The photoshoot was a bust

Anonymous 1

Unread post

You guys helped me about a year ago with picking out things to wear for my mom's surprise 79th birthday goddess photo shoot. We were supposed to have it in January. Every time we scheduled it, there ended up being a big storm with tornado warnings and the whole shebang so we kept having to reschedule. We finally got it done last weekend.

Some of the pics are nice, don't get me wrong. But overall, the whole thing did not turn out the way I intended it to. My mom refused to wear the outfits we picked out together for her. She was literally trying to wear cheetah print and I insisted she change but she still refused to wear what I suggested. My step dad is usually an ass and that day was no different. When we got to the site, we took some normal family photos first, then I brought out the robe and crowns. Both my mom and my step dad started making funny faces. After about 5 photos, he made my mom take them off and called the whole thing stupid and silly. So, we finished with normal photographs again.

Because of all of the rescheduling, the photographer ended up having to take down the fancy floral background she was using that I insisted on having. So, we ended up taking pictures in a mostly empty room. Very bland looking. And there was no air conditioning. I really don't like the way she posed us (I was wearing a dress and in several of the photos, she has me with my legs spread out....). I was so caught up in the moment and all of the stress and adrenaline that I didn't really think about what I would look like in these poses.

We finally got the proofs back yesterday and some of the pics are nice. But overall, we look very stiff and awkward. I hate all of the pictures with my husband in them (He's so handsome and she did not capture him well at all, especially with the directions she was giving him, he made a lot of funny faces). I hate all of the pictures with me in them even more, especially the ones with my mom and I. In my opinion, the pictures of my mom with the robe and crown are the best looking photos of all of them. I really wish they had just relaxed and trusted me and went with the flow. They aren't the ones paying for it anyway. There are only about 5 photos from the shoot that I would like to keep.

The photographer says she will do one do-over but that I would not be able to keep any of the images from the original shoot. But I'm so disappointed and turned off, I don't think I want to. $800 down the drain for JC Penny-looking photographs. I think I'd rather just keep the ones I have of my mom and save up for another family photo shoot later with just my family.
Anonymous 2

Unread post

Aren't good photographers able to work around "issues"? Sounds like she's inexperienced or something. I'd personally take a chance with the re-shoot since you said there's only about 5 good photos from the first anyway.
SallyMae
Regent
Regent
Posts: 3029
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:38 pm

Unread post

I'm so sorry your photo shoot didn't work out the way you wanted. Here is my recommendation, as a photographer: Get a decent camera and take photos yourself. It's so much easier to schedule a day with your mom when you are doing the photos, way easier to get them to look how you want. Modern digital cameras do so much of the work, with a bit of practice you can get lovely images. You can get people to pose how you want, or you can get candids, which are just as priceless. You can keep what you want, and even your practice images will bring back great memories.

Perhaps you don't have the least interest in doing your own photography, but maybe you have a kid that might...? I'm just saying, it's not too hard, you don't have to be great at it to get really precious images, and it's wonderful having the control. Good luck!
Anonymous 3

Unread post

You should have picked a good photographer
Anonymous 1

Unread post

Anonymous 2 wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 2:46 pm Aren't good photographers able to work around "issues"? Sounds like she's inexperienced or something. I'd personally take a chance with the re-shoot since you said there's only about 5 good photos from the first anyway.
I don't think she's inexperienced, her business has been around since 2010. She has almost a million followers on socials and the work she posts is phenomenal. She did mention that she had about 10 clients who all had to reschedule for the same reasons. I think she rents a lot of her sets/backdrops so she didn't have much of a choice of when she had to take them down. IDK. It sounded to me like she was overbooked.
Anonymous 1

Unread post

SallyMae wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 5:31 pm I'm so sorry your photo shoot didn't work out the way you wanted. Here is my recommendation, as a photographer: Get a decent camera and take photos yourself. It's so much easier to schedule a day with your mom when you are doing the photos, way easier to get them to look how you want. Modern digital cameras do so much of the work, with a bit of practice you can get lovely images. You can get people to pose how you want, or you can get candids, which are just as priceless. You can keep what you want, and even your practice images will bring back great memories.

Perhaps you don't have the least interest in doing your own photography, but maybe you have a kid that might...? I'm just saying, it's not too hard, you don't have to be great at it to get really precious images, and it's wonderful having the control. Good luck!
I thought of that, too. I have a really nice DSLR that I just barely know how to use. I might just recreate the goddess photoshoot with myself and my daughter, she was up for it.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic