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Author Topic: A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio  (Read 5873 times)

hs0zfe

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« on: June 15, 2008, 01:48:34 pm »

Merry Plaza Studio, Bangkok. My wife had chosen them on price. 4 dresses were used, with make up and hair work.

The photographer used the latest Canon SLR but then a 24-70 mm Zoom!  I was shocked to see the guy didn't even bother framing the shots properly. Just rely on the guy doing PS to cut away the surplus.

Outside, we were blinded by reflectors reflecting the sun light into our faces. At the same time, the sun hit the lens. So I asked them to use a reflector to create shade for the lens.

Maybe this is a trend?

Do the studios take anyone from the street and teach them how to press the button? Just use the wide angle setting and shoot.

Let's cake the bride's face in make up.

Do you share my harsh views? I asked them to avoid PS! You should see the large photos - they edited out any texture in parts of my face, whitening it and turning both faces into something looking like "plastic".

Warts and all - I like real faces!
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alainbriot

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2008, 02:56:14 pm »

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Merry Plaza Studio, Bangkok. My wife had chosen them on price.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=201755\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I sympathize with you.  Wedding photographs are a once in a lifetime opportunity.  

While I don't do weddings, and without knowing more about the photographer's training and motivation, I believe that the basis for the choice (price) may be the main issue.  I see it all the time with photographers who compete of the basis of price.  While their prices may be competitive, the quality of their work suffers greatly.  

It's hard to offer the finest quality, be the lowest priced, and stay in business... Something has to go ...

When I teach marketing to photographers I always teach to focus on quality, not quantity.  This means charging more but it also means having satisfied customers who will come back because of the quality of your work.

If customers chose you because of the quality of your work, they will come back because of the quality of your work and service.

If they chose you because of your price, they will leave you because of price...
« Last Edit: June 15, 2008, 02:58:26 pm by alainbriot »
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Alain Briot
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Andy M

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2008, 08:40:16 pm »

Was this your wedding day? If so, congratulations

I can recommend an excellent photographer in BKK who is reliable, talented and not too expensive.

My wife and I used him at our wedding and were very happy with the results.
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hs0zfe

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2008, 10:32:42 am »

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Was this your wedding day? If so, congratulations

I can recommend an excellent photographer in BKK who is reliable, talented and not too expensive.

My wife and I used him at our wedding and were very happy with the results.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=201814\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes. Yes, please!

Some friends will need one and I would love to point them in the right direction.

Cheers,
Chris
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Dansk

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2008, 10:35:45 am »

I dont see your point in squabling about the gear at all. Heck even Annie Leibovitz used a 24-70 f2.8L zoom to shoot the Queen. It sounds more like the shooter was lousy and judging by those photos he probably didnt have much personality either cuz you dont look very happy or switched "on" and thats what makes great wedding shots is capturing the real emotion, energy and style.

  Wedding shooters should have three qualities IMO. 1. Good, fast composition skills 2.Incredible documentary instincts 3. and likely most important is an amazing personality/ people skills.

Sorry you had a bad experience man that sucks.
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popnfresh

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2008, 07:03:39 pm »

Wedding Photographer has to be one of the world's worst jobs for the wrong person. It takes a very special personality to make it in that business. Having the ability to keep your professional demeanor while shooting people in often chaotic and stressful environments is the least of your worries. You also need to tactfully fend off amateur photographer wedding guests who think they can do a better job than you and soothe panicky clients so they can relax in front of your camera. I sure wouldn't want to be one.
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Jonathan Wienke

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2008, 05:02:05 pm »

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Merry Plaza Studio, Bangkok. My wife had chosen them on price. 4 dresses were used, with make up and hair work.

The photographer used the latest Canon SLR but then a 24-70 mm Zoom!  I was shocked to see the guy didn't even bother framing the shots properly. Just rely on the guy doing PS to cut away the surplus.

As has been pointed out, the equipment (including the zoom lens) is not the issue. The 24-70/2.8L is one of the better lenses out there, zoom or prime. The real issues are the photographer, and your failure to see whether you liked his style. Sloppy framing and the resulting need to crop heavily will degrade image quality far more than the lens. But unless the photographer handled your shoot differently than he did those used in his portfolio, you should direct your complaints to the nearest mirror.

Every photographer has a different style. Some use more post-processing in Photoshop than others. Many clients (mostly women) prefer the look of smoothed skin; others, (mostly men) like "real" skin. When I meet with a client, I display images that represent my preferred style, and the client either hires me or doesn't on that basis. If the photographer showed you heavily processed/smoothed images when you met with him, (you DID meet with him prior to the shoot, didn't you?) then you have zero grounds for complaint if that's what you got from him. The same applies if you let your wife select the photographer and didn't bother to look at his work beforehand. If you hired a photographer whose style you dislike, but didn't bother to ascertain what that style was beforehand, then you need to quit whining about the results you got.

You state that you asked the photographer to avoid PS, but unless you specify exactly what you mean (like "I don't want a lot of retouching or skin smoothing done") you probably aren't going to accomplish much with such a vague request. Photoshop is an integral part of any serious digital photographer's workflow, and insisting that it not be used at all is sort of like telling a race car driver he can race, but can't start the car's engine. The other thing you haven't mentioned is what your wife may have told the photographer, or how satisfied she is with the photos. She's far less likely to want unretouched "real" skin than you are, as most women regard the "real" look as very unflattering, especially women who are not 24-year-old supermodel/Playmate material.

Regarding the complaints about lighting during the shoot, I would say that the most annoying client possible is the back seat driver who is more focused on correcting the photographer's "errors" than cooperatively participating in the session. The use of reflectors to fill shadows is a common and long-standing practice in portrait lighting, especially outdoors where using an equivalent amount of flash power may be impractical. A well-placed reflector can significantly improve the lighting on the subject, but like any continuous lighting, may seem excessively bright and uncomfortable for the subject. Be a man and suck it up; endure a little momentary discomfort for the sake of a better photo and let the photographer do his job. And modern lenses are good enough that spill from a reflector hitting the lens may not cause any appreciable amount of flare. If you're obsessing about probable non-problems and focused on micromanaging the photographer's job for him, you are not likely to photograph well, regardless of who is behind the camera. Your photos are guaranteed to suck, and you are very likely to frustrate and annoy the photographer unnecessarily.

The real key to satisfaction is to find and hire a competent photographer whose style and artistic sensibilities match your own, regardless of whether said photographer is the lowest bidder. And when you go to the shoot, butt out of the photographer's business and let him do his job. Be focused on doing what YOU need to do to make the shoot a success, not on every little thing you think the photographer is doing wrong. Get out of his way and let him do his job, and you will both be much happier with the experience and the resulting images.
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Rob C

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2008, 06:24:11 pm »

Wedding photography.

There are photographers who profess to love doing it and others, such as myself, who hate the idea.

There are two reasons why I dislike the genre: unlike commercial work, a cock-up hurts real people and there are no second chances; I don´t like shooting people who don´t allow me to create what I consider beauty. This isn´t anybody´s fault - I´d suck as a model, at any age, so that´s not what it´s about; it´s about finding no charm in working with people who don´t make my pulse race - even a little, seems such a waste of my precious time.

Others have no such problems. Good for them - they are needed, I imagine, though I personally can´t think of anything less worth the money than the results of a big, expensive wedding shoot. What in blazes can you do with the pictures? Fill more drawers with them? There is something totally sad (to me) about framed wedding pictures displayed on furniture, hanging on a wall or otherwise thrust into the noses of people who might come to visit. Do the folks who display these things fear they might forget who they are?

Rob C

Jeremy Roussak

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2008, 04:05:02 am »

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There is something totally sad (to me) about framed wedding pictures displayed on furniture, hanging on a wall or otherwise thrust into the noses of people who might come to visit. Do the folks who display these things fear they might forget who they are?

Rob C
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=204076\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Don't be silly.

They had a wonderful day. When they see the photograph their memories are jogged, they recall the day and they smile for a moment.

Jeremy
« Last Edit: June 28, 2008, 04:05:40 am by kikashi »
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Rob C

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A rant: as customer @ a wedding studio
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2008, 10:52:00 am »

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Don't be silly.

They had a wonderful day. When they see the photograph their memories are jogged, they recall the day and they smile for a moment.

Jeremy
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=204134\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I´m glad you speak for them; I just spoke for my own take on the subject. Also, I don´t have to do that work!

Rob C
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