My first second shooter was crap, now what?

AlbertZeroK

So, I shoot events. And I normally have a studio set up and shoot studio shots between stage time at the event. Their is never enough time at the events for studio time, so I hired a second shooter this time.

WOW! Talk about a learning experiance! First, the second shooter shook me down for $50 more the day before the event - I'll have that contact signed earlier, that's for sure! And when she gets their, she arrives with a D70s (6 Megapixel body.) And NO 70-200mm! Can't get her camera into 800 ISO (which we have to use now because she has a 55-200 kit quality lens.) And when we talked on the phone, I said, you will need to shoot raw, no problem - at the event, she has her camera set for Medium quality JPEG!!! So I get her camera all set up and let her shoot.

UGH! Snap shots! All her work! Snap Shots!!! Now, I normally shoot with a 50d (15 Megapixel body) with a 70-200 f/2.8 IS Mk II with constant lighting on stage. I can get BEAUTIFUL photos! But Ugh. Next time, I'll know better.

Now, I'm VERY ANAL about my work, so I think the photos may pass as good event photos, it's definately not the quality of work I do when I shoot an event like this.

So now I'm worried about my reputation. I do not really feel like refunding everyone's money (only about $250, but this is a side buisness and we don't really make that much anyways. Especially after paying the second shooter). Should I put a letter into the photo cd's saying if they have any issues to call me? Or should I just ship the CD's and let them fly knowing that they are Mom with a DSLR quality event shots and that I'm just too anal?

Glort

Firstly I'm at a loss as to why you didn't ask the simple question of what gear she has before you hired her. How what she turned up was a surprise to you is beyond my understanding. How you also didn't have some clue of her work and had seen samples before hand is also somewhat of a surprise.
As to scamming you an extra $50 the day before, that would have been a big red flashing light to me and if she was saying she could have got more else where, my reply would have been " Ok, no worries".

As for being anal, I'd say you are that and somewhat deluded. A 50D is far from the greatest camera in the world and in reality 6 or 60 Mp is of bugger all consequence to clients of the type your catering to.
If the pics are crap they are crap no matter what cam they were shot on just the same as if they were brilliant the camera res would take nothing away from that.

I don't for the life of me get how people forget that it wasn't all that long ago people were shooting 3 and 6Mp camera's and thought they were great. i still have a couple of 6 Mp bodies I regularly use and if anyone can tell me looking at an A4 print which one was shot on the 6 body and which one was shot on the 18, I'd give them $1000.

As to wether you make note to the clients or not, up to you but I think it would be foolish in the extreme. You may as well write a note saying " complaints and refunds welcome". Unless the pics are very bad in which you shouldn't send them out at all, I would send what you have and let the people decide.

My son runs my event trailer and I am always at him to edit the pics before he puts them on the Vstations but i know he raely does. Consequently we get people ordering soft focus prints and shots with other flaws. Every time I have causght these and asked the people to choose something better, they ask to see the print and once they have it, you can't prise it out of their hands with a tire leaver nor offer them any amount of free replacement prints to get them to let it go.

I primarily work with teh same group of people and the way they are always inviting me to cover their events and my sales go up, it's pretty clear these prints I'd rather not go out are far from hurting my reputation or doing me out of work. Certainly this happens maybe once an event but still too much for me.

The bottom line is Clients are looking at the content and hold that dear rather than looking for perfect technical quality.
IMHO, if you were going to be anal, the time to do it would have been when you were hiring your 2nd stringer, not after the the event is over and the horse has bolted.

Better luck witht he next assistant.

Cygnus Studios

Glort wrote: »

Firstly I'm at a loss as to why you didn't ask the simple question of what gear she has before you hired her.

Glort wrote: »

How what she turned up was a surprise to you is beyond my understanding.

Glort wrote: »

How you also didn't have some clue of her work and had seen samples before hand is also somewhat of a surprise.

Glort wrote: »

A 50D is far from the greatest camera in the world and in reality 6 or 60 Mp is of bugger all consequence to clients of the type your catering to.

Glort wrote: »

If the pics are crap they are crap no matter what cam they were shot on just the same as if they were brilliant the camera res would take nothing away from that.

Glort wrote: »

I don't for the life of me get how people forget that it wasn't all that long ago people were shooting 3 and 6Mp camera's and thought they were great.

Glort wrote: »

The bottom line is Clients are looking at the content and hold that dear rather than looking for perfect technical quality.

I couldn't agree more with these points.

You were the "hired" photographer, therefor you are the professional (if only for this one event) and as the "pro", you are the one that is completely responsible for the results.

johng

Albert - I'm afraid I'm with the others. Did you not see relevant event photos during your interview process? I'll also agree that the snobbery regarding your vaunted 50d vs. d70s shows a bit of immaturity (especially given your emphasis on number of megapixels). Still, if you had certain technical criteria you wanted - e.g. certain cameras due to noise performance, certain apertures, certain file sizes (i.e. you needed 300dpi at 11x14 for example) then you need to make those known during the hiring process. The critical aspect should have been relevant work experience (and corresponding photos) in her portfolio. You have to be extremely careful - just because a photographer does well at one aspect of photography doesn't mean he/she can do every type. All-in-all it sounds like you've learned some important lessons regarding the prep work to hiring someone:
1) clearly state requirements within contract
2) view portfolio of related work experience
3) get contract signed early.
If the work is on par with what was in the portfolio then you've got no complaint. If the work is below the level of what was displayed in the portfolio than if your contract is worded properly (and vetted by an attorney) you should have no issue refusing to pay.

entropysedge

johng wrote: »

Albert - I'm afraid I'm with the others. Did you not see relevant event photos during your interview process? I'll also agree that the snobbery regarding your vaunted 50d vs. d70s shows a bit of immaturity (especially given your emphasis on number of megapixels). Still, if you had certain technical criteria you wanted - e.g. certain cameras due to noise performance, certain apertures, certain file sizes (i.e. you needed 300dpi at 11x14 for example) then you need to make those known during the hiring process. The critical aspect should have been relevant work experience (and corresponding photos) in her portfolio. You have to be extremely careful - just because a photographer does well at one aspect of photography doesn't mean he/she can do every type. All-in-all it sounds like you've learned some important lessons regarding the prep work to hiring someone:
1) clearly state requirements within contract
2) view portfolio of related work experience
3) get contract signed early.
If the work is on par with what was in the portfolio then you've got no complaint. If the work is below the level of what was displayed in the portfolio than if your contract is worded properly (and vetted by an attorney) you should have no issue refusing to pay.

+1 with what everyone else said. As the main photographer, it is your responsibility to make sure that anyone you hire can do the job that you hired that person for.