield and be like "Yo, I'ma be in charge this time, kinda get my feet wet and learn the ropes, if you don't mind."

 

[xjoewhitex]

I always wonder how a photographer learns how to shoot weddings, given that they're such a liability and it's really next to impossible to please a bride.

Seriously tho unless they are used as a second photographer. I have shot one wedding, went solo it was nerve racking but it went well but it will be my last lol. Bride and groom were pleased, I just dont like the pressure or all the running around.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I'm not that unhappy with the photos because the select few I wanted turned out good and my album looks decent.

Well, the guy with the point and shoot did a decent job then. We can turn this around to say you don't need high end gear to get decent wedding photos. :mrgreen:

 

[Shawnda]

Some of the best photos that you can get at a wedding is by the folks attending the wedding. Get some nice little disposable pictures - and usually those are the better ones, because there is not a "pose" behind a lot of the photos and people doing what they naturally do.