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Trouble with bride

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BY not giving the files, the couple will need to keep going back to the photgrapher for anything needy on the image. I do not mean to imply one should sold off the Right to the image. What I am saying is consider royalty free release for the image files to be used by the couples for their private use.

In the long term, as I've put it, Print based only business model is not going to go down the time being welcomed by customers. Time changes. In fact as I know it, many coupe would not even consider hiring a photographetr who would not furnish neg or files.

Copyright is one thing, but what the concern here is whether one ackowledge the new type of thinking along the customer's line. For me its a no brainer, since there is not much in any extra print business anyway. So I just contract the deal with that in mind.

--
  • Franka -
 
fatbastid said:
Yes, it is getting worse
I had agreed to do a wedding for her friend, now the friend says
she might cancel if I do not hand over the images. This is
blackmail!!

Not only that, the friend says that my prices are too high for
prints. 75 dollars for an 8 by 10 is a pretty good price.
Click to expand...
One has to be open clear when working with clients. I am sure you explained what her package would be and the ala carte prices of extras. It would be put on the contract or price sheet you gave her when she hired her.

So you just need to give what she contracted for. Be gracious and ask if she would like anything else for the price mentioned earlier.

As for her friends wedding, you will have a contract with her also. She can agree or not agree and move on. Same with you. If you dont' want to do the wedding for the price on the contract then decline and book another client.

Wedding photography is a win win situation. The client gets wonderful images, albums or prints and you get money.

dave
 
let's say that Copyright is "the thing". Not a concept to be discussed (lightly). It can be waived under rare and unique circumstances but not on a regular basis.

Personally I do aknowledge that there are amateurs (and some professional) giving just the files. The first because prints do cost, the second because they don't see where this practice will bring.

A bride will select the photographer and videographer not really because of the availability of the negatives or raw files.. I still don't understand your point in all this.
 
I now not why you are bugging me. Just need to know some answers. I is sure that you went thru the same learner curve.
--
A true pro is something to aspire to!
 
I think your entire profile is a scam, from selling Amway to shooting five weddings and aiming for the Lincoln Towncar. Your repeated insistence that $75 for an 8x10 is "very reasonable" and claims that the client leaves messages repeatedly, not to mention your previous posts declaring "good riddence" is just further indication that you are trolling. Frankly, I don't know why you're wasting your time and ours. Nor do I understand why you haven't yet been banned for forum abuse.
--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net
 
Ok, more like 22.

1. Most people know me as fat bastid. I chose a different name for my business for obvious reasons.

2. Is Tampon 28-75 any good?

3. Best way to start a wedding business? How do you get started for $1000 or less? Including training videos, etc. How much will it cost me?

4. Also, someone said that it is easier to start on second weddings, or gay weddings, because they are less demanding. Any truth to that?

5. A friend of mine is both a photographer and a dime store minister. He got is minister's certificate for $35 from some company in ohio. He was going to upgrade to a bishop for another $10. Now he does both the pictures and the vows.

6. Get a Lens Baby II. Best lens on the market!

7. Front Focus =-1.0 * Backfocus / Cos FL * ATan Aperature

8. This Kompany is going out of business. They are going Kaput! They made bad cameras that nobody bought. People are giving these cameras away like day old bread at the supermarket. Those lenses are cheapers too! They have really bad boquet.

9. How many drinks is it Ok for a wedding photog to have while working? Is it ok to whet your whistle every now and then?

10. How to photograph a sunset: one thing i just learned is to turn the camera upside down, then hold it against your forehead. You press the shutter with your thumb.

11. Re: Got the 17-55 2.8 IS - how should I test it? Turn the camera and lens upside down, and take a picture of the ceiling. Step back, and do it again at each fstop. Please post the pictures when done.

12. Cruise Photography: Bring a 100-400, and take some pictures of bimbos.

13. You can't use IS on a boat. It will blur your shots.

14. I had a situation last week where the mother of the bride got very drunk, and is obviously so in a lot of pictures. She now is mad at me for capturing her in that state. I will delete the solo shots of her, but how bout the ones in group shots.

15. Wrap the camera in duck tape if it is too small

16. I have shot 5 weddings so far, so I am now a pro! I would never use [Sony A100] for weddings. It looks very unprofessional.

17. I have now shot 5 weddings and love it. Just walk into any wedding in a church and start firing away. That is how I learned. Nobody even questions you if you dress the part. One tip is to carry a big photo bag, even if it has nothing in it. This makes everyone think you are a pro.

18. I did: 1 wedding for free, 3 weddings for $800 each, 1 gay wedding for $500. I am starting to see some real money now.

19. Shoot pics for free, then tighten the screws for prints. It gets you in the door, then you can nail them for large amounts of money.

20. There are so many customers out there that I don't worry about repeats. I like to trick them into a lowball package, then hit them hard on the prints.

21. As a pro, I am not willing to give up my secrets. Best of luck, buddy!

22. Tell them that you will be deleting the files in two weeks so they need to get them right away. This usually works great, and gains you repeat customers.

--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net
 
it makes no difference to me. I respond with information that the OP can use or others can use. If the OP can't use it then he can look elswhere or ask again. If he thinks he is hoodwinking me that is his problem.

I am here to help (I have 37 years of photo experience) and to get help as I am always learning.

dave
 
Dave,

Admirable sentiment and worth honoring.

The downside is 1) the questions are often meaningless and 2) the guy actually gives advice here as well. It's kind of frightening to contemplate who might hire him, given his abusive attitude towards customers.

Maybe it's all a cosmic internet joke and we're caught up in a "punked" moment...
--
jrbehm
http://web.mac.com/jrbehm/iWeb/Site/Truchas,%20NM.html
 
lol -- all taken from his posts!

This is so unbelievable that it can't even be a troll. Maybe a troll trying too hard to be funny?

Maybe fatbastid is seeing how many people he can reel-in per day. It's kinda funny now, it's so absurd.

--
dpreview & pbase supporter
http://www.pbase.com/digirob
 
I had remembered only a couple of his posts specifically until I started looking at all the threads, and then the memories came pouring back! I'm just so embarassed it took six months to put it all together.
--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net
 
Well lets see how one can assert the situation
  • we all accept that the Copyright is ours the photographer. In fact even the wedding couples do accept that. Well at least all the one I know do. That is not to be taken lightly as you've mentioned. And nobody questioning that
  • On the other hand, the new thinking of the couple is that the image produced is a product of the contracted work. So the real essense of the issue is whether the couple see it as service rendered or service for hire. As of today, many believe the Photogrpaher to be a craftsman and that his/her art and craft of his/her work is the reason for hiring the individual. That is mostly the case ( if we discount price concern )
  • Though then, both print only based business model & print+file business model do not violate both of the above. Customers and couples sees the file as a product of the craft just as the print are, and they demand the image in such format for their own use. They see print only business model as a way a photogrpher lock the customer into a no choice situation ( they must get print from the said photographer ). So they would either be asking for it or find a photographer who have no problem with this manner of business. They see the way print pnly based model as a negative ( whether the photgrapher might agree or not ). They do not see a reason why files cannot be furnished ( and fairly speaking, very few weak ones ). As I've put it before, they've contracted a dal for the craftsman to tailor a product, they expect to get that product.
As many wedding photogrpher puts it, clients hire them for their work and skill, and if that's true, then what we have to examine ( from a business point of view ) is customer expectation and customer need had change and if we are willing to meet the challenge. What I am saying is Copyright is not even a matter in concern here. Its whether one ackwledge this customer side of the business and what might be done to meet it. I know this kind of business model had never seem to be popular in the state, but its not a new occurance either; in many part of Asia dn Europe in fact its the norm rather than the exception. And in certain part of UK and Asia, in fact its by law that the couple would be furnished such as the law do not recognize the photographer as doing anything but Work for Hire ( with legal background to substain that too ). Many studio and photographer had in the past ( and still are ); sort of; sidelien the issue by offering the neg / fiels after a set certain period of time ( say a couple of years ) but as it is today customers / couples are increasingly seeing this as not an bonus option to the package but a negatove again. What they see is there should be options for them to have it right away !

--
  • Franka -
 
given the fact that the originals are my property what's the difference between having the originals and not having the originals? You can order a print by the phone and I'll give it to you. What's the problem?

ohhh, maybe you mean they want to print by themselves? no.. that I can't do. Besides I need to check on the quality of the printers and everything, and that alone takes time (for me to make sure they use a good service and everything..) It takes time and energy on my part and that's not what I do for a living (checking on others print quality, I have enough problems checking on my own print quality..go figure if I want to spend my time on somebody else's work...) . Beside that, I can't allow my work to be manipulated or printed cheap, or even on some in-house inkjet.

Can't do that.. sorry. They did pay me for the service, and that's what I'm going to give to them.

they can shoot their wedding by themselves and then do whatever they need to do with the files. But if you call a pro then you get first class material. Prints, beautiful prints, out of this world prints and albums, beautiful albums, out of this world albums and so on. That's what we do. If not it's something else, not a photography business.

Some do offer the files only to be printed by "suggested" labs. I find it dangerous but my colleagues do check on the quality of the lab first: that again will be part of the job. I disagree but at least it will be under some sort of control. But dangerous, in the long run. (and even in the short one)
 
fatbastid said:
Anyone know what to do?

I have a bride that keeps hounding me for her image files. I gave
her the 800 by 600 ones, but she keeps asking me for the full size
ones. I have told her that I will print them for her whenever she
needs a picture. Prices are reasanable, like $75 for an 8 by 10.

How can I get this bride off of my back? Every day there are more
calls on my answering machine.
Click to expand...
By giving her files?
fatbastid said:
I hate to give over the files, because then they never have to come
back.
Click to expand...
Wasn't that what you wanted?

--
Anders

Some of my pictures can be seen at;
http://teamexcalibur.se/US/usindex.html

event photography and photo journalism
 
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