As of yesterday my first interviewees, the ones who enamored me with their video-photo package, have been fired before they were hired. That's right. FIRED! (a moment of silence for mourning)
My dilemma began Saturday night when I called my mother to hatch out the positives and negatives for each of my potentials. While my mother didn't really give me much advice in terms of what to do, she did listen ever so patiently and instead tried to pull out of me what I wanted in terms of pricing and packages.
I stumbled upon the conclusion that I REALLY wanted photographs of me prepping before the ceremony (and preferably FH too, but only if a second photog was included, which would cause the price of the package to go up, since it only included four hours. I also decided that I definitely wanted the engagement session as well, which would be and addition $300. I also concluded that if I was about to drop $2,000 on photos, they better be darn good, to put it nicely. Finally, I knew that our ceremony would be brief with not a whole lot going on afterward, so we could probably cut the videography by two hours.
Their package, originally $1600 would end up costing closer to $2,200, and literally breaking the bank. My mother suggested to that I request to see more photos, so that I could at least sleep at night regarding that, and also try negotiating the price. She also said I should check out their references to be absolutely sure.
I did not sleep well at all waiting for a response (I sent the e-mail about 12:30 am last night). Here is the contents of the e-mail:
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I have some questions:
1. I would really like preparation coverage before the ceremony (of the bride), along with some portrait shots before the ceremony. I am thinking this will add at least 2 more hours of coverage. Is it possible to lessen the videography to only cover two hours so that we can get the two additional hours of photo coverage? We are working with a budget at $2,000 tops for videography/photography, so it is not possible to have both (we would also love to have an engagement session which adds the $250 to the $1,600). We are also willing to spare the just having one copy of the video and the photo DVD if that helps.
2. I would really like to see a couple of your most recent complete contact sheets/proofs, particularly ones using natural lighting. If it is not possible to view a whole shoot on the web, I will be more than happy to meet this Monday morning.
Thanks in advance!
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It doesn't sound pushy does it? Doesn't it sound like a bride who is willing to drop two grand but would just like to know she will receive her money's worth? Doesn't it just sound like someone who hasn't drop two grand on anything in her entire life, especially for pics?
Here is the response:
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Hope you survived the big snow.
here are the answers to your questions.
1. I understand your budget- however We do not split up the time with photos and video. We are both booked for the same amount of time. so if you wanted 2 hours of getting ready- then it would be 6 hours for both. however, i really dont think that 2 hours is necessary. if you are getting ready near the site- then 45 min. of final touches, getting your dress on, and shoes (and 15 min. for us to drive to valley green)- is probably your best bet given your budget. You can get really nice portraits outside at Valley green- which are way nicer than doing inside pictures where there is tons of other things that are often in the background. since your ceremony is at 9:30- you will need to be ready to put your dress on for photos by 8:00 am and remember it will take a couple of hours to do other getting ready things like hair and makeup- which really dont make that great of pictures.
but we can give you a discount for engagement photos and do them for $200 instead of $250. and it doesnt save us money by giving only 1 copy of a DVD.
2. as far as giving you "proofs" to see- i dont make proofs remember- i give everyone all 800-1000 fully edited high resolution, high image quality image on a DVD. I feel like there are tons of pictures using "natural lighting" -aka- "outside" on the gallerey on the website, the blog, and the samples i did have with me when we met. If you want you can go to my picassa site- (i emailed you a link) and that has some of the sample folders of pictures i send to couples while they are waiting for everything to be done. so that you know- i always think that outside pictures are the nicest and turn out the best. it is the inside lighting that is more difficult. but you cant control all of the elements no matter what outside (there can be shade areas, sun spots). this is not a photo shoot that has all the lighting artificially done even for "natural lighting" photos. so i feel, with the picassa album, that this should be suffient.
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I know it is always hard to tell in writing a person's tone, but an already antsy-anxious-doubtful bride can easily be driven off the deep end. This e-mail developed numerous red flags for me.
Red Flag #1
You don't split services? Umm...okay. I did have an interview with them, explained how small our guest list was, explained we are not going to have a "typical" reception by any means, and that there wouldn't be a whole lot to photograph OR video tape after the ceremony, which would probably last all of 30 minutes or less. So either you suck as a photog and use your husband to back you up with video, or he needs endless video to make a decent DVD. On top of that, why would you try to upsell me to the $2,200 package when I clearly don't need six hours of video. Seriously?
Red Flag #2
"I understand your budget..." um, hello, if you "really" understood my budget you'd honor your "we are willing to work within any budget" slogan on your website and in your brochure, particularly in a bad economy. Also, it wasn't like I was offering less than what their original package was. I was trying to negotiate the higher price.
Red Flag #3
"since your ceremony is at 9:30- you will need to be ready to put your dress on for photos by 8:00 am and remember it will take a couple of hours to do other getting ready things like hair and makeup." No s&%# sherlock. I was very much insulted. DUH! Any major event in a lady's life will take MAJOR prep time. I hate when people assume you are naive because you are young AND meek.
Red Flag #4
"...getting ready things like hair and makeup- which really don't make that great of pictures." FYI, I have seen PLENTY of portfolios that include these shots, and I happen to love them. What, is she afraid of portrait shots or something? And wait a minute––if I am willing to pay for these shots, why would you deter me?
Red Flag #5
"...we can give you a discount for engagement photos and do them for $200 instead of $250." WOW a whopping $50 off of $2,200. BRAVO!
Red Flag #6
"and it doesnt save us money by giving only 1 copy of a DVD." Mind you I only included this line in my original e-mail in an attempt to negotiate and express that I am will to sacrifice other things to get what I really want.
Red Flag #7
"as far as giving you "proofs" to see- i dont make proofs remember." Notice I also used the word "contact sheet." A real photographer would know that I am basically asked to see an entire reel of photos from specific couple to see how the photog's overall work is, not just their "best" shots that are selected with bias.
Red Flag #8
"I feel like there are tons of pictures using "natural lighting" -aka- "outside" on the gallerey on the website, the blog, and the samples i did have with me when we met." Umm...yeah. Most of the her photos, even the new ones she sent to me used flash (I could clearly see it in the photos) OR equally as bad, were all over exposed (too bright, which is and EASY fix with photoshop that I can even do!).
And she does go on to say: "[these are] sample folders of pictures i send to couples while they are waiting for everything to be done," but my question is, why don't you have a similar feature like that on your website of edited pics? And why are your "edited" pictures still SO over exposed even in the sunlight?
So it either means:
A. she really doesn't know what natural lighting is
B. she is not a REAL photog
C. she doesn't know how to change the settings on her camera
D. she doesn't know how to make a two- seconds fix in Photoshop to adjust the over exposure
E. All of the above.
And what takes the cake about this line is that she really didn't show a whole lot of samples in person––it was mainly a photo book of her sister-in-law's wedding, which again, the lighting was horrible. Plus she mentioned doing 50 or so weddings. Fifty weddings, yet all of the photos I've seenare "sufficient" which she says at the end of the e-mail.
Red Flag #9
"If you want you can go to my picassa site- (i emailed you a link)." The quickest way to piss off a potential or actual client is to not follow through. She hadn't e-mailed me the link. I did receive it five minutes later, but after reading the e-mail, anything would push me over the edge.
Red Flag #10
"so that you know- i always think that outside pictures are the nicest and turn out the best. it is the inside lighting that is more difficult. but you cant control all of the elements no matter what outside (there can be shade areas, sun spots)." Sounds like a lame excuse. A real photog deals with the elements. DUH!
Conclusion
Me: Thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately we are going to go with another photographer.
Her: Thanks for your time.That's ok. I don't think my style is what you are looking for. Good luck.
Umm...okay. If "style" translates into being an actual photog, then okay.
I could have been mean. I could have been rude. I could have be down right nasty. But I decided to keep it sweet and short.
So why I am SO livid? Because I was actually willing to pay these people, and still would have gone with them had I not felt shut-out. I may have even nixed the videography and just gone with the photography, which was much more affordable. I just hate people who make excuses and don't try to work with you at all. If she had offered up other suggestions on working something out, I would have been more than willing, particularly since I was willing to have a second meeting. Maybe they are just greedy and would prefer a higher paid client. I hope they get what they ask for. It drives me nuts when you try to give business owners your business and they fail miserably in their approach to serve you.
When I talked to my mother, she confirmed that the semi-rude (I'm trying to be nice) e-mail could have been because she was "insulted" that I requested to see more pics. But what real photog doesn't like to brag and brag about their great work––unless they don't have any.
Again, I am not the average bear when it comes to liking photography, but I recognize what rocks and what doesn't, even if you are on a budget. And for the record, there are a good amount of photogs out there (though minus the video) that offer excellent packages that include more hours of coverage, an engagement session, and in some cases a second photog.
Brides beware. Don't get caught up in the BS just because you feel pressured to book. I am glad that I waited patiently and used common sense and gut-judgment instead of dropped $2,000 sporadically on a "wannabe."
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