Did they just steal my photo?
Melis
Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
I was photgraphing a Wedding and another couple hired to do video & candids were there also. As I began to pick my location and pose the wedding party to create my portrait, they stood behind me and shot everything I created. I was so upset but it was only minutes before the ceremony and I did not want to upset the bride. I tried talking to the mother of the bride and the photographer herself....her reply was " the bride asked me to do this"
My question is what if these new photgraphers try to use my visual creation as their own? They don't have a clue on how to pose and were using my talents and snapping for the DVD that they would just give to the bride. HELP What do you do in this situation. :dunno
Melis
www.imagesstudio.us
My question is what if these new photgraphers try to use my visual creation as their own? They don't have a clue on how to pose and were using my talents and snapping for the DVD that they would just give to the bride. HELP What do you do in this situation. :dunno
Melis
www.imagesstudio.us
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There isn't anything you can do about this now. This is the business part of photography, and needs to be addressed up front, with the clients, and in your contract.
Most weeding photographers have a written contract that specifies that they are the only professional photographers permitted.
You can also tell them you need to have the couple and or the wedding party alone for the formals so that you will have their undivided attention, Explain you need this to keep things on schedule, and to insure the very best formal photos with everyone looking in the same direction, and listening to one voice for posing, and direction.
An other alternative is to inform everyone (guests, not other pros) that you need them to stand back and not take any pictures while your posing, and taking the formals, but that after your done with each pose they will have a few minutes to take their photos.
Explain that if they stand too close people in the wedding party will start looking in different directions, and that the flash from their cameras can ruin the photos for the bride, and groom.
Another pro taking photos in one thing, but you can't stop the guests, and why would you want to?
You get the idea. These things need to be addressed prior to the event.
Another idea is to have a prearranged go to guy/ gal/ person, for help, problems, etc. That way if something like this would develop you go to this person, and explain the problem, and then let them take care of it.
Sam
Doing the formals when others aren't around should keep this from becoming a problem in the future.
I can say this, I'm not a pro, but I can take Ok pictures and I do have some very good gear.
I wouldn't stand beside you to take shots of what you set up, but during the ceremony, outside
the chapel, shots like that, you couldn't stop me.
For the most part, when I have done this, the best that I have done is to give them a half dozen
shots to complement the pros shots, not to take away from there work.
They say the cream will rise to the top.
If you're good at your job, you have nothing to worry about.
Basking in the shadows of yesterday's triumphs'.
A mutual friend of mine and the bride at my last wedding posted some shots taken 'over my shoulder'. At first I felt violated. This was my shot!!! I set this up!!! But, then thankfully I quickly realised that out of all the shots they had taken, they posted this one because it was a great shot. This was a actually a compliment. After adding a bit of Adobe magic to my image, there was no comparison anyway. I had many more great shots to post... and I've been paid for the pleasure of taking them.
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Actually, this is wishful thinking. Yes, being good at your job is important, but not a failsafe. Before I learned to collect in full, in advance, I had a bride ask me if it was alright for her cousin, who was trying to learn photography, to take a few shots at the wedding. Well, heck, what did I know? I said yes.
Imagine my surprise when he showed up with equipment as good as mine. I had a minimum deposit in hand, with a big balance to follow.
Turns out, he was indeed her cousin, but he worked for another studio as a second shooter. There was some question as to whether or not he would be able to make the date, so she hired me. Since he made it, she never picked up her proofs, I never got my money.
Live and learn.
I quickly learned all money 30 days in advance, cameras allowed at my disgression on the spot. If I had anyone become a real problem, after asking them to stop, I would simply sit down and set my camera down.
When the bride, or MOB asked me what I was doing, I would look at the offender and say, "I seem to be in his way. When he is finished, I will continue." BAM! That would shut them down instantly, as the bride/MOB would explain life and expensive photographers to them. Problem solved.
Plus, I ended up with only one package, she got everything I shot, engagement and bridal portraits, album, and mother's book. There was nothing else she could buy from me, as she prepaid everything.
However, if a package is not all inclusive, it is, indeed, easy to lose additional sales, when people give them free pictures. No, it won't happen with everyone, maybe not even the most, but free outweighs quality quite often these days.
I have been in this exact boat......always get your ALL money up front....if possible....I use a payment plan depending on how far out the wedding is but all monies for wedding is paid not less than 45 days prior to wedding date....especially if they are paying with checks.....
As for shooting with or around me....family and friends with P/S cams pretty much ok as long as they shoot either directly after me ( i give a verbal go for them to start shooting) or right after I get a pose done and I am on my way back to my camera.......I always use please and thank you....never yet needed to get gruff or ruff......this includes not just formals but even if I am shooting outdoors the reception, and during the ceremony - NO ONE shoots from beside or behind or around me....they must be in their seats and shoot from there without flash...no matter how mad or upset I get....I smile and stay very pleasant to all involved.....I have had prospects tell that so and so was very impressed that after such and such I kept my cool and demeanor....where most would have blew their tops.:D:D:D
is it annoying? yes. does it take away from my work as a professional? eh, kinda. 2 things however:
1) i'm not about to pick a fight with family and friends of the couple.
2) my shot's going to look better.
joking aside, if it comes to post-ceremony formals at the alter, especially where the groups are large, i setup a couple of light stands right in the aisle next to me:
a) i could use the light
b) it keeps the paparazzi away; if they break an expensive strobe, nobody's going to be happy.
i tell them if they want to take pictures, kindly take them from the pews. i also let the b&g know that the lighting is important to making their pictures look good so it's in their best interest to let me do my thing. nothing gets a roaming paparazzi off my back like being told to bug off by the bride.
shooting in reception venues poses different challenges. everyone is armed with a little p&s digicam and they know how to push the button and there's always someone that wants to use my backdrop as their own.
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I'm going to agree with Dan here and say that the vast majority of folks truly care about the bride and groom, it's a day of high emotions. If you are not a pro, what day are you most likely to take pictures of your family? A WEDDING. So I think it would behoove all of us in the industry to anticipate and graciously deal with this expected and very common occurrence. Just my $0.02.
The only time I have ANY problem with people taking photos while I am is during the bride and groom's mini-session, and it's not at all about them "taking" my photos, its about their presence/distraction. As far as my group setup shots, I ask folks if I can get my shots out of the way with my "finicky lights" and then I step aside and let others shoot for a few seconds. Graciousness goes a long way in terms of referrals, thank yous, and future sales.
Then again, I build digital negatives into all of my packages because I quite frankly got tired of running my business dependent on fickle online print sales.
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Good idea, I've been thinking about doing this next year (too late for this year, contracts have been signed). I'm thinking about front-loading my rates, factoring in all of my costs, essentially making my goal by the time of the ceremony, then just offering either inexpensive prints or even providing a disk of the images for a nominal fee.
Any orders after the wedding are just icing on the cake. Right now I feel my costs are too heavily weighted in favor of getting a large print order to make it worth my while.
Thanks,
Bill
that is classic, and perfectly appropriate.
I had an older lady at a wedding last week ask me to step aside so she could get a clear shot of the bride and groom ... with her cell phone! That will be a keeper!
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I think it is too. Photography is going to be more about time than prints. I have only done two weddings, but I charged by the event. I put the pics on my gallery set at default prices if they wanted to get prints from a pro lab. They got DVD discs of my edited pics and also of the negatives. I included the negatives because they may see something special to them that I would miss or not see in the editing process.
Wow, I would guess that must be a very localized experience. I am unaware of any professionals, that I personally know, who sell files only. In fact, most do not offer them, at all.
Yesterday, while at an outdoor ceremony, as I was coming from the isle around to the head - 20 people popped up from their seats and mobbed the gazebo. I could not believe it - they were completely surrounding it with their little P&S cameras, right next to the wedding party, ruining the video too. No one seemed to mind, and they stayed up there through almost the whole ceremony!
A couple months ago, there was one guy who thought he was a ninja photographer. He was the brother of the bride, from Thiland. He was walking all around the couple the whole time - getting right down in front of them, right in the way. I could tell the groom wanted him gone, but the bride just smiled. I'm not that rude, and I know the shots were going to look like azz anyway.
I'm sure I have lost plenty of print sales because of the thousands of free shots that get sent in from all the guests. Even though my shots are a LOT better - they don't have to be the best, just 'good enough' for most people. They look at mine, and look at one that's not as good but free...oh well. Cheap people will never appreciate quality, all you can do is get paid up front, which I do. Prints are icing on the wedding cake.
I'll tell you what really blows my mind though - do any of you have clients that you never hear from? I have had two so far this year, at least 6 mos ago - where I'm paid nicely up front, shoot the whole thing, put up relatively low res online proofs - and never hear another word! I don't know if they just don't wants pics - but why hire me at all? Or if they are doing screen caps and are happy with 0.5MP prints from walmart?
When my sister got married a few years ago, she would not even consider any photographers even if they were spectacular and priced below their limit if the digital files were not included.
I currently have a large number of friends getting married this year and the first question they ask of any photographer -- do you include the jpg files? Among my friends, I'm known to have have a photography illness and am constantly asked for my blessing on the chosen photographers. I'm commonly told that by the couple don't want to be "held hostage by the photographer" and selected someone that included files with their wedding package.
These days, I find that prints are not highly regarded and people rather have photos to place on the web or e-mail.
This is not what Heather said. She said, "I would guess only one couple out of 10 opts for a package where they have to buy prints anymore."
That is not the same as people wanting files included with albums, prints, etc. My point was I do not believe the majority of people want files only.
As for the concept of photographers holding anyone 'hostage', bullfeathers. I imagine that mentality started on some bridal forum, or bridal magazine. Have film photographers been holding 'hostages' all these years? Gimmie a break.
I'm not sure why anyone would think they own the images, any more than people owned negatives. Federal law has long made that distinction. Seems like in this 'if I can download it, it belongs to me' society, people no longer think they need to pay for the labors and talents of others. To those I say, photograph your own wedding.