Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

shookphoto · **what to do -** 07-05-2011, 07:12 PM

I had a client ask me a week before her wedding if she could have all the images from the wedding, edited or not. In my contract I say I provide anywhere from 400-500 edited images and I do not give any originals. I stated that again and she got a little upset so I told her I would give her plenty of pictures. I sent her the preview with 830 images. I thought they turned out great and she loved them. She then asked for a 4x6 proof of every image (she paid for that of course) I went through them before I sent them to her and they looked great. I was very happy with this wedding. The mother of the bride called me and said that they all looked too dark. I don't think that they were. I'm not sure what exactly she wants me to do, I told her that whatever ones she wanted printed I would go back and lighten them up for her.

Any suggestions on a good way to handle this. Here is the link to my blog with some images so you can give me your thoughts. Thanks so much!

Audrey & Collin:: Wedding Bells in Dallas » Melissa Shook Photography

texxter · 07-05-2011, 11:13 PM

Images look pretty good... how about sending her three versions of the same image, printed with different exposures and asking her which one has the "right" brightness in her opinion? Then do a batch exposure change to match her expectations?

janetg · 07-06-2011, 05:49 AM

i don't know how old the MOB is, but often older people have trouble with brightness, it's the beginning stages of cataracts.

i'm not sure i would offer to adjust exposure on all of the images if the bride is happy with them.

if the MOB wants to order prints - i would adjust for her, but not anything she wasn't paying for.

suerenee · 07-06-2011, 08:38 AM

Did you proof them in person with the bride/MOB? It could be her monitor calibration too.

I make sure that my contract states that the couple only gets my edited images. I 2nd shot w/ a friend who had a bride DEMAND all of the images we took from her wedding day regardless of how they looked--it was a nightmare. After that I added the clause into my contract.

I think you did a great job.

BenE · 02:25 PM

Asking about what people on the forum g think about the color or density will have no bearing on what your customer wants or thinks. But for what it is worth, I thought some of the images were a bit dark. However, it is difficult to judge that correctly from online images.

Tommy Scarmardo · 07-06-2011, 09:36 AM

She's probably used to looking at some MWAC's pictures that are completely blown out. You know... "artistic"

Rson · 07-06-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy Scarmardo

She's probably used to looking at some MWAC's pictures that are completely blown out. You know... "artistic"

Hey that is my "art"

1: The images on screen look dead on but she has prints, where were they printed? did you print using their profile?

2: Ask for all 4x6's back, bump the brightness in LR, sync, and print again.

Howard Barlow · 07-06-2011, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenE

... it is never going to be about what they say the problem is...

There are two reasons for everything. The one they give... and the truth.

Tommy Scarmardo · 07-06-2011, 11:55 AM

I put in my contract that once any prints/files leave my studio all bets are off. Some people wil get the proofs, scan/copy them and then want a refund...just sayin

texkam · 07-06-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

I had a client ask me a week before her wedding if she could have all the images from the wedding, edited or not. In my contract I say I provide anywhere from 400-500 edited images and I do not give any originals.

Then the answer would be no. Consider dropping the word edited in your contract. Anything you choose to show/give a client is one of your images. these are the originals. Anythingthing else is just pixels caught by your camera, no different than a test shot of your feet. If a client sees all your camera's captures, inverably they will want one that is OOF or incoreectly exposed and will do one of two things, either want you to make it perfect or just display your poor quality image for all to see.

Quote:

The mother of the bride called me and said that they all looked too dark. I'm not sure what exactly she wants me to do

Sounds to me like she/they wanted all the 4x6's to view as proofs. Now that they are done proofing the MOB is pulling the ol' Walmart routine saying they all looked too dark so they don't have to pay for them.

Who is the client? If the MOB is not the client you shouldn't be dealing with her. Anything that the client paid for print to their satisfaction.

groovyone · 07-06-2011, 01:27 PM

Mark, great point about removing the word edited. That just leaves a big opening to me too.

LWimages · 07-06-2011, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shookphoto

The mother of the bride called me and said that they all looked too dark. I don't think that they were. I'm not sure what exactly she wants me to do, I told her that whatever ones she wanted printed I would go back and lighten them up for her.

I had one customer a long time ago that played this game with me a couple of times and I kind of saw a pattern of the same images.

The next customer that did this to me, I asked them to send back to me the ones that they thought needed a retouch before they receive any modified ones.

Turned out that they just wanted another duplicate and play this game with me.

shookphoto · 07-08-2011, 11:02 AM

Thanks everyone for the great advise. I am waiting to hear back from them. I think I will take out the word "Edited" from my contract. Great point! :)

I printed them from WHCC. The images look spot on from what the online images on my computer looked like. She asked for paper proofs because she has a hard time looking at the computer. I have had several compliments from the grooms mother and several guests that emailed me.

Yes she did order them as proofs to see what she wants printed as enlargements. I did tell her to give me the ones she wants and I will correct them to her likeness.

Thanks again everyone!

texkam · 07-08-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

She asked for paper proofs because she has a hard time looking at the computer.

Did you watermark across the image on the "proofs"? If not, they may have all been scanned and saved by now.

shookphoto · 07-14-2011, 01:44 PM

Well I understand that you can't make everyone happy but really? The MOB called me again last night, she said and I quote said, "There is not one photograph I would frame in my house." That's kind of harsh and I don't really believe that. She is still instisting that they are all too dark. I again told her I would lighten all the images and resend her a disc. If she wanted any images printed then I would make sure they were lightened up for her. I don't really think that the images being dark is the problem. What the heck? I know I'm not one of the high profile wedding photographers in the area but I do know what I'm doing. I was and I still am very confident in the images that I did give her.

I'm just at a loss here on what to do besides give her a new cd and lighten all the images. If the images were blurry or just plain crap then I could understand refunding her money back for the proofs but I don't think they are.