At 2005-02-24, 03:18:08 lea (lea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote: >Good Lord. > >Shyrell, I'm sure I speak for everyone on this list when I tell you we >feel your pain. I can only speak for myself when I tell you (and you >know this, I realize) that 20/20 hindsight is a beautiful thing. > >In this situation you are the paid professional. You are in the driver's >seat. If I may be so bold, may I suggest you assume the responsibility >and drive this situation the way you want it to go. Your job as a >professional photographer is not to bend every direction to make your >client happy at the expense of making yourself look like a dishrag. You >need to step back, think this thing over and assess what you want. > >You have some choices, as I see it: > >Give in and give your client everything they ask for, including >copyrights, negatives and money back so they go away and leave you >alone. >(Not an option for a second, in my book..you are definitely a passenger >in this situation) > >OR > >Let your client know that you did do what they asked and paid for. You >photographed their wedding. You supplied proofs. Hopefully you have a >contract outlining your responsibilities and theirs...if not, this is >the wake-up call to get one drawn up before your next event. Do you have >any other obligations to them...enlargements, book, etc? If so, let them >know you will meet those obligations in a timely, professional manner, >with professional products and prints. Then do it. > >Inform them that they may NOT, under any circumstance without written >permission from you, reprint your images or scan them for distribution >in any way. AND don't offer to do this for them. > >I am certain that they are disappointed and I'm also confident that you >will have to do some fancy footwork to undo some of the promises you've >already made to them (correct the images and burn them to cd so they can >go to Walmart for reprints, for example. You're killing me with that >one.). Your job was not to supply them with proofs so they could have >them copied at sub-par quality. Your job was to supply them proofs so >they could make choices as to what images they wanted reprinted and >enlarged. And then you do that for them. Like all professional >photographers, some of your images will have problems that need some >correcting...dust, scratches, dodging, burning and the like. Correcting >these problems should be a matter of course for you...not an >afterthought once they are discovered by the client. > >Going back to the idea of being in the driver's seat. As a professional >you should CARE what your images look like when they leave your studio. >One way to ensure they look the way you want them to look is to control >the process. Find a professional lab, let the lab know you expect >quality and will stand for nothing less...your goal is to make the lab a >partner with you in your work. Let them know when a client is thrilled >and they'll be more than happy to work with you to make an unhappy >client happier. > >The following is the text from a card that I created and insert in every >order that I send out...proofs and final orders. It lets my clients know >they can depend on me for quality and it also lets them know what they >need to do to keep their images safe for a long life. > >Enclosed are the proofs from your photo shoot. >These are yours to keep and enjoy. > >Catalog numbers needed for ordering reprints and enlargements are >handwritten on the back of each print. > >A few things to know about the keeping and storage of photographs: > >Photographs keep best when mounted behind glass in a frame or >stored in an album which does not use magnetic pages. If using >tapes or corners to mount images in albums, be certain to use >archival materials which avoid deteriorating the paper the image is >printed on. > >Photographs are susceptible to fading; when hanging framed images >in your home or office, try to avoid any direct sunlight that may >fall on the print. > >All negatives and digital files are archived in my office; they are >never thrown away or deleted so reprints and enlargements may be >ordered at any time, even years from now, with confidence. > >Please be aware that copyright of these images stays with me and >any scanning, reprinting or reproducing of any kind is prohibited >without written permission. > >Get in the driver's seat and direct this where you want it to go. >Vroom, vroom. > >Lea > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Shyrell Melara" <shyrellmelara@xxxxxxxxx> >To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" ><photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2005 7:24 AM >Subject: Re: weddings (might be a bit long-sorry) > > >> Yes, and all sorts of problems right from the start. It was only after >I agreed to do the wedding that I was informed it was only one week >away! After I recovered from the shock, I still failed to turn them >down. Next, we had our first interview at which time the deposit was to >be made. I was told they did not have the cash on them, they left the >checkbook at home, and they had a car full of groceries so they had to >leave and could they pay me with a check at the rehearsal which was two >days away. >> >> Again, shock. (Boy, I need to quit getting shocked!) The story only >gets worse from there. The pictures and negatives come back scratched >and when the Bride comes to look at them she tells me she does not want >any enlargements. (What? We had a contract. But she wants to nearly >double the order with the smaller prints. So I figure, okay, it's still >good money.) I kept waiting for her to see the lines so I could discuss >options, but she didn't see them. >> >> That's when she says (about the enlargements), "I have a scanner at >home so I can do my own." (What?) I thought, she has a scanner, she's >cheating me out of my potential income, she can fix the pictures >herself. So what does she do? She goes to Wal-Mart and has the >enlargements done there, discovers the lines, call me up and screams >about getting all her money back or she's going to take me to court. >> >> At 7pm last night her husband shows up at my door! (My studio is in my >garage.) So I tell him I will fix the pictures myself, put them on a cd >and they can take that to Wal-Mart for their enlargements. Again cutting >me out of any potential income, but I'm just trying to defuse the >situation. >> >> Hubby & I go out. We get back home to find a message. They want the >pictures for the enlargements fixed, but since that is only about 5 out >of 60, they still want 'some' money returned. And that's where we are >for now. Personally, now I'd rather fix all the pictures and bite the >dust on the reprints as opposed to any refunds. My position being, I did >not scratch the pictures and neither did my camera. I showed the lab's >letter to the husband, so he knows it wasn't me that messed up. >> >> Any ideas as to where to go from here? I'm stuck on the fact that I >did not damage the pictures so I shouldn't have to refund any money, and >I'm willing to do the touch ups and eat the extra expense. I'd even be >willing to let her take me to court if that's what she wants. But I just >can't swallow refunding any money at this point. >> >> Shyrell >> >> For the Quality You Deserve! >> Melara Family Photography >> http://shyrellmelara.tripod.com >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: wildimages@xxxxxxxxxxx >> > Your experiences have only confirmed for me why I've always said. >> > >> > "I don't do weddings" >> > Did you have a written contract? >> > If not, do purely verbal contracts hold up in court in the US? >> > >> > > From what I remeber the bride hadn't paid you up front (unless >they did right >> > before the service). >> > >> > Bob >> > >> > >> >> >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Find what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pages >> >http://r.lycos.com/r/yp_emailfooter/http://yellowpages.lycos.com/default >.asp?SRC=lycos10 >> >> >> > >. Thanks Lea, for some excellent advice and sharing your experience and expertise with us. From time to time, when digital/film.. real/computergenerated.. signmeoff threads fade away... we get issues and posts like yours that make it worthwhile to stay on. Rich, your sand/beach pix are superb. I especially like the last one (the stones), for the colours and the way they are set into the sand. Best regards, Deen 2005-02-24 11:31:17
