Disappointing engagement photos - part 2, need advice

I would personally choose a different company altogether, perhaps someone independent and not a random person from a collection of photographers from one company. When you look for someone check out their previous wedding photos to see if you like then and the quality of the images and use that as a guide. I hope you find someone you are happy with, these pictures are too important to be dissatisfied with. A friend of mine was married last year and has said her biggest regret was that her photos were not of a good quality. It isn't a event you can easily recreate to get better shots later.

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Would you walk away from $1K deposit? This is the part that's keeping me from just bailing and looking for someone new... it's a lot of money to just abandon... and I don't foresee them giving it back.

View Quoted Comment Yes, typically a deposit is supposed to help cover their time and expenses if you choose to walk away. With a large deposit like that, I would imagine they retain more unhappy clients because people aren’t able to or willing to loose such a large sum. If you’re able to loose the deposit and start over I would do so. In addition I would definitely discuss with the company your disappointments.

View Quoted Comment Oh wow, yeah that is a lot of money. Maybe see what the company says about you being disappointed in ths current photos and also check your contract for clauses that say you can break it if you are not happy with the services they provided. Personally though I would forgo the money if I find soneone better, but that is because for me other than marrying my FH the photos and video are the next highest priority. We are doing our own videography to save money. Another thing uouvcan look at to save money and still get great photos is to check out schools for photography students. I know a guy here who started out doing wedding photography either in his last year of high school, or first year of collage. He has impressive work. He began this with people he knew first to get the initial portfolio. See if that is a possibility for you.

Wow that's a tough one. I agree after looking at the photos you posted they are subpar, and 100% not something I would expect given the price you're paying. You look beautiful but the posing, composition, lighting, etc. is so not professional. It's strange to me that a studio would schedule a shoot for midday with harsh sun. That is never going to be flattering light. I am just a hobby photographer and even I know that.

I would definitely call and complain to the studio. See if they will give you your deposit back. If not, see if they will redo the engagement session with a different photographer for free. If you like those photos better--great! If they won't do anything to remedy the situation, I would eat the 1k deposit and post honest reviews of your experience on every website I could find.

So sorry this happened. Good luck!

Unfortunately, in my experience, this is what happens when you contract with a studio that then assigns a photographer rather than going with an independent photographer. It just seems that subpar photogs and beginners work for the studios and their talent just isn't there. I would be explicit with your complaints to the manager and ask for a different photographer. Then, cross your fingers that you get better photos. After all that, you leave honest reviews to warn off future couples.

I would ask for a reshoot with a different photographer. You are unhappy with your results and need to know that another photographer will work well with you.

I would definitely speak to the studio and ask for a reshoot of the engagement photos with a different photographer. Maybe compare them to what you were shown and show them that this is not what was advertised. Also, if you happen to have paid by credit card maybe you can dispute it with the credit card to get your deposit back.

I'm sorry you aren't happy with your photos :-( I'm a photographer and always want to do everything I can to make my customers happy. Once you received the rest of the photos and looked through them and determined you're only slightly happy with *some* of them, it's a sign that is not the right photography company for you. I'm not a fan of studios/companies that have multiple photographers and you don't know whose work you're viewing and you're uncertain of who will be photographing your day. If you want to try to stick with that company (so you don't lose your deposit), I would ask for a new photographer AND request his/her name AND request to see full galleries/wedding albums from that photographer. It's super important to view full galleries and albums by the person who's photographing your day, so you have an accurate idea of what you'll be receiving. If the company refuses to give you a set answer on who will be photographing or refuses to provide full galleries/albums, I recommend taking the loss (of the retainer/deposit) and hiring someone new. It would suck to lose the deposit; however, photos are all you have left (besides a spouse) from your wedding day - you want to have beautiful memories to remember it by!

I would say check the contract first , consider if you honestly believe the studio will be able to offer the quality of pictures you hope for and go from there . If the answer is no ( you lost all hope from the company) check in your contract if you’re allowed some form or reimbursement and use that to fund a differently company as the real concern is what you want for yor wessing day picture . If you would feel okay with allowing the studio to offer another photo shoot with a different photographer go that route . Best of luck !

I wonder if the company would let you put the deposit towards something else. Like a family portrait session at some point. So you could hire a new photographer for the wedding and still use your money for something.

I'd just choose a different photographer all together. We almost settled for a photographer who was sub-par and a little pricey because we couldn't find better photos for a similar price.

I'd see if you can get the deposit back but even if you can't I wouldn't risk wedding photos I hated over a little money.

Low and behold we held out and found someone who takes amazing photos and was reasonable because they've only been doing weddings for a year or two. My best piece of advice is to find someone who takes beautiful photos always. Our photographer has an impressive feed on Instagram and his portfolio really shows his editing style well to where it almost looks like his technique is not only in the photos but also the post-editing as well. Good luck, OP.

So sorry to hear about that awful experience! I would definitely read the contract first. Those big photography companies have to have some sort of clause in them when you aren’t given the choice to choose your photographer in the first place. They probably would give you another person and another engagement shoot but do call the company first. I wouldn’t engage the first photographer ever again though. Most likely, they are keeping your deposit so see if you can get another shoot out of them. If not, then walk away and choose an individual photographer. Look at all their work, when speaking to them ask them to send you a couple of complete photo shoots of engagement and wedding (so you can see both settings) and not just the beautiful gallery pics they choose to post on their website.

It might be more pricey but this is my number one priority and it’s not something you can ever recreate or get back...
I also looked into companies and there were 2 that seemed professional and reasonable: Classical Photographers and George Street. I also saw based on the wedding wire reviews that they were good. That’s where I started my search.
Good luck!

I would walk away from this company, even if I lost my deposit (assuming you can afford to). Photos will last longer than everything else you purchase for your wedding day, they should be perfect.

Honestly, I would walk away from the 1k deposit if you can find a way to cut elsewhere and fit it into your budget. I personally view photography as one of the most important vendors since pictures will be one of the few things you’ll have after your day to look back on. As PP have mentioned, unfortunately this is the quality many experience when going through a studio vs. independent photographers. I’d suggest searching for independent photographers and requesting full wedding albums to view, not just the best images they choose to display on their website or blog. This will give you a full understanding of the quality of work you can expect.