Just need to tell someone

How crap! it is important that you are happy with your togs work before the big day! i don't know much about photography, but maybe if you were able to flash them some toga could explain if it was dodgy lighting etc and give their professional opinion of them

Hi Cola ... i cant flash them as i cant copy them from the site (and i wouldnt name and shame at this point) it is 100% the harsh lighting as i look washed out , even the top i was wearing looks loads paler than it actually is! i just hope he agrees when i point it out to him , that they are awful ... what worries me is i would have thought he would know that being a professional tog ?

I would agree that in order to help it would be best to see. we generally know how a picture was taken and how we would have taken it differently.

With your top though, (depending on light) if it is made especially with man made materials will always apear slightly different in the pictures (darker, Lighter, slightly different shade of colours)

The rest of the faults would need to be seen

I hope you get it resolved and everything corrected.

Are you able to printscreen the website and save the pictures that way?

Or send Greenleaf a link via private message. That way you are not naming and shaming anyone just seeking advice.

Really hope you get it sorted soon. x

You are right to be worried if a professional photographer is taking photos like that. It sounds to me like he set something up wrong. Either the lighting or his camera or both.

What would really worry me is that he had all the time in the world to set things up right at a pre shoot. How would he cope on your wedding day when he must surely only have seconds and one chance to get everything set right when he is taking the photos?

Is he a a professional photographer?

Was this done in a studio or out and about? Not that it matters it's just you mentioned harsh lighting.

Hi ... I'm still stressing ... Yes he is a professional tog , and the shoot was done in the local woods. He is coming back tonight to do a re shoot , and we will discuss it when he puts them on his laptop after he has reshot , in our presence.

Meanwhile i have sought advice from another tog (how i wish i had hired him) he has steered me in the right direction in regard to what questions to ask etc tonight. He is also penciled in to take over as he had a cancellation for my wedding day (2 weeks yikes !) if i decide to ditch our man.

I do have wedding insurance , hopefully , i may be able to claim something back if it goes this way.

Thanks guys for your advice and comments , i really needed them so close to my day, as if im not stressed enough ! (and my darn ticker dosnt work :-)

I will keep you updated on the outcome , i am hoping tog no 1 has sorted his act out to avoid any further stress !

I'm afraid I have NOTHING useful to add for the photographer problem, but with the ticker, try pressing the 'HTML' button before you paste the code for your ticker. Should sort it.

I wish I could be more reassuring, but what worries me is that I've only had two friends get married, and both of them ended up with awful photos.

With the one, the photos are just as you described. She's an Irish friend who had the most wonderful, elborate dress that her gran made for her. It was covered with stitch work all over, with traditional celtic patterns, and the dress was white and so was the stitching which kept it subtle. not sure I liked it myself, but the craftsmanship that had gone into it was plain to see and was amazing.

Anyway, in every single one of her photo, the dress is just a white blob, you cannot see any of that detail at all. They are just all too bright, and the dress extra so. In the photos in the church all you can see is her dress and ballet pumps she wore just glowing bright white. The rest of the images are dark.

Thats why I'm really, really makling sure I get a good photographer. I notice you are in Herts as well and if you like I can give you a pointer to one guy whos website is just amazing.

Sammy

This is just awful, you poor thing.

Re wedding insurance I would not rely on getting money back this way. Generally with wedding insurance (and I have had the "pleasure" of reading quiet a few policies before choosing ours) will only cover if your photographer doesn't show on the day or if they come but say their camera breaks so that at least 75% of your pics are unusable.

At a wedding I went to very recently the photographer had an assistant who held up this screen and it is meant to "suck in" the light so your pics are not over exposed, sorry I am sure there is a more technical name for this, but someone else may be able to explain this better.

If I were you I would start to look for someone else. If you have given the photographer a cheque I suggest if the cheque has not cleared you speak with your bank to see if you can stop it. The pics need to be exactly as you want them on the day, if there are "creative differences" between you and your photographer they should refund you, or if all else fails go to the Citzens Advice Bureau and threaten to sue the photographer, normally the threat should be sufficient to make him/ her rethink!

Sammy ....That would be great , i only have 2 weeks to go , so i may be pushing it , but please do let me have the website address.

x

Of course. I'm meeting this guy next week myself, but after an exhustive search, he's the only photographer I found around the local area who has stunning work, and seems really professional. As well as the weddings, of which there are loads of examples, he obviously does a lot of other work too. I see photos of The Queen!, Amy Winehouse, Ant and Dec, Carol Vorderman and others, so he must be doing well to get that kind of work. And if he's doing well, that must mean he's a good photographer.

I got a prompt email back with a quote and he's really flexible on what you want. He's quoted me just under a grand to be there for 8 hours on the day and supply me a handmade coffee table book. All custom made, proper handmade, he uses a traditional bookbinder, and I get a copy of the DVD too!

I've spoken to him as well, he seems very friendly and knowledgable about the photography and weddings in general, and he has his own insurance.

His website is here > www.photographybyriddell.co.uk and its worth going to his wedding blog as well > http://www.photographybyriddell.co.uk/WeddingsBlog.htm thats got some lovely work there.

OT. I quickly went to the site again, he's updated his blog again, since I was last there a few days ago. That latest couples sweet table and cake are amazing!

Just hope he's available in a couple of weeks!

Sammy

Thanks Sammy for the web site info I just had a quick look and it does look very good ......

The tog has just rang and tried to call off our meeting , because its raining. I have told him i want him here regardless to discuss all of this as i am very worried .... hes coming at 7pm. I will keep you posted . Now i'm really stressed !

I would ditch him tbh... He sounds very unprofessional, what on earth will he be like on the wedding day?

x

Well he has been and gone ..... forever ..... got my money back ! I have found another photographer on my venues prefered supplier list , who has had a cancellation on my day , who has a totally different approach to photography (thank god) . Thanks girls for your support x

At least now you can chill out and look forward to your wedding x

I feel like a weight has been lifted ?

Thats great barbsie,

Glad you got it sorted in the end, and you did the right thing.

Sammy

So glad to hear he has gone and with a full refund too. Well done you.

Now you can relax. x