|
Forums >
Model Colloquy >
Photographer not Getting photos back
Hey there fellow MM models! So how do you guys deal with photographers who are not getting photos back to you? The situation with me is that I had a shoot a couple of months ago, photographer says they will be ready in about 2 weeks or so, still doesn't have them for about a month -- I contact him asking how the photos are going and when they'll be ready, and he is not responding to any form of communication (I'm contacting on FB, text, email etc).. over a month and a half goes by, he finally responds that they will be ready by the next weekend, explains what's been going on his life -- seems all good now, another 2 weeks goes by, I contact him again through multiple forms of contact, and STILL no response -- He isn't even looking at the facebook messages (and I've been texting/FB messaging him every few days and still absolutely nothing). And just as a side note I got some weird vibes from him the day of our shoot (it was our first time together) -- very quiet, didn't say much, not professional etc, despite the model references having good things to say about him. So pretty much I'm asking about how to handle this kind of situation where the photographer isn't even acknowledging my messages to him. The only photos I have from him were 3 'preview' photos he posted about 2 months ago. What do I do? What kind of action do I need to take? Thanks guys! -Bunny Dec 14 14 06:29 am Link Most common problem with photogs, is failure to deliver. The only explanation for that, is "amateur". Sorry, but real photogs who don't deliver to their clients promptly, would be out of business in no time. In the real world, clients expect delivery, within days, if not hours. Real photogs automatically deliver that way, because that is their routine. Dec 14 14 06:37 am Link Best bet is move on find a new photographer Dec 14 14 06:47 am Link Thank you all for the reply -- I definitely would never work with this photographer again, I could kind of tell he was amateur but I did like how the photos came out that I did see, but still. My question now is if he never ends up getting the photos back to me, what sort of action should I take -- if there is anything I can do? Dec 14 14 07:06 am Link There isn't a lot you can do except share your experiences with others in your circle, just keep emotion out of it and remain factual, like you are here. It's always best to discuss terms of the shoot prior to setting up the shoot. Like both parties discuss what they hope to gain from the shoot, turnaround time, how files are delivered. If hi res or prints are provided, if watermarks are left off prints and hi res files (which it should be) and I always recommend asking if they use Dropbox. One less bullshit thing to wait on for the disc (Ashlee Simpson wants them back from 2002) Disc burners seem to be the photographer version of a grandmother dying and delaying production) If these details are discussed prior, it reduces the chances of this happening and helps you vet your photographers better. With what you are telling us, I'm guessing he's not happy with how they turned out and is afraid to face you. Something personal may have been going on and his head wasn't in it....if you get them eventually, I'd consider it a bonus, but I don't think you are missing anything meanwhile. It's not ok, but it does happen. I recommend thinking of the next shoot, with someone deserving. OH! There is something you can do that will make everything right with the world....come to Nashville and shoot with me. I won't do you that way.  Dec 14 14 07:24 am Link I grew up in Spartanburg. Sorry to hear you've run into someone, down there, unable to keep his word. I do hope it works out for you. Dec 14 14 05:56 pm Link Bunny Rose wrote: showing up at the photographer's location with a rocket launcher or grenade launcher? Dec 14 14 07:20 pm Link Hi Bunny Rose! I'm sorry that happened to you. We are all human, and sometimes a photographer does not deliver like they promised. Keep an eye on his online profiles like here on MM and on other places like Facebook. See if he post any images from your shoot. If he does, then "copy and save" so that you at least have some proof that images came out. Then contact him again. If you never see anything of your shoot online, that might indicate that something happened to the images. He might be too embarrassed to tell you? There is not much you can do legally about this ... at least not anything that would be worth putting money and time into. This was a TFP shoot, correct? It might be a good idea to count this as a lesson learned, and tighten up your selective intuition on which photographers to TFP with. Although he owns the copyrights, keep an eye out to see if he uses any of the images. If asked by models about him, you can tell them what happened. Other than that, it's best to move on. If this were a shoot where he paid you, then you would not likely be expecting images from it. The flip side is if you paid him, you would have greater expectations, and some recourse too. I think we should all be professional no matter if it's a TFP shoot or if someone is getting paid! If only you were near me in California, I would be happy to shoot TFP with you and I would not leave you high and dry like that! We are not supposed to critique portfolios on this section of the forum, but you are someone I would very likely pay for a shoot! I am selective about the models I shoot with no matter if it's TFP or if I pay. Best wishes in the future! Dec 14 14 09:08 pm Link Bunny Rose wrote: To be honest, you need to take a hint. I'm sorry this photographer flaked on you but maybe the pictures weren't that good. Maybe he got the same "weird" vibe from you. Maybe he thought you were amateur as well. Dec 14 14 11:06 pm Link Patrick Walberg wrote: Professionals deliver. Dec 15 14 01:32 am Link WIP wrote: +1 Dec 22 14 10:05 am Link I'm waiting on photos that were taken A YEAR ago by a photographer. If someone is amazing and I know they've been busy with paid work, I totally get that and am willing to wait a couple months longer than usual. Otherwise, if I know they've had time and could have edited them sooner, it's totally unprofessional and unacceptable when someone has given you their time. They deserve something back, even if the photos were not what the photographer hoped for. It's a collaborative effort and is not wholly the models fault if the photos weren't what the photographer wanted. Even if it's just one solid image, that's good enough to say "thanks for giving me your time." I'd say this is even the equivalent of a model flaking on a shoot or not showing up. You're not delivering what you initially promised--which is trade for pictures. On the other hand, if someone is being unprofessional...do you really WANT the photos? At this point I've cut my losses with the photographer I mentioned at first. Yes, their work is good but am I really going to post their photos publicly promoting them when they kept me waiting so long (which is rude?) No. I don't even want them at this point because in a year my appearance has changed and the photos are not as valuable to me any more. Not to mention, I'm not going to post them in case someone takes it as a good reference that I've worked with them and hits them up or even pays them, only to not get anything back in return. Cut your losses, don't work with them again. I'm sorry, but this is a part of freelance modeling and there's not much you can do other than tell your friends not to bother working with them. Dec 29 14 03:21 pm Link What on Earth are some of these photographers doing? I usually have them ready in a day or two and then email them to the client. No complaints and I get compliments on the speed. If you are only sending 5-10 edited pictures back to the model and email file sizes are 25 Megs... there is little use in using burners unless the model requests it. Dec 29 14 03:58 pm Link Bunny Rose wrote: This has to be one of the most common post topics on the Forums. Usually, it's a fairly new model, with not a lot of modeling experience. Dec 29 14 04:01 pm Link |
