how to complain about a photographer in dumfries

Scotsbride

Wedding photo are one thing you get to take away from the wedding and I'm not happy with mine. I did go though recommendations and check 3 albumns carefully for things such as focus, people looking in the right direction and composer of shots.having had to wait 6 week for them 2 weeks (first told the 22nd oct, then the week of 29th when in in person only to be told the following thursday) longer than agreed in the contract! I expect better than a cheap disc in a plastic wallet complete with scratches and finger prints obviously thrown together at the last moment. the photos are in both b&W and Colour the B&W being duplicates of the colour. the photos in some instances have bit of signs, part of cars and fire exstingusers inthem which could of easily been crop out. We received little direction on where and how to stand and the group shots are missing at least 7 people that nearly a fifth of our guests those that where in shot half them are hidden behind people! and to cap it all shot of me coming up the asile are rubbish! As a way of compensation for waiting so long we were suppose to receive an extra disc with photos the first disc had nothing on it so rang up no answer. so unannouced on monday went in person the receptionist who is the only one who has a clue rang the photographer whilst I was there. should of received the extra disc tuesday recorded delivery. it now wednesday still no disc! also photo are ment to be online they lied about there being a problem with uploading as I've seen other albums uploaded !so angry:mad: anyone good at writing letter of complait or advise on what to do now. have emailed them asking for a date when the photo will be online! in the process of burning a extra disc myself as it will be quicker so I can get the photos out to our parents to see!

Roz_V

Awww no Scotsbride, I'm so sorry to hear this.

About two weeks after our photos went online we realised there were no pictures of my mum & dad on their own. I mentioned it to the photographer who I think was more upset about it than I was (there's a lovely shot of me with M&D so it didn't bother me too much) and offered us a couple of free prints as compensation.

It does sound like you've given the photographer the option to put it right in the first instance though and got nowhere, so I guess the next step would be to put your concerns in writing to them. I'm sure someone will be along shortly with some better advice... In fact, I think I remember a thread a little while ago where somebody had similar issues and another user wrote a template letter to send to the photographer... Maybe have a search back and see? Sorry I know it's a bit vague...

gadgeteer_2

Hi Scots

Sorry to hear you don't like your wedding photos. Firstly I think you need to be very specific as to what it is you are unhappy.

So for example firstly you'd be perfectly within your rights to complain about the 2 week delay. If it says in the contract 4 weeks and it took him 6 then that's breach of contract. Ditto with the failure to deliver a second disc as agreed and put them online.

The quality of presentation will depend upon what you paid. Presentation DVD cases are ridiculously priced. I've looked into them and felt they were not worth the money. Especially not for what I charge my customers.

The B&W duplicates of colour photos is quite a common thing though and whilst personally I don't simply duplicate every single photo and convert to B&W, I have seen a fair few photographers who do. Personally I think it just looks lazy. Not all photos look good in B&W so why convert them all?

The ones I usually deliver B&W are edited and I do also include the colour too.

The photos where you believe he should have cropped items out, that bit is harder to comment upon without having seen the pictures. Firstly those items were there so he could argue that he was there to document the day and those items were there so it's a fair reflection. Again, how much editing you can reasonably expect depends a lot on how much you paid too. For example if I paid £150 for someone to shoot my wedding, I don't think I could reasonably expect him to spend all day shooting my wedding then another 20 hours to edit 500 photos. But if I have paid £1500.......

Group shots are notoriously tricky and every wedding photographer hates them with a passion. They are however a necessary evil. Getting 40-100+ people to stand in an often small, not ideal area, look the same way, smile and not block each other is often nigh on impossible. As for the missing 7, why were they not there? My argument here would be that if everyone else knew there was a group shot then why didnt the 7? If they had wandered off then the photographer cannot be held responsible for that.

What didn't you like about the aisle shots? Can you be specific?

Lastly check your contract. There hopefully should be a section in there about complaints. But the first step should be to document exactly what you are unhappy about and send it via recorded delivery so he can't claim he didn't get it.

Hope that helps

Scotsbride

In the process of writing to them again wondered how this sounded.

Common Law inScotland



On 29th September2012, you did the following work: Take and produce an edited CD of Weddingphoto from bridal prep to when evening guests arrive. Also we were assured thatphoto would also be available to view on an online gallery at a cost of £500.



We agreed this workwould be completed by 26th October 2012.



However, I have hadthe following problems:



1) the work was notcarried out by 26th October 2012. A revised date was then agreed to of 2ndNovember 2012. It was not until 9th November 2012 that we received our photos

2) By means ofcompensation we were suppose to receive a second disc with the photos on it.This was found to be blank. On 12th November I went in to your shop in personand was told that the disc would be sent to us recorded delivery and we shouldreceive it on 13th November2012. We have yet to receive it.

3) The photos havenot been put in an online gallery despite several telephone calls, visit inperson and email to resolve this issue.

4) Photos were to beedited. In some of the formal shots enclosed there are object that should havebeen cropped out. Photos enclosed with areas clearly marked.



According to the lawnamed above, I am entitled to have this work done in a reasonable time.



I expect to receivethe second disc and have the photos available to view online by 29th November2012.



Please respond to mycomplaint/complete the work in the next 14 days. If you fail to respond/remedyin this time, I will have no option but to consider taking the matter further.

Scotsbride

now got it sorted and satified with the outcome all good now!