I was looking back over some images searching for a particular photography and ran across my first paid job that “marked” a start to a paid professional photographer. It was for a mere $150 for a beach wedding. Say what you want about the pricing on weddings…a market exists for low cost beach weddings and someone has to cater to that in my opinion. Sure “Uncle Ed” can do them for that price, but for starting photographers it’s a good way to “get your feet wet”.

This was a beach wedding in Flagler Beach, FL a young couple on a small budget. I actually had fellow photographer Forest Egan with me on this shoot since he was “pondering” getting into the wedding photography. (He was already an awesome wildlife photographer in my opinion.) So both of us took are “version” of shoots for the wedding and burned everything to CD for the clients and gave it to them. (I know, I know….we can start the “CD Negative” debate all over, but that is what we did back then.)
The client proceeded to Wal-Greens eager to print photos from the wedding. (Even after being advised that they should use a professional photo lab.) So they tried to print them from the self-print kiosk and decided the photos “sucked” essentially. (dark, blurry, etc.) The bride called me all upset and after assuring her the photos on the disc would print fine I had an 8 x 10 printed and mailed to her at no charge. After a few days I called her to follow-up and told me she told me how great the photo I sent looked. I assured her all her photos could be printed properly if she took them to professional lab.
Then a few weeks later I got this from my bank….
Needless to say the client would not response to emails or phone calls.

I really had no recourse for this client since I had provided them with the negatives etc already.

Can you say…”Lesson Learned”….

Most of the website updates have been completed to allow a new look and provide more examples of my photography online. This is always a ” work in progress” since I’m the photographer, graphic artist and web designer.

I’m currently working on some blog and website updates. Out with the old and in with the new.