View NX Tells me too much.

[frasierfanatic]

I hired a photographer for my wedding and called all his references painstakingly to check his credibility. We spent about $1000 but the deal was that we would get all the shots, full size, on CDs to print at our own will after ordering inital prints.

Wedding day rolls around, and the photographer calls in "sick" and sends his "best assistant" to take our pictures instead.

My wedding pictures were ok. Not awful, not wonderful, but ok. I decided to check them out in View NX, thinking it would be a rare opportunity to see the settings that the pros use at weddings with their cameras.

I was a little peeved that he used Auto mode on his NIKON D80 on 95% of the photos. No wonder my dress is blown out and the sky looks like a big, white marshmallow. For $1000 I thought I'd be getting a guy who was at least using some sort of special settings. Psh.... angry.

 

[Matty-Bass]

I would seek a discount, that sounds like a load of horse s*** to me.

 

[frasierfanatic]

I would seek a discount, that sounds like a load of horse s*** to me.

Yes, since I just recently got the pictures, I believe I will be seeking some discount. Hopefully the guy is even still around. I pretty much feel like I got scammed with fake references, etc.

 

[Overread]

I would also seek discount
Even though auto modes are far improved over what they were they are still auto modes and the camera can't tell what we want from a shot. Though they can adapt quicker than we can to changing conditions - and "if" the "assistant" is new to the game they might not be as observant to changes in lighting and such.
But I would expect one to sit in aperture priority mode at the very least - retaining some control at least over aperture used -- add to that the fact that most weddings are done with a lot of flash photography and my (albeit limited) experience with flash is that manual mode tends to give better exposure control than even aperture priority modes.

 

[invisible]

It's really sad to read this. You don't get married every day, so there's no way to do a reshoot. Your photographer knew it, yet he (or his "best assistant") still thought that shooting auto was good enough. I would seek a full refund, if not additional compensation. A subtle suggestion that you might write letters to the editors of a couple local newspapers could work wonders.

 

[Matty-Bass]

Threaten to blackmail him to all Photo communities locally and abroad unless he gives you all his equipment.

Including laptops and money.

 

[Joves]

Hell I would have atleast used aperture mode for you.

 

[frasierfanatic]

Ok good. I'm not off my rocker for being mad about this.

 

[Paul M]

I think the consensus is that you have a right to be upset and have a legitimate beef to pursue. With that said, I want to say something that I haven't seen mentioned so far and it's much more important.

:thumbup: CONGRATULATIONS! :thumbup:​

 

[Mitica100]

Ok good. I'm not off my rocker for being mad about this.

Are you kidding?... No way, it's absolutely your right to get pi**ed off big time and you should seek some sort of reimbursement from that crook!

 

[photogoddess]

Sending an 'assistant' that's the real problem. The 'assistant' should have had the same experience as the hired gun if that's what you hired. $1000? Honestly that's a bargain but the guy should have showed up as booked! Good luck with this one... :hugs:

 

[ferny]

I take it you liked the guy who was meant to be taking the shots and that's part of the reason you picked him. So I'd start nice and friendly talking to him and explain why you're not happy. Don't go in all guns blazing unless he puts up a wall. Then state he didn't meet the verbal terms you both agreed to. IE, he probably said he'd shoot this type of shot and you'd like him to take photos of this, etc..

 

[frasierfanatic]

Thanks for all the help. I think I will try the nice approach too. And yes, 1000 dollars was quite a deal for wedding photography in Dallas. I apparently got the service I paid for.