StacyImages Photography, Videography & Photo Booth

Correspondance/Response between Photographer & Client "From: stacy@stacyimages.com [mailto:stacy@stacyimages.com] Sent: Friday, June 21, 2013 11:43 AM To: Brainard, Alexander M. Subject: RE: RE: 6-1-13 Wedding Ok. Well i'm terribly sorry this also seemed to be an issue for you. Unfortunately, I dont feel like we are going to see eye to eye on this. Its unfortunate, but its ok. I do appreciate the feedback and will keep it in mind for all future clients, so thank you. Its rare, but there is always a chance a photographer can be inaccurately matched together with a bride and groom. I did enjoy working with you all. Both of your families are sweet and your bridal party was very nice. I feel we have success in the photo side of things and hopefully you will feel the same way. Before I turn ya loose though, I want to make you aware of a couple things so that, again, we are on the same page, because it's important to me that you know my reasonings as a professional photogapher. I am a kind and easy going person, as i'm sure you know. My goal as a photographer is to "always" put my clients wishes first, before anything. With that being said, a photographer should "always" put the bride and grooms photo ideas before their own. So being that Kayla and the girls seemed to know exactly what they wanted for poses, settings, locations ect, then it is them to have to be the ones to direct me to which locations, poses ect. I always asked first if there were ideas they had and wanted to do, but if they did not have those thoughts and ideas on these location, settings, ect then I most certainly would have given direction and instructions on where to go and ect, which I of course did do throughout the night where it was needed. I didnt have to do it 100% of the time because they had ideas in their heads as to what they wanted done. When they didnt then I did step up, and I know that. While people are grouping for a specific shot, the rest of the bridal party will always give input on what they think will look best. This is just a given. I will always take this into consideration and do appreciate the input as well because I want "everyone" involved to enjoy the pictures. It unfortunately seems you have taken this way of my doing things as if I wasnt "taking control", and i'm sorry for that. But I assure you I do take control at the right times and the times I am able, and when its necessary. In regards to the family and group pictures when the Maid of Honor was checking off the list as we went through them for family pictures...Kayla and I talked about this and she knew to have one person (any person) to be assigned to do what the Maid of Honor did. The reasoning is because those people assigned to call out names, ect will know most everyone more so than I would as the photographer and stranger to them all. Doing things this way has always made family/group pictures run smoother. I've done nearly 100 weddings and I know that this is the best way. This also allows me to focus more on taking the pictures as the photographer rather than hunting down people that I dont know. Again, it just runs smoother, but i'm sorry if you didnt see it that way. In regards to time management, and your comment about you two doing first looks at 12pm, this would not be accurate as I know that the girls didnt leave Treasure Island until at least 12:25. The guys didnt arrive until closer to 1:20. When the guys were said to be there by the time you had called them after 1pm, it was then said that they were still 20 mins away. But it of course is all ok because there tends to always be a delay with getting ready. I dont remember even one wedding where the bridal party was dressed and ready exactly on time for pictures. (well, maybe one or two..but not many) I'm a photographer and so I'm not required to be the one to make sure people dressed and ready and arrive on time. This is more on the Maid of honor and best man and even the bridal party as a whole to follow an itinerary. It is my job as the photographer to work within the time i'm given after people are ready for me and for pictures. When its time for pictures, then I work within that time and "take control," but again, in your case I was ensuring that I'd gotten the picture requests taken care of for Kayla and everyone first before giving many setting suggestions of my own. Also, It was yours and Kaylas wedding day and so you would not see me looking at the papers that were given to me because you would and should be focused on your activities and each other, and not focused on me. ;) But I assure you, I did look through the list multiple times. In that list, I did have the types of photos Kayla desired, but I dont remember seeing a schedule as far as times, which I wouldnt usually have a full schedule as that should be more of the Best Man and Maid of Honor to know the times of when to be where. Its nice to have a schedule of all activities but what are most important to me are my arrival times, ceremony times, and Reception times, which typically tell me how much time is given for pictures. Your pictures are almost completed, but because I didnt receive payment at the expected time (which is ok), I couldnt work on them as planned. But typically turn around for wedding pictures are 3-5 wks. There are about 2000 (+/-) photos to retouch/enhance and return to you. This is the most time consuming part, as it seem you already know. Can I please get the address for where you would like your discs mailed to? I am unsure of whether you've moved since getting married. Sorry for the delay in response to your email as I wanted to allow for enough time to be able to explain these few things. But I did receive the payment and I thank you for that! I hope all is well. Stacy 651-269-9914"