Dublin Photogragher doesn't show up to wedding

sineadw

Haven't listened to the show (nor do I really want to) but I have to chime in here. I didn't get a pro photographer. I had a friend do mine, and a damn fine job of it she did too. I had no interest in spending thousands of euro on one - I think having kids makes you put these things into perspective (I was on a limited budget, and there were other things that were higher on the list - like new shoes Al :P). I got some lovely candid shots and a few well taken group shots of people I really cared about and stuck them in an album I bought myself in Easons. Bang bang, job done, all happy. I didn't expect pro-level shots (although they were - I was lucky). I wouldn't have bitched on national radio if they weren't, but I never expected that they would be anyway.

Ok so there are those who think you can get a pro shooter for pittance or nothing, and agreed - they may well get stung. Doesn't mean they shouldn't expect SOME level of service. Not everyone can afford to spend what are really ridiculous amounts of money on one day (and I don't mean pro photographers there - more the whole shebang). If you want to do it cheaper that doesn't make you an idiot. You just have to be realistic about what you end up with..

Crispin

Make sure you check their work before you agree to it!

like this guy

On a more serious note; I feel sorry for the bride more than this student in the original story. The story that his mother was touting was full of holes and why send your mammy on the radio-idiot. First he had another wedding then he was in hospital and then he turned up a week early......:rolleyes: hmm. Sounds like a load of sh*te to me!
But I don't have an awful lot of sympathy for the bride, I wonder how much the last minute photographer cost her? She shouldn't have been so cheap in the first place! Leave it to the Pro's!

rymus

sineadw wrote: »

like new shoes Al :P

Ah c'mon now.. don't give him credit for the content of my posts. That's just not sporting.

Crispin

If you want to do it cheaper that doesn't make you an idiot. You just have to be realistic about what you end up with

Paying a 1/10 of what would be a normal price for what is a professional job where you only get one shot at capturing the moment? Idiot? Maybe not but she should have had a bit more sense. In any profession finding a part timer that charges ridiculously low prices for a once off job would ring alarm bells.
She ended up paying a realistic amount presumably in the end so it's false economy. Granted he should've turned up!

Paulw

Ok, in fairness, we know more than most, being photographers.

We're currently planning our wedding for 2010, and obviously a photographer is key. I know what to look for, and what to ask. We've met a number of photographers, and with a wide range of prices.

I have another friend who is really watcing the money, so was looking for a cheap photographer. I believe she has now hired someone here from boards, at a much cheaper rate than the "professional" photographers.

There are many reasons to look for cheap (in price). According to the bride, she knew he was only learning, needed experience, etc, but she said she had seen his work and met him, and was more than happy with the quality.

We've all started at the bottom. Look at the number of threads about submitting images to the papers, and the people who say you need to give away free images. In the same way, people needing wedding experience tend to give cheap options to start.

You can't have it every way.

In fairness, I don't have any sympathy for the photographer in question. He obviously just got frightened and ran. The bride thought she was in to a win-win situation - a young photographer getting experience, her getting a good deal, and everyone getting what they want. In the end, it came back to bite her.

She could very well take the guy to court, for her deposit plus the cost of the other photographer she had to hire.

Cameraman

I also think most people would have sympathy for a couple who were genuinely financially stretched.

However, some couples expect a pro-level of quality and performance at a student rate.
(I'm not referring to the radio person here - I don't know anything about their circumstances).

It's not uncommon to find that the cake or the flowers cost more than the photographer - and where are they the following day ? Which is more valuable in the long term ? In my opinion, some people prioritise the wrong things on the day - of course, that's completely their choice, but I like to think the photography should be fairly high on the priority list.

artyeva

I don't think it's totally fair to say that people who take a chance on non pro photographers for their weddings are automatically idiots. That to me smacks of elitism and snobbery [not the right word but can't think of another one].:rolleyes:

Everyone needs to learn and i've seen wedding albums of friends who got students/hobbyists to shoot their weddings and they were of an extremely high quality. There's no way they could have afforded a few grand and they were happy with what they got. That's not the point of all this - having listened to the radio show.

The point is that he buckled out and didn't contact the bride. That seems to be her only gripe.

Her mistake wasn't hiring someone for ''only'' €350. Her mistake wasn't hiring a non-pro.

His mistake wasn't going for the work and trying to gain experience.

His mistake was not fessing up and contacting her in time.

If I were him I'd just offer to pay her the cost of the photographer she had to hire, learn from the mistake and be better prepared the next time. End of.

stcstc

I dont know how people can say their overheads are lower for this kind of work

as if you have proper insurance, which is essential, not an option. the only things i can think are less are by using less expensive gear etc. nothing major in the scheme of things

I dont think we will actually know the full story of this one, as both sides will have some form of bias.

its easy for us to judge without that whole story as to who is in the wrong etc


BUT

I do think if your spending a lot of money on your wedding, spending even 1k on a photographer is a relativley small amount of money when you look at what it costs to feed all those relatives you havent seen for years!!!

I turn down weddings all the time, as apart from it not being my thing. I would never want to spoil someones memories of a special day. the thought of having a bride that has no real photographic memories of their wedding scares me.

artyeva

stcstc wrote: »

the thought of having a bride that has no real photographic memories of their wedding scares me.

Luckily this didn't happen in this case - as she said on the radio - she found another photographer from gumtree 2 days before. :rolleyes:

Mycroft H

Ok my two cents worth here.....

Firstly getting your mammy to stick up for you ar an radio is pathetic. I know every irish mammy thinks that the sun shines out of their sons bootlaces but grow some balls and defend yourself.

Secondly there is nothing worse then leaving someone hanging, nothing. A simple phone call would have done the job. A story full of holes bigger then those comin out of a.i.b is just plain laughable.

Lastly if you have said you will do the job then do it. If you need the experience well get out and shoot.

Mo chupla focail

rahtkennades

artyeva wrote: »

Luckily this didn't happen in this case - as she said on the radio - she found another photographer from gumtree 2 days before. :rolleyes:

Hang on, she jumps out of the frying pan, into the fire, manages to avoid getting burned twice, and still complains?
Hmmm...methinks the guy might have made the wise choice not showing at all!

daycent

I was contacted by a bride last week offering... wait for it..... €150-€200 euro:pac::pac:
And she wanted a few hours at the ceremony, and a few at the reception which was an hour away from the church. You can guess my response*.

That said, if you agree to do someone's wedding you have an obligation to do your job properly, or at least turn up!






*it was no...

Phototoxin

A photographer comes on to say she should have known when she paid so little but then she did sign a contract

This is what you get when you dont use professionals. The couple were trying to do it on the cheap (i.e. get away with not paying someone who knows what they're doing) and got stung. Happens in every sector of business. I'd love to see the text of the contract she signed. The fact that he's contracted to the job makes him legally liable. Assuming of course he's not a minor and therefore unable to enter into a legally binding contract.

Again, just to make myself clear for any couples out there thinking of skimping on a wedding photographer, you're idiots. That is all.

Rymus on the surface I must admit that I think your comments seem a bit arrogant but in actuality it is quite wise. While I think that sometimes that some photographers can (and sometimes may) overcharge generally speaking you get what you pay for.
To be honest the whole 'ah bejasus she should have known since it was 350' is no excuse.

If I by a box for €750 that is supposed to be able to cure cancer and it doesn't its not my fault for being stupid the guy is not being honest so he is legally at fault.

So yeah.. guy seemed a bit silly... I hope the wedding wasn't ruined.

*Dallas

ah man. this is such a joke.

if he was that sick and in hospital, i really dont see how he couldnt give his mammy his mobile fone and tell her to text the bride. texts are always trackable!

i'd love to know if the contract has anything in it about the photographer failing to complete the job?

artyeva

i don't think she should have named him [first name at any rate] on the radio though - so he fooked up this one but that doesn't mean to say he won't learn from this in the future...

paulkellypix

It makes you wonder how some people can be gullable enough to think they wil get good photos for 350 lids.

Is Gumtree the new place to find your wedding tog?

Paul

Freddie59

Dades wrote: »

Not everyone who isn't charging 3 grand is a rank amateur.

I have to agree. There are some photographers who charge up to €5k for a wedding. Now, if people are prepared to pay it - fine. The product, will, no doubt, be very good.

But back on point. I myself have done wedding videos for family members, and it has been remarked to me that the product is far superior to that of some 'pro' videographers. Having seen some of the work by some 'pros' it turned out to be true.

There is a guy locally in Waterford who charges €1,200 including album. While the whole 'storybook' bit isn't included, it is an excellent product.

So, bottom line, as Dades points out, is that not everyone who charges below the going rate is incompetent. This particular episode is very sad (particularly for the Bride) though.

mikeanywhere

Covey wrote: »

As a matter of interest, do people on here who shoot weddings have some kind of contingency plan for sickness, unforseen circumstances etc ?

Absolutely and it ranges from having 2nd shooters, lots of bodies, batteries, lenses yada yada yada yada, you get the idea. For me the most important bit is having access to other professional photographers in and around Ireland who can at a moments notice step in to help if required.

This recently happened when a tog from Dublin actually fell down stairs at the start of the day and two of us came out to help out without any questions asked.


I laughed at his contracts T&C's also, obviously checked with a lawyer also hahaha. I didn't get chance to listen to the whole MP3 file as it kept breaking up on me but did the contract state what date it had on it to help sort out what date was agreed??

AnCatDubh

Hmnnnn.... hate coming to long threads late - soooooo much reading.

I know everyone's thinking / saying - €350, well what to expect. On one hand that's fine but unless i'm sadly mistaken there are many pretty decent photographers on these boards which when an opportunity arises will jump at it for anything within the range of free to €500 with €500 being the upper limit from what i've seen/heard. They aren't overly public about it - for some reason they tend to be kicked whenever they do

Now - some will mock, scorn, give out, grumble, moan and complain about these people cutting the throat of the industry but photographers that are willing to do this for low cost generally do it to get the experience and it in no way reflects the time or effort that the job will take.

With this kind of transaction the risk is high for bride/groom and the photographer particularly if the photographer doesn't have photographer trimmings of second shooter/backup available - public liability insurance - adequate equipment, etc..

So a bride to be/groom to be who maybe are doing things via the low cost route but want to feel like they've gotten the whole deal going on maybe fooling themselves if their expectations are particularly high as to a final product. I think though they at least deserve to have someone turn up on the day. Their expectations of the final product however should be more staid.

To be honest, a risk of your photographer not turning up on the day isn't an acceptable risk even with someone doing the job for free. It is a minimum expectation of the scenario. The risk should principally be the final product.

I can fully understand photographers who do this for their bread and butter wanting for every bride/groom to be in the 5k category (ok, even 2k might be a start) but the market sometimes dictates. And the market sometimes is prepared to take risks - a bit like our domestic economic market. We took a risk on the end product of a property boom being milk and honey only to find that the delivery man didn't turn up on the day of reckoning.

Jayzz I hate the recession.

sheesh

in fairness for 350 euro you expect the person to turn up (with a working camera and take a couple of usable photographs)

What I find amazing about this is that she hired a student, he did not turn up, fine big drama there, but she got someone else at the last minute to take the photographs.

does it not strike you as a non-story ?

I'm sure on the day in question there might be several instances of mechanics that did not quite fixing someones car? of buses breaking down meaning people were late for important meetings.

this is why I don't listen to Joe Duffy.....

*Dallas

paulkellypix wrote: »

It makes you wonder how some people can be gullable enough to think they wil get good photos for 350 lids.

Is Gumtree the new place to find your wedding tog?

Paul

thats the thing i found so shockin, she actually said they went around colleges and camera clubs.. plural! it wasnt like he was a friend or family.

She specifically set out to find an amateur. She also said she had the 'perfect' day, had the student actually turned up maybe he would of made a haims of it!

LeoB

I only caught a bit of Lveline on Friday. Have to agree with artyeva.

I have been offered a few weddings on my rounds, (Im a postman) but would not take them Just incase anything went wrong and its not my thing really. I am P.R.O of G.A.A club and regularly take pictures at functions which are imo quite good, also like a lot of people here I have brought my camera to weddings I have been at and maybe shot a roll of B/W and colour and some of the images I have got are as good as what they have in the album. I take some portraits for friends or lads in my local club who have been invited to a debs and I am happy to do them. They pay me for the prints and I might get €20-30 for hours work. Some of them have paid €150 for a horrible portrait.
If I did take on a wedding I would not be doing it to make big money but then its not my living. But €350 for a student who may be able to print his images at collage is not bad money and maybe he is a decent lad who messed up this time.
The lad was right to take booking but now he needs to pick up the phone and rectify the mess he created.

mikeanywhere

LeoB wrote: »

but now he needs to pick up the phone and rectify the mess he created.

Very wide words indeed!!