Couple's big day is ‘ruined’ by an amateur photographer

Normally I'd agree. However I think @DemiLion has been remarkably restrained in not mentioning this young lady's behaviour. I think complete con job and she deserves everything she gets.

I realise Mark won't post it, but this says it all about her behaviour

http://stopstealingphotos.com/johnston-photography-leeds-uk/

It's unfair and disingenuous to blame the couple in anyway this time.


That's not even a fraction of the true story!

Image theft is the least of the concern.
 
Unless you know the market well, £500 isn't "alarm bell" cheap, especially if you've seen a good portfolio, etc.

I'd still disagree - given the misrepresentation issue Hugh highlights its more like finding a "brand new merc" for £500 down dodgy daves motors and being daft enough to believe theres nothing wrong with it ... £500 with a good portfolio is even more of an alarm bell than £500 with a shocking one, as why would anyone with that much talent in reality be that cheap ?

End of the day there's no denying that the tog is basically to blame, but i;d still say that if you are buying anything expensive or contracting any important service if you do it without checking both the going rate and the quality of the provision then you are asking for trouble.

As mentioned on the image stealers thread Hugh posted , she even left the copyright of the original tog on some of the stolen photos - if you really think its wise to hand over £500 notes without doing basic due dilligence to establish the credentials of the contractor then I've got some magic beans i'd be willing to offer dead cheap..
 
I'd still disagree - given the misrepresentation issue Hugh highlights its more like finding a "brand new merc" for £500 down dodgy daves motors and being daft enough to believe theres nothing wrong with it ... £500 with a good portfolio is even more of an alarm bell than £500 with a shocking one, as why would anyone with that much talent in reality be that cheap ?

End of the day there's no denying that the tog is basically to blame, but i;d still say that if you are buying anything expensive or contracting any important service if you do it without checking both the going rate and the quality of the provision then you are asking for trouble.

As mentioned on the image stealers thread Hugh posted , she even left the copyright of the original tog on some of the stolen photos - if you really think its wise to hand over £500 notes without doing basic due dilligence to establish the credentials of the contractor then I've got some magic beans i'd be willing to offer dead cheap..

Let's face it. They were trying to save a buck. They are no different than any bride wanting to spend nothing. They wanted the world for peanuts. However, in this case... they didn't even get Leeds, let alone the world!

The article is looking for sympathy. The couple bought cheap and got cheap. They didn't book this girl for talent, they booked this girl because the chocolate fountain was more important.

I am not defending the fauxtographer, but the couple didn't deserve much more...
 
Let's face it. They were trying to save a buck. They are no different than any bride wanting to spend nothing. They wanted the world for peanuts. However, in this case... they didn't even get Leeds, let alone the world!

The article is looking for sympathy. The couple bought cheap and got cheap. They didn't book this girl for talent, they booked this girl because the chocolate fountain was more important.

I am not defending the fauxtographer, but the couple didn't deserve much more...

My point exactly - which absent the "confidential information" that mark can't share with us is basically that if you buy cheap for your wedding you are either hopelessly naive or you just dont value your photography.

Of course the confidential info where image theft is only the half of it could paint a totally different picture - but since its too tippy toppy secret to be shared it seems pretty pointless even mentioning it
 
People buy more cars than they buy wedding photography. Maybe the high priced ones are rip offs? Yet non experts still can't price a car just by looking at the pictures. And her portfolio looked good. Clearly the judge thought it a rip off too
 
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Let's face it. They were trying to save a buck. They are no different than any bride wanting to spend nothing. They wanted the world for peanuts. However, in this case... they didn't even get Leeds, let alone the world!

The article is looking for sympathy. The couple bought cheap and got cheap. They didn't book this girl for talent, they booked this girl because the chocolate fountain was more important.

I am not defending the fauxtographer, but the couple didn't deserve much more...



Graham, you're looking at it from a photographer's point of view, not an unknowing bride's.

My step daughter was in the same boat, not much money but wanted photographs to remember. She booked a guy on the recommendation of someone and liked the look of his previous wedding photos on his website.

You can only go by what you see at the time.

I know some damn good photographers who charge not much more than this lady but cannot charge more as they are building their reputations.

I take exception to your view, surely a customer is a customer and deserves the best you can offer.
 
The title of this thread is misleading...
If you get paid for a job you are a pro.

The fact that you only give amateur quality just makes it harder for you in the future.

The couple paid for a pro & got well 'less'.
 
Graham, you're looking at it from a photographer's point of view, not an unknowing bride's.

My step daughter was in the same boat, not much money but wanted photographs to remember. She booked a guy on the recommendation of someone and liked the look of his previous wedding photos on his website.

You can only go by what you see at the time.

I know some damn good photographers who charge not much more than this lady but cannot charge more as they are building their reputations.

I take exception to your view, surely a customer is a customer and deserves the best you can offer.

I didn't have a view. Just asked a question.

Did your daughter not receive the best the photographer could offer?
 
Graham, you're looking at it from a photographer's point of view, not an unknowing bride's.

My step daughter was in the same boat, not much money but wanted photographs to remember. She booked a guy on the recommendation of someone and liked the look of his previous wedding photos on his website.
r.

That's a bit different though - recommendation by a previous customer and saw work that was actually his (and presumably didn't have someone else's water mark on it) - also theres a difference between "not much money" and "didn't value photography highly enough"

I'm presuming you step daughter didn't also hire a photo booth separately to her main tog (point being that if you can afford that you can afford a better tog instead)
 
It would be interesting to know though, was your daughter expecting the photographer to be there longer in the morning? Was she expecting him at all in the morning? I can't say I have photographed every groom arriving, because some sneak in the back... never had a complaint though. Never shot a bridesmaids's rear before, but heck, there is a first time for everything :) It would be interesting to know what your daughter's thoughts were about the photography before you saw the photographs? Good to see you save the day though.


Thanks Graham.

The contract stipulated he would be covering the bridal dressing and groom's arrival (clause 4 if I remember correctly).
I looked at his website prior to my daughter's big day (step daughter but she's my daughter in all but name) and would have advised her to steer clear but I didn't want to disempower her.

She created a Youtube video to ask friends if she was being too picky / expecting too much of the resulting photos.

As it's now been through the court and has been found in her favour I feel I can quite justifiably post the link here without any legal comeback.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxAgTcAT90w
 
That's a bit different though - recommendation by a previous customer and saw work that was actually his (and presumably didn't have someone else's water mark on it) - also theres a difference between "not much money" and "didn't value photography highly enough"

I'm presuming you step daughter didn't also hire a photo booth separately to her main tog (point being that if you can afford that you can afford a better tog instead)



The photo booth was thrown in as part of the package funnily enough.
 
Wow that is some contract! Mine isn't anywhere near as detailed!

Glad to see it all worked out for you... and her.
 
You're having doubts, it's time to opt out this way you'll give them plenty of time to find a photographer. You need to be 100% confident in planning, photography and have the requisite social skills to carry out wedding photography. This case highlighted here should serve as warning to anyone thinking about going into wedding photography. People are very quick to jump all over social media. This young ladies professional career is in tatters.
Not so sure on this one, I once went to a wedding (it was my wife's friend), happily snapping away without a care in the world, until the registrar asked if I was the the tog. I said no, the bride to be said yes and before I knew it I was at the front of the ceremony having to take photos. Look back on them with just a little hint of pride, they came out well & the b&g were chuffed. Sadly the marriage didn't last.
 
This was a last minute booking as the tog who she originally had booked phoned her with 3 weeks to go before the big day that he'd double booked and was honouring the other couple's booking.
 
Thanks Graham.

The contract stipulated he would be covering the bridal dressing and groom's arrival (clause 4 if I remember correctly).
I looked at his website prior to my daughter's big day (step daughter but she's my daughter in all but name) and would have advised her to steer clear but I didn't want to disempower her.

She created a Youtube video to ask friends if she was being too picky / expecting too much of the resulting photos.

As it's now been through the court and has been found in her favour I feel I can quite justifiably post the link here without any legal comeback.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxAgTcAT90w
And in this day & age, this is the point. I hate social media, however I fully understand the power of it. Advertise on the Net, use Facebook and the like, expect a comeback if you don't deliver, not only expect a comeback but expect, in one fell swoop a complete destruction of any brand you may have made. I don't fully understand individuals who don't deal with complaints made swiftly & effectively, even if it costs you a few pennies to make it go away. It's not worth the come back. If you expect/want your business to last.
 
Absolutely, a partial refund and an apology would have sufficed.

Am I right in thinking a DX lens used non a D810 crops to 13mp? As that's what he used for the majority of the shots.
 
I don't see where price has anything to do with it. A service/product was promised and paid for... that's the end of it.
You can undersell yourself all you want, once the agreement is made/contract signed you're on the hook for it.

It does beg the question though... should we really be putting up portfolios/galleries w/ nothing but the very best that we've ever shot?
 
I don't see where price has anything to do with it. A service/product was promised and paid for... that's the end of it.
You can undersell yourself all you want, once the agreement is made/contract signed you're on the hook for it.

It does beg the question though... should we really be putting up portfolios/galleries w/ nothing but the very best that we've ever shot?

Photographers love to b******t 90% of it is smoke and mirrors.
 
I had a look at the photographer's web page, some interesting shots in her gallery to say the least.
Between mainly wedding shots there's a bit of glamour modelling thrown in!
It has to be said, it's generally decent photography, she may just have had an off day!
It's since claimed she's used stolen shots from other photographers in her gallery :/
 
Just for the sake of balance I would like to hear Chloe's side of the story.
It was in the article, kind of :)*

*But obviously, there's a lot missing...

Interestingly if you look at her personal FB page (or at least what purports to be her page, which is linked from the Stop Stealing Photos page on it) she's put a further defence on there, siting various other cases involving the couple but not going into detail.
 
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Oh boy. I'm going to make the front cover of the papers!

'Our friend ruined our wedding day and took photography tips from an internet forum'

Best start clearing my FB!
 
Coincidentally a friend from workwhio is getting married next month was telling me she doesn't want the full blown wedding photography thing. She's trying to keep costs down and asked a few photographers could they do maybe half an hour and take some shots of the bride and groom and guests Apparently no one was interested. She has asked me to do them, I'm not sure if I want to or not. I'm a keen amateur, not a professional. My fear is they may not be any good, or what she's expecting. She said she would pay me, but I've insisted I don't want paid if I do it.
I'm really not sure what to do.

I'm doing exactly this for my friends. They know I'm not a pro but they have seen my previous work. I'm going to do the best job I can for both them and me.

It's actually 3rd wedding and each one has been great learning experience.
 
I'm doing exactly this for my friends. They know I'm not a pro but they have seen my previous work. I'm going to do the best job I can for both them and me.

It's actually 3rd wedding and each one has been great learning experience.
That's my plan as well, to do the best job I can. I'm hoping to take early retirement in a year or so and I was thinking if it goes ok I may look at trying to make some money from my hobby. Better learn to walk before I run though :rolleyes:
 
Absolutely, a partial refund and an apology would have sufficed.

Am I right in thinking a DX lens used non a D810 crops to 13mp? As that's what he used for the majority of the shots.
If settings are in default then it will automatically go into DX Crop mode and the resulting image is around 15.6mp, you can disable the DX mode and use it as "normal", I'd expect it to vignette though not tried it. I do have a 55-200 DX lens and a D810 so I might one day ;) - and no I didn't photograph your daughters wedding ;)
 
That's my plan as well, to do the best job I can. I'm hoping to take early retirement in a year or so and I was thinking if it goes ok I may look at trying to make some money from my hobby. Better learn to walk before I run though :rolleyes:

Well this place has given me some top tips and I'm also hoping to meet up with the very wedding photographer from our own big day as he is a nice chap and has helped me out with non wedding stuff before.
 
I know a couple who paid £400 for a student photographer to shoot their wedding. They weren't too happy with the shots but the quality was still miles better than this one. :eek:

How do we know - we haven't seen all thats been delivered and only one side of the story. What if she delivered all images, processed and unprocessed including rejects, and the couple chose to show only those.
 
All you had to do was look at her website and gallery... and the liberal use of horrible cursive font (if you have anything blocking scripts from running, it defaults to comic sans, making her look even more retarded).... to realise what you were buying.

Her gallery has images on it she didn't even take (straight off Pinterest)... she's not even bothered to remove the watermark from one of them. She should have been stung a for a whole lot more.. dumb cow, and the stupid couple who had unrealistic expectations after paying £125 need a wake up call.. which they got.

You pay peanuts.. you get a monkey.

No sympathy.

Ah ha
 
How do we know - we haven't seen all thats been delivered and only one side of the story. What if she delivered all images, processed and unprocessed including rejects, and the couple chose to show only those.
This is true.

Without seeing all 279 photos that were delivered to the couple, we can't say. But you'd have to question why the very poor ones shown were even released to the couple?

When I rarely do shoot weddings, never I provide unprocessed images (as these are the photos that fail my QC!) though I appreciate some do.
 
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