'Photographers' *vent*

**tannedangel** · October 26th, 2009, 04:06 PM

Just need to let off a bit of steam here...

I'm getting a bit tired of all these 'photographers' that claim they are 'professional' charging top $$$ for photography sessions, only to offer really, really bad photos.

A few of my friends in the past few weeks have been ripped off by these types of photographers, you know, they people who think they are top shot but really aren't.
Ive seen the quality of these photographs, and there are shadows and blurs and bad lighting and everything you dont want in a professional photograph. I feel so sorry that my friends were ripped off by these people, and im not talking $50, im talking in excess of $400 or so dollars for wedding photos, pregnancy photos and such.

Why do these people put this price tag and profession tag on themselves when they really aren't that good?!
I mean Im no professional, DF is though, and I can tell just by looking at a photo if its top quality or not. You dont want photos of a newborn baby with a adults foot in the background and such, or shadows from the camera flash, or even a blurry wedding photo.

Is it just me?

**The[cookie]Doctor** · October 26th, 2009, 04:12 PM

No it's not just you. It's what worries me most about choosing a wedding photographer. Considering they charge up to and beyond $2000 for a package.... and that's mid-range... im planning a wedding away from where we are getting married so have to hope the photographers internet gallery is honest to the true nature of their work.

**aussienic** · October 26th, 2009, 04:16 PM

and thats why I don't pay anyone to take our pics anymore.

I did get pro ones taken of my sons.. Ds1 was 4 and Ds2 was 10 months. We paid just over $300 for them and I love them

I don't think I would do it again as I have a hard enough time getting pics of the 4 kids together so I can't see how a stranger would have better luck

**LionsandBears** · October 26th, 2009, 04:23 PM

I'm still upset about our wedding photographer. I need to contact him re: getting album made, but just too upset about shots he missed that I expressly asked for. I only have 1 shot of me and Mum on my wedding day - makes me cry every time I think about it

Should have gone with an AIPP one.

**Trillian** · October 26th, 2009, 04:40 PM

What I have learnt is you get what you pay for in that business. We paid nearly $3k all up for our wedding pics nearly 10yrs ago and they are gorgeous pics and worth every penny, but two different friends of ours and DH's brother went with the cheaper option of getting a 'semi' professional - someone who did photography on the side and they got ripped off. One group of friends don't even have their photo album, only about 1 dozen shots and they got married 8 months after we did! The other friends photographer only took 2 rolls of film and BIL and SIL can't even bare to look at their photos they are that bad! Now I know there are a lot of wonderful photographers out there who don't charge a lot, but when choosing someone you should always aske to have a look at their previous work and ask what their refund policy is if you aren't happy with the photos - plus these days we have the benefit of the internet so if you want to double check, google their name and look for independent testimonials about the photographer as they aren't going to put bad ones on their website kwim?

**helle** · October 26th, 2009, 04:48 PM

We just paid 2500 for photographers for our wedding. They do a FANTASTIC job, (friends of ours used them for their wedding) but I think this baby is going to be Earth Side before we get our photos back. They're so damn slow! They are a hubby & wife team with 6 kids... but I'm impatient ^^;

**mrsmac** · October 26th, 2009, 04:49 PM

My brother is a professional photographer and he gets frustrated at people who want cheap photos but expect the earth and the opinion that some people have that anyone with a camera can be a photographer!
I agree that you need to look at their previous work and expect to pay a fair bit of money if you want really great photos.

**Lulu** · October 26th, 2009, 05:18 PM

It's also up to you to check out the quality of their previous work. Good photographers have folios and albums to show you when you book, and there is no harm asking if they have actual qualifications.

My SIL did this - bought herself a noice camera, took a few decent shots of her kids and decided she must therefore be a professional. Advertised her services and everything. She asked me if I wanted some shots of DD when she was tiny (for her 'folio' too of course) - they were bloody appalling, and it was then I realised she had no idea what she was doing apart from aiming her lens in the general direction of the subject and pressing the button.

Light? Depth of field? No idea - she hadn't even done a basic course at the local tafe ffs....

**helle** · October 26th, 2009, 05:33 PM

It's also up to you to check out the quality of their previous work. Good photographers have folios and albums to show you when you book, and there is no harm asking if they have actual qualifications.

My SIL did this - bought herself a noice camera, took a few decent shots of her kids and decided she must therefore be a professional. Advertised her services and everything. She asked me if I wanted some shots of DD when she was tiny (for her 'folio' too of course) - they were bloody appalling, and it was then I realised she had no idea what she was doing apart from aiming her lens in the general direction of the subject and pressing the button.

Light? Depth of field? No idea - she hadn't even done a basic course at the local tafe ffs....

I hope you were honest with her, Lulu

**~Raven~** · October 26th, 2009, 06:22 PM

I totally agree!

**The[cookie]Doctor** · October 26th, 2009, 06:26 PM

Hey Sam! Will you be up and running by next December?

**Lulu** · October 26th, 2009, 06:35 PM

*sigh, yeah but out of sheer bewilderment.....

She called me for business advice and complained how much a decent printer was going to cost her. I wondered why she didn't already know.
So I asked her where she did her qualifications (assuming there might be some sort of course discount or 'trade' place to go to, and it came out that she hadn't even done 'Basic Photography'.

I said you gotta be kidding, then she hung up on me.....
BTW, she already spent a fortune on equipment she didn't know how to use, registered her business name, advertised in the local paper and had business cards printed

**New Dawn** · October 26th, 2009, 06:45 PM

I hate our wedding photo's, but been young we didnt know any better... we were saw photos that he had taken, but that must have been on a good day... in almost every photo you can see my hoop under my skirt... come on he should have at least picked that up... the photos are very dull and boring...

I guess BHL and I will just have to get re-new our wedding and get some great photos with the winkies...

I was just glad bad photos didnt jinx our marrage

**tannedangel** · October 26th, 2009, 06:57 PM

Im glad im not the only one.
There is one lady that has a business, and i've looked on her website and the photos are really average, and i look at her costing and i think are you serious? I just hope no one has actually used her, she really needs more experience. And a bit of photoshop experience.

Another that gets on my nerves is the price places like pixi photo charge for their photos. Rip off. If only people knew how much their mark up is, they might be a bit smarter in who they chose to get photos done.

I just hate seeing studio style photos with shadows, and photos with alien limbs in the background and knowing people are paying for these photos. If i wanted every day photos, id take them myself.

**danniellabella** · October 26th, 2009, 09:22 PM

I'm a hobby photographer who would some day like to be able to get the equipment and training and make a full-time job of it.
I've done a wedding for free for some friends who were on a tight budget. I made it clear that I've never done it before (and I do this for anyone I take photos for). I don't pretend to be a professional at all.
I let people see my work which I have on the computer - I'm about to put together a hard copy portfolio.
I've just been asked by some other friends to do their wedding in 12 months time and they want to pay me for it - again, I'll make it clear that I've only done one wedding and I'm not a professional. They have seen some of my work on the internet and are happy with what they've seen and have told me they don't necessarily want really "professional" looking shots - they only want a few formal photos but the rest of the time they want lots of candid shots that capture the emotion of the day (that's the sort of photography I love more than posed photos).
It's so nerve racking though...especially because this will be my first paid job. I don't want to charge too much because I don't want them to feel "ripped off" if they aren't exactly how they wanted them, but I don't want to undercut myself either because I know that I'll spend probably 100+ hours editing, plus probably 20 hours planning before the wedding.

But I certainly don't go around pretending I'm a professional.

If people are doing a photoshoot for you and you've got specific outcomes in mind I think it's important to make it clear what you expect of them before hand and the photographer should have a contract which both they and you sign to cover themselves and also so that you as the client are clear about what you're getting - especially when it comes to wedding photos.

It's things like "fake professional photographers" that make it harder people like me who would one day like to call themselves "professional" to break into the industry - but I think it's best to be honest and upfront about your ability as a photographer.