View Full Version : Beware of evil photographers :-)
Much to my delight I went and chose my wedding photos to put in my album last week.
However I never realised just how expensive it could be.
I paid for a package which totalled $1950.
That covered $750 for the photographers fee and left us $1200 credit to spend on our album.
However once I get their I found out that the album (without photos in it) cost $660.
Then each photo is priced individually in 3 sizes ranging from small, medium and large and ranged in price from $32 each to $50 each.
My album is 20 pages and by the time I had put some photos on each page not only had I used my $1200 credit but I owed him another $3990 :banghead:
I could not believe they have the nerve to charge that much and I was so stupid to pay it!
There were so many photos I tried to narrow them down but if I had narrowed it down even more I would have been cutting out valuable photos of our wedding.
Maybe I'm just gullable but I never read anything about it being so expensive in his fine print!!!
Has anyone else gotten a rude shock when they thought they were paying for something only to find out that it's not quite what they make out it is?
$660 for JUST the album! Holy hell!
What a ripoff! You poor thing :(
oleander
16-04-2007, 10:22
I would refuse to pay $660 for an album. I'd tell him where he can stick it.
Yes, this is how a lot of photographers really make their money. I know it doesn't help you now, but I chose a photographer who was willing to give us the negatives afterwards (there are a few out there), and I just went to a normal photo shop and had all my photos/enlargements done really cheaply. He charged $1000 to take the photos, and one full set of 5x7 photos (in a box - about 200 photos). Then I just bought my own album and got my own additional copies made.
Bewitched
16-04-2007, 10:34
$660 for JUST the album! Holy hell!
What a ripoff! You poor thing :(
My thoughts exactly :yes:
I would be writing to him... and saying that although you paid and are happy with the prints, you are not impressed that the possible cost was not outlined for you beforehand (e.g. approx package costs, standard fee for taking pics at least).
To rub salt in the wound i would be saying that word of mouth is the best advertising and sadly in this case you don't feel it fair to refer any of your friends or family to him knowing they could be up for high costs without prior warning/consultation. Just a thought..
OMG you poor thing.What a rip off!!You shouldnt have to narrow down photos of your special day.Thats so sad.We are using Michelle Ward,shes lovely.The deluxe package is only $1100,I cant remember how many pics we get tho,but its alot plus we get all the negatives.We were given a beautiful album for our engagement so we are just going to use that.
I would be taking it further,photos and memories are all you have after the day.
I am working towards being a photographer, and have developed quite a large network of friends who are pro photographers already. All of them freely admit they make the majority of their money from prints, not the session fee.
Like many will quote about $150 for a 3 hr portrait session or $1500 for a wedding, but it will cost the client at least twice that in the end.:shame:
At the moment my idea is to give my clients a cd/dvd with all photos from the shoot, that'll be included in the session fee, and they can print whatever, whenever, wherever. Heaps of places print photos cheap! If they want I can print high quality images in any size, provide high quality albums etc (already have sourced a lab) but that'll be at extra charge.
Any comments on wether you guys think that's a good plan or not or any advice would be very welcome but pm me, I don't want to take over this thread!:o
Milliner
16-04-2007, 11:32
OMG!!!! I can't believe how much that cost you. What a rip off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did u keep the contract you signed with him? Or did u sign one? If u did see if that was even stated.
My photographer made us a "mock album" with about 30 EXTRA photos in it which would have cost us a bundle, but I quickly took them all out :laughing: much to his dismay im sure.
That sounds just ridiculous! If it wasnt stated in the contract or you feel he didnt make that clear maybe contact DOFT. It doesnt seem fair at all :no:
Goodluck.
SorenLorensen
16-04-2007, 22:44
as someone who has worked in an industrie that offers services to weddings i can tell you why it was soooo much....
the word wedding, you can expect to pay more as soon as that word is involved. and engagment, that gets the price up too.
i think it is wrong, and thank hevans so did my bosses. some of the things i have heard is just stupid.
just 1 example
my bosses son was having an engagment party, his now DW rang to hire a tent thing-a-ma-bob, they quoted about $5000, he rufused and rang again 3 days later and said he needed it for his little brothers 16th, the price......$1500. same tent, just for a different use :shame:
it is stupid people play on the importance of the event.
Frazzled
16-04-2007, 22:49
our photography cost a bomb (abour $3000 fom memory???) but for us it was worth every penny. We didnt spend much on other things but we have these stunning photos and an amazign album to treasure our memories forever! We had amazing photographers!
I'm completely gobsmacked that your wedding photos and photographer is costing you nearly $6000! :eek:
That's extortion!
Certainly makes the $750 we paid for our photography package (package was photographer for 6 hrs plus 150 photos, and all our negs!) a drop in the ocean! Admittedly, we did get married nearly 10yrs ago.
Hearing this kind of stuff make me very thankful that we got married when we did, and frightens the life out of me about how much a wedding for DD might cost!
MummyCharmzy
17-04-2007, 09:27
omg thats ridiculous!!
One of DF's cousins is a wedding photographer and has offered to do it all for free and then put it all on cd and print one standard size each and then the rest is up to us.... saving us a small fortune it seems!
I'd really be complaining to the photographer about it, they should have made it clear from the get-go what the prices were!
We didn't sign any kind of contract with him.
Unfortunately the thing is he takes the most beautiful wedding pictures I have ever seen.
The only other things I get with my album is :
A book with all the shots he took on the day in tiny size - like a small sticker.
A DVD of all the photos which will no doubt have a copyright protection on them so I can't print them out - mind you my husband works in the computer industry so that is easily fixed :devil6:
Plus I get a 20 x 24" photo of my choice for the wall - however no frame with it I have to frame the bloody thing myself.
Oh and let's not forgot his assistant on the day of the wedding who did nothing more than stand there with a big white sheet for 'lighting purposes'.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Dangerkitty
24-05-2007, 16:22
Was this guy a popular photographer? As in does he have lots of clients and all that? I find that most big name photogs take the liberty to do this. It is sad, and you think you are getting a good deal. I am a photographer myself and make sure that all of my clients know upfront the total cost. If i make a mistake and see that it's going to cost more, I eat the cost. But not everyone will.
Just for the record, professional prints don't cost more than 30 bucks for 1 unless it's massive poster size and on a canvas! That is ridiculous!!
So sorry you had to go through that!!:thumbsdown:
Was this guy a popular photographer? As in does he have lots of clients and all that? I find that most big name photogs take the liberty to do this. It is sad, and you think you are getting a good deal. I am a photographer myself and make sure that all of my clients know upfront the total cost. If i make a mistake and see that it's going to cost more, I eat the cost. But not everyone will.
Just for the record, professional prints don't cost more than 30 bucks for 1 unless it's massive poster size and on a canvas! That is ridiculous!!
So sorry you had to go through that!!:thumbsdown:
I'm a photographer too and I operate in the same way. I'm honest and upfront about it all. I lay my cards on the table and I treat every client how I would like to be treated. The whole reason I started my own business was because I was so sick and tired of 'professionals' taking advantage of those who weren't in the know. All of my packages include a cd-rom of all images from the day. That's standard.
I'm sorry you've been treated this way. Given that you didn't sign a contract I don't know where you stand. Possibly try the Ombudsman and make a formal complaint. They can see if there's anything that can be done.
Good luck! :thumbsup:
Bellas_mummy
24-05-2007, 19:43
You poor thing, that is just soooo expensive. i am starting to worry now about ours. We got married 2 months ago and our package was $3000 and that included $1600 towards an album. I have placed my order for the album and forgot that it could be more, it is in the process of being 'hand made' now. I am stressing because i have chosen 92 photos for it. In retrospect i am really suprised that my photographer didnt go over the cost with me before placing the order. I hope i dont have a big suprise like you!!!!!
On the plus side, at least you love the photos!!!
Wow!
We paid about $500! We couldn't afford any more than that at the time. This was only for a sitting though and an album of proofs and a framed photo. We then had a credit to use. A good deal and all we wanted. :D
My brother paid $10,000 :eek: for his wedding photographer. He stayed the whole day! They then got enough photos to share with the wedding party (which was huge).
antonkelly
24-05-2007, 20:12
As a photographer, all I can do is apologise for this mans behaviour, that is terrible! To not make it clear what the costs are upfront is wrong in any industry, and to not have a contract is very unprofessional. For that money I would expect a disc of all files, fully edited and at very least a frame for your large 'free' print.
Anyone else, looking for a photographer for your wedding, please contact me, as I know a few photographers in different states, who all take fabulous photos and are a HEAP cheaper, and I think most of their packages involve the disc of images (some of them that is the whole 'package', a disc of edited pro files).
Cheers,
Kelly.
As a photographer myself, that is disgusting, I mean yes you should of read the small fine print before you signed, but they bank on you trusting them and screw you over. Lesson learned.
I hate how people do that it wrecks it for everyone.
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