How To Deal With A Bad Photographer

When you hire a photographer, you expect to get just what you pay for. You want high quality photographs delivered to you in a timely manner. If you hired them for an event, you expect full coverage of that event. You do not expect extra charges hidden along the way, and you want to be able to get in contact with them whenever necessary.

But what about when things don’t go as planned? Unfortunately, there are examples out there of photographers who have no training or skills. They may have poor time management or communication, too. When this happens, it can be very stressful for those who have invested in their services. Follow these tips to solve any issues that you may find with photographers in the future.

Issue: You don’t like the images

If you end up with images that you don’t like, there might be a number of reasons. Perhaps they are out of focus or badly framed. Maybe they are too light or too dark. Perhaps they are just unflattering, and you feel that you could have had better images. If this is the case, the only real thing that you could do is to get them redone. A professional retoucher might be able to bring more back into the images. This will cost you, however, and won’t be a solution for images that are badly posed, framed, or blurry.

Avoid it in Future

The first step that you can take to avoid this is to choose your photographer carefully. Look at their portfolios and see what they have done in the past. If you can find reviews of their services, that could also inform your decision. You can also discuss with them beforehand in depth what you are looking for. When everyone has a clear idea of what is wanted, the results are going to be much better.

Issue: They still haven’t sent the images through

There could be several causes behind a delay in images being delivered to you. Most likely is that the photographer has taken on more work than they are able to fulfil. This is often a problem for those who are just starting out in the industry. It may also be related to the season. For example, a wedding photographer will be busier at certain times of year than others. They may have had personal distractions getting in the way. Whatever the case may be, send them a nudge. If they do not respond to email, give them a call. You can even head to their studio in person if you wish. Ask for an ETA on your images. It may be a case of being patient. In rare cases, further action may be required to claim what you have paid for. You could even demand a refund.

Avoid it in Future

Ask your photographer when you should expect to see your images. If the date arrives and you have nothing, then get in touch right away. Make sure that you get an explanation of some kind. This will get them motivated and prevent them from procrastinating for longer. Check out reviews of their services if any have been posted online. This could help you spot those who take a long time before you book.

Issue: They didn’t follow what you agreed

Perhaps you agreed on a photobook, but ended up with a canvas. Maybe you ordered 200 images, but you were only given 20. Perhaps your event was not covered the way that you had discussed. If the issue is in the way things were shot, your only recourse is to ask for a full or partial refund. If however you just have not received the right products, ask them to follow up. Remind them of your original agreement and any supporting communication. They should agree to provide what you spoke about previously. If not, again, further action may be required. Taking them to the small claims court may seem drastic - but when a contract has been broken, it is a legitimate possibility.

Avoid it in Future

Make sure that all of your agreements are clear and in writing before you start. Even if you meet in person to discuss, follow up with an email afterwards. Summarise everything that has been agreed upon and add all relevant details. With this in your hand, you will have the legal right to demand everything that was agreed upon. You could also arrange to withhold half the payment until after you have seen the finished product. This will give you a little more security if things do go wrong.

If you have had a bad experience and see no way to rectify it, you can always take the option of booking in with a new photographer. You can choose from my available services and rebook your shoot if you wish to see a high quality result.