My friend is in an argument with her wedding photographer and I am wondering who you guys think is right or wrong? I think their both at fault but the photographer has pretty much refused to acknowledge his part completely and no apologies.
My friend got married in 2011 when her dad died a few months later. Getting her photos pretty much fell to the back burner after her dads passing and she says she never contacted the photographer expecting to hear from him at some point. Well she never heard from him and decided to reach out to him 2 years after her wedding to which he responded saying her photos were ready but she owed a balance that was to be payed with the delivery of the photos. He said he emailed once but never followed up after that because he assumed she couldn’t pay. She says she never received that email. She thinks that she shouldn’t have to pay the full balance considering he never even contacted her and she made the first contact since her photos were never delivered in a timely manner. Photographer refuses to give any kind of discount and I understand he just wants to be paid on their agreed amount but at the same time he never made an honest attempt to reach out to his client to tell her the photos were ready. She acknowledged in the email she should of inquired with him sooner but he assumed she couldn’t pay? He also said things like how he should be charging her more now and that it wasn’t his job to chase a client? He also told her not to contact him unless she wants to pay. Thats kind of ridiculous in my mind but I don’t think there’s much she can do to have her photos, she has to pay but the over all tone of the photographer is pretty rude and offensive, and because of that I don’t think she should have to pay either. Who do you guys think is right and is there anything she can do?
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I am on the photographer side on this one. If she is getting the package worth, thn she should pay the agreed amount. An email could have been lost...or deleted by mistake. Also, I am sure the photographer deals with many clients who have issue paying on time or paying at all...so he really can't change his policies for this one client.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I've got to agree with the Photographer. The client had agreed to pay a sum for a service acquired from the vendor and now she is trying to renege on their agreement. Attitude aside, he's within his rights to demand full payment, before handing the photos over.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I agree completely with the photographer. He is well within his rights to demand full payment for the work that he did and she agreed to pay him.
It was not his responsibility to chase her down. He could have but I'm sure that at the time of her father's passing she would not have taken kindly to his repeated emails and calls for payment for his services.
Btw....I can understand a year later.....but 2 years? I would consider that a bit excessive. How come she didn't seek him out sooner?
Yeah eh? Maybe it's only because he was so rude for no reason and at the same time, I still feel he could of followed up with the client. He had other ways of contacting but he also disappeared. That's the part that I think maybe he should at least own up to, his email was so rude but I think you guys are right. I'm going to explain it to her. Muzna, I guess she was going through her dads passing as well as was having a hard time in her marriage so I think she didn't even get to really celebrate her life after her wedding. I think she was just depressed. She hasn't even watched her wedding video because it came after her dad passed and she says she's not ready to see him in the video. I think the wedding pictures might have that same reminder. I do feel bad but I think she probably will just end up paying him other wise she'll have nothing.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
Sometimes one never heals from the loss of a parent so I understand. Unfortunately we cannot expect those that have provided us with a service to understand not being paid on time.
It is absolutely not right for the photographer to have been rude to her. He could have taken the time to hear her out and offered condolences but stuck his ground on the amount. That's what I would have done.
Now if she tried to use the excuse that he failed to effectively reach out to her to deliver her photos to get a discount then I think that is unreasonable too.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
She should pay, he isn't asking for more and also she will get to keep her wedding memories in the form of pictures. Yes, she's lucky the photographer still has her pictures.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
First, you made the biggest mistake by raising this issue here publicly yet you know that its not the photographer's fault but soley your friend's fault (whatever the reason is but) who took unblieveable time to contact the photographer and she is so lucky that he still have her photos otherwise world change so much in 2 years. Secondly, i am amazed that most of you guppans raised in such an educated countries and many even spent 1 or 2 decades in abroad and still you don't know what professionalism is..? Come on please don't behave like cheap desis who always blame others yet they know they are wrong. I am a professional and my mother suddenly died during my client's function's dates but in those horrible days i went to my client's functions (without telling them about my personal issues) and somehow i managed to cover their entire functions. Because this world has nothing to do with anyone's problems and no one takes responsibility of other problems. This is a another bitter truth of life which you have to believe.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
^I think somehow you missed the point. Everyone is in agreement with the photographer in this scenario, so I'm not sure why "most of you guppans" is implied??? Also the use of the words "cheap desis" comes across a little derrogatory and uncalled for.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I agree with the others what the photographer is the “right” party in this. A contract was signed which stated the service he agreed to provide and a fixed amount of $ your friend agreed to provide. Your friend has no reason to expect a discount from him UNLESS the written contract specifically states that the photographer was supposed to contact your friend once the pictures were ready.
That guy is running a business. While your friend’s fathers death is a sad event, the fact remains that it’s not the photographer’s job to chase down clients who can’t be bothered to reach out to him for their own WEDDING pictures for whatever reason.
And I also find it odd that 2 YEARS went by before the photographer was contacted. I understand that your friend was grieving….but not 1-single-member in her own family…..her husband….anyone in the husband’s family…..not even a friend such as yourself……..I’m amazed that 2 YEARS went by where another person couldn’t contact the photographer on her behalf. Not one-single-person from either side of the family had any interest in seeing the wedding pics for 2 YEARS? As other’s mentioned, she should consider herself lucky that he still has the pics!
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
First, you made the biggest mistake by raising this issue here publicly yet you know that its not the photographer's fault but soley your friend's fault (whatever the reason is but) who took unblieveable time to contact the photographer and she is so lucky that he still have her photos otherwise world change so much in 2 years. Secondly, i am amazed that most of you guppans raised in such an educated countries and many even spent 1 or 2 decades in abroad and still you don't know what professionalism is..?** Come on please don't behave like cheap desis who always blame others yet they know they are wrong. **I am a professional and my mother suddenly died during my client's function's dates but in those horrible days i went to my client's functions (without telling them about my personal issues) and somehow i managed to cover their entire functions. Because this world has nothing to do with anyone's problems and no one takes responsibility of other problems. This is a another bitter truth of life which you have to believe.
Very interesting choice of words you have here. There wasn't even a comparison of desi vs non-desi but somehow to validate any point on the forum, an insult towards one particular group is a must, isn't it? Should i just say taken as a compliment and move on now ...what do you suggest?
I had nothing to do with her wedding pictures and didn't know she hadn't gotten them until she asked me for the advice. I agree with everyone but I think that the photographer also didn't make an honest attempt to contact her quite honestly. She contacted him asking if by chance he did still have them or not and apologized for being MIA. There were enough pictures to go around of the events so I guess the only ones they didn't have are of their portraits. Regardless, the photographer has yet to prove he actually contacted her since he's refusing to show the emails since she pulled up all of the contact they had which went up until the day of the wedding, after that there's nothing. She's willing to pay him and isn't being cheap at all but when someone turns sour on you for no apparent reason, your apprehensive about giving them any money. That's all it is. It has nothing to do with cheap, it's about a persons behavior and as a professional he should be able to handle it that way. I still don't think following up with a client would of been chasing her down. He admitted that he only made one attempt and never contacted her again after that and even that he says he doesn't have to show her any proof for and wants his money. I get that part, he wants his money but did he actually hold his end of the deal? He's refusing to pull up that email if he did so that's where's its like a little iffy. What if she sends him the money and he disappears? None of his works or websites have even been updated with new work or anything so even though he says his rates have increased its hard to tell if he is telling the truth or not but I think she should just send him the money and get it over with too.
Innerlife, why is it wrong to bring up this issue here? I just wanted opinions because I feel emotionally attached to the situation to know if Im looking at it correctly. I dont think the photographer is right actually, I think he's just at fault as she is for going MIA, I do. Like someone said most are agreed with you but like I explained it has nothing to do with being a cheap desi.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I agree with everyone but I think that the photographer also didn't make an honest attempt to contact her quite honestly. I get that part, he wants his money but did he actually hold his end of the deal?
Let's put aside our feelings/emotion & focus on what the contract/agreement was between your friend and the photographer. Let's stay focused on the FACTS. Did the contract specify that the photographer was responsible for contacting your friend after the wedding once the pictures were ready? This is a simple "yes" or "no" answer. If the answer to this is "no".....then it was not part of the "deal" for him to contact her.
What if she sends him the money and he disappears? None of his works or websites have even been updated with new work or anything so even though he says his rates have increased its hard to tell if he is telling the truth or not but I think she should just send him the money and get it over with too.
Is the photographer is a different city or country than your friend? I picked up my wedding pictures/video in person. Why can't she meet with him in person? Give him a check and have him hand over the CD. If she's not meeting him at his studio where he can show her what's on the CD....she can take a laptop with her and quickly glance at some pics/video to ensure it's from her wedding.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
I've worked with quittte a few photographers one on one during weddings, planning photo sessions and coordinating timings for particular events, etc.
Do you know how many people hire photographers and disappear on them? Do you understand how common this is? Very common...to the point where you have acknowledged said photographer assumed she couldn't pay. People will hire professionals to come out and shoot their big day, show the world how this event is being covered by a photographer but then don't bother paying off the remaining balance or try to haggle with their vendors over pricing AFTER their event is over and done with. Its not fair and many vendors move on thinking its beneath them to chase down people who should be responsible enough to pay their bills in a timely fashion.
Your friend could have been grieving for six months but not following up for TWO years and then EXPECTING the photographer to just be ready with the pictures because she wants them NOW for a DIFFERENT price than originally agreed upon - is actually unprofessional on her part.
Photographers and vendors are human beings with the same tolerance as you and I. They have no out of this world ability to take someone's unreasonable requests. I don't blame him for getting upset with your friend if she's trying to put the responsibility on him when it wasn't his at all. Two years is unacceptable.
When you hire a vendor, you pay them in exchange for their services. If you do not pay them, they do not owe you service. It is that simple.
Re: Fight With Wedding Photographer - Your Opinions
What an irony! People think that providing any kind of service should not cost them that much.. It's easy for us to criticize a person's service once they ask for money. I guess our wedding industry suffers the most in this part. Everyone thinks people like makeup artists, photographers, wedding planners, dj, personal shoppers etc don't need money for their services. I'm amazed the photographer still is willing to give her the pictures. If I was in his place I would charge more!
As other’s mentioned, she should consider herself lucky that he still has the pics!