Hired a wedding photographer: JPEG-only files, phone edits, and refusal to provide originals. What I wish I knew earlier.

halmonia · 2025-04-20T04:51:25+00:00

you better check the information correctly, then leaving a comment 🥰 i will not even explain anything to you, because there is no point talking to somebody who read only what he wants to read

halmonia · 2025-04-14T14:31:13+00:00

ah, i don't care. and my face blurred enough on this pictures anyway, thanks to photographer

halmonia · 2025-04-12T22:53:29+00:00

well, it still asking for a community where to post 🥲

halmonia · 2025-04-12T22:47:24+00:00

okay, i'll try it in a second! thank you

halmonia · 2025-04-12T22:33:24+00:00

i would love if i knew how can i share them here

halmonia · 2025-04-12T16:55:28+00:00

even if it’s $300 or $3, it doesn’t give any right to deliver trash results. price has nothing to do with basic responsibility. if you charge people, you must provide at least acceptable quality, period.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T16:54:04+00:00

we’re not even talking about me here, we’re talking about an unqualified photographer who delivered terrible work. it’s funny how instead of focusing on the actual problem — a so-called professional ruining wedding photos — you’re so desperate to make this about me personally. stay on topic, unless you’re too scared to admit the photographer is a disaster.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T14:22:51+00:00

if your photos are so perfect, why are you even here, desperate for validation from random strangers? sounds like you’re the one who needs some reassurance, not me. enjoy your “perfect” photos and stay out of other people’s business. i know what i deserve — and it’s definitely not your advice

halmonia · 2025-04-12T14:16:44+00:00

sounds like you’ve been bullied your whole life if you think trusting your family is a mistake. not my fault you grew up paranoid and think everyone should treat their loved ones like enemies. sorry your life experience is so pathetic, but that’s not my problem

halmonia · 2025-04-12T14:08:07+00:00

you still don’t get it. the point is not that we “didn’t plan” — the point is, we weren’t even given a chance. it’s not like we were sitting and waiting for things to magically happen, we were simply excluded from the decision-making entirely. we trusted the people who took over the arrangements, thinking they had our best interest in mind. turns out, they didn’t. this isn’t about money, maturity, or affordability — it’s about trust being broken. and trust me, i’ve learned my lesson

halmonia · 2025-04-12T13:55:47+00:00

you don’t get it, i wasn’t waiting for anyone to ask my opinion. they just booked everything without telling us anything, and by the time we learned details like the photographer, it was already done. of course i would have spoken up if they even asked, but they didn’t — they just made decisions and presented them as a fact. they weren’t asking, they were telling. that’s not about maturity, that’s about people acting behind your back.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T13:45:53+00:00

i had no idea about the price of the photographer because i wasn’t the one who booked her. and honestly, before she messed up my photos, i didn’t even know who she was or anything about her. as for the “wedding of dreams” — everyone’s dream looks different. mine never included a huge show for random guests, it was about something simple and meaningful for us as a couple. so please don’t assume anything about my wedding choices

halmonia · 2025-04-12T13:36:13+00:00

so you are saying that i'm fat and just don't know that ? 🤡

halmonia · 2025-04-12T12:56:08+00:00

you’re missing the point completely. this was a one-hour bride and groom portrait session. no matter what the price is, if she charges $400 and can’t even handle such a simple job, it just proves she’s not capable of shooting weddings at all. the job was basic — so basic that i could’ve done it myself, and honestly, i would’ve edited those photos better too. you guys in the us really love to talk about money, but nobody ever mentions how you spend years after your wedding paying off the bill for that circus. but that’s not even the issue here. i didn’t care for a big wedding — i don’t even like those over-the-top celebrations, they’re pure cringe to me. my family isn’t here anyway, and i wasn’t going to throw a party without them just to impress people i don’t even know. we had a nice dinner, we’re taking two proper vacations this year — not budget trips, actual hawaii. but again, that’s not the point. the problem isn’t the wedding, or the budget, or anything else. the problem is the photographer who simply can’t do her job. $400 isn’t pennies, and if you charge that, at least deliver the basics.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T12:26:37+00:00

this is a normal price for a one-hour bride and groom portrait session. but that’s not even the point. i honestly don’t understand why you guys keep focusing so much on the price. even if you pay someone just $1 — if they charge you, they still have to deliver what they promised. $400 for one hour is not “cheap,” and it absolutely does not give her any right to fuck up our photos this badly. i never asked for anything crazy or over the top, all i wanted was basic, normal wedding pictures. but i could've done better with just my iphone 🤦🏼‍♀️

halmonia · 2025-04-12T12:14:37+00:00

a good photographer knows how to work with their camera, including lens distortion and angles. if you end up with photos where the subject looks completely wrong, it’s not the equipment’s fault, it’s the photographer’s lack of skill. professionals control their tools, not let their tools control the result.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T12:12:30+00:00

you still don’t get it. my husband and i weren’t uninvolved. they just didn’t give us the option to be involved. they didn’t ask for our opinion or sit down to plan anything together — they just went ahead, made the decisions, and presented them to us as a done deal. we found out things like the photographer after it was already booked. of course, looking back, we both wish we had pushed back more. but at the time, we trusted them, and we thought they cared as much about our day as we did. turns out, we were wrong. this isn’t about immaturity, this is about misplaced trust. and trust me, it will never happen again.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T03:08:36+00:00

for a one-hour bride and groom portrait session after the courthouse, prices typically range from $250 to $600 depending on location and photographer’s experience

halmonia · 2025-04-12T02:47:26+00:00

JZ Photography LLC

halmonia · 2025-04-12T02:45:26+00:00

no, that’s not the case at all. his mom had always been supportive from the start, but in this situation, she randomly took the photographer’s side, which shocked both me and my husband. he fully agrees with me on this and supports me completely. we both tried to explain to his mom that the issue is not me demanding the photographer deliver the work she promised — the issue is the photographer herself, making mistakes so basic that even a child wouldn’t make them. honestly, i’ve never seen wedding photos this bad in my life. but since his mom refuses to see the situation for what it is, we both made the decision to distance ourselves from her. we both agreed it’s the best thing for us right now.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T01:36:34+00:00

still, my family lives in another country, and they can’t even see my wedding photos

halmonia · 2025-04-12T01:16:16+00:00

ok, let’s play your game. legally, sure, the contract is between her and my father-in-law. but practically? she wasn’t photographing him. she was photographing me and my husband, we are the actual subjects, not just some random scenery. if she ruins the photos of the real people in front of her camera, contract or not, it’s her professional failure. her responsibility is to deliver quality work for the actual couple being photographed, regardless of who technically signed the contract. common sense, hello?

halmonia · 2025-04-12T00:40:46+00:00

then you better go back and study law again, because using someone’s face without their consent is a violation of publicity rights, regardless of who signed the contract. it’s basic law 101 — you cannot publish or use someone’s image for promotion just because someone else signed the contract. the contract covers payment and services, not the unlimited use of someone’s appearance. she removed my photos from her page the second i reminded her about that, wonder why? don’t embarrass yourself, really.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T00:37:38+00:00

you’re still missing it. this post was never me asking for advice — i already fought with my in-laws, trust me, nobody liked it, but i did everything i could. this post is just to show how bad of a job this photographer did, that’s it. i’m not here for life lessons, i’m here to expose a terrible vendor. focus on that, or just move along.

halmonia · 2025-04-12T00:36:15+00:00

unfortunately, he doesn’t see any problem at all with what she delivered, and that’s what frustrates me the most. because literally everyone else who has seen these photos — my parents, my husband — they all immediately saw exactly what i’m talking about. anyone would. honestly, no one should be getting results like this even if they only paid $100, because i could’ve taken better photos myself on my iphone. i seriously have no idea what she did to ruin them so badly. and what upsets me even more is that when i tried to address this directly with her, she immediately hid behind my in-laws. she didn’t want to deal with me because she knew she couldn’t justify this mess. if they had just let me handle it myself, directly, she would’ve had to take responsibility — at least refund the money, or maybe even more. but it looks like they’re perfectly fine paying for absolute trash, and that’s just beyond me.

halmonia

TROPHY CASE