Bride Called Regarding Photographer Missing Important Shot

Louis Maddalena · July 10th, 2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Grant

Jason,
I echo these guys in that HD does pull stills very well. I have printed several DVD cases from HD stills as well as quite a few 4x6s with very little issue. The GL2 on the other hand might be an issue. Rings? It has to be Rings... Not the kiss, not the entrance, has to be rings.
Bill

I said rings! It has to be something bigger!

Chris Barcellos · July 10th, 2008, 11:04 AM

Father lifting veil and kissing bride before give away

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 11:32 AM

Ok, I'll give the hint. There is one part of the entire day that the photographer has complete control over..... and during that part of the day, he missed getting this shot.

Thanks for the tip on the app Jason, I'll check it out. So assuming
1) I get swamped with clients all of a sudden (thank to my first trailer I'm sure :-) ... or not)
2) and they all buy my top end package
3) and I'm booked every weekend for a few months in a row......

then I'll be able to buy some A1s and jump to HD where good stills from video footage are possible...... :-)

hey, it could happen!

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monday Isa

The unity candle

again.... good guess, but not epic enough of a failure. The bride said they actually did get that shot.... and the groom had some weird look oh his face, so the picture was kind of ... "ehhh"

Monday Isa · July 10th, 2008, 11:48 AM

The Entrance of the Bride and Groom at the Reception

Dave Blackhurst · July 10th, 2008, 12:43 PM

OK, are you saying he blew the FORMALS?????? Like he didn't get a good portrait shot of the B&G????? The MONEY SHOT that really needs to be a BIG (8x10+) portrait aspect ratio???

That's a big problem, as pulling a portrait aspect off a 4:3 landscape or 16:9 is going to involve a lot of cropping...

Mark Holland · July 10th, 2008, 12:49 PM

Jason,

I've pulled frames from a GL-2's footage with fair results. Usually I'll use them for the DVD printing, or something small on the DVD package. However, if they missed the bride coming down the aisle, it seems to me that no matter the quality, it's better than nothing!

Mark

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

OK, are you saying he blew the FORMALS?????? Like he didn't get a good portrait shot of the B&G????? The MONEY SHOT that really needs to be a BIG (8x10+) portrait aspect ratio???

DING DING DING DING!

We have a winner. The photographer missed getting a posed portrait shot of just the Bride & Groom. Yep. The ONE SHOT that everyone puts up on their wall...... that one........ yeah he missed it.

In all fairness, sometimes we all just screw the pooch and miss the money shot, and that is one of the reasons I'm still seriously considering liability insurance (but have yet to cough up the several hundred for a policy through WeDJ.com). He offered a re-shoot for free (obviously) to get that shot, but the B & G will still have to re-rent the tux (~$180-200) and get her dress cleaned (..... I have no idea how much that costs..... $200?).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

That's a big problem, as pulling a portrait aspect off a 4:3 landscape or 16:9 is going to involve a lot of cropping...

I told the bride that it is unlikely anything I could pull off of the video would be remotely close to the same framing & pose .... let alone good enough quality to print above 3"x5". I did have a balcony camera, but it was set at wide angle for all the moments when the couple face the audience like immediately after the kiss and before recessional.

My photographer partner / good friend (full time employed elsewhere, so he takes very very few gigs) would probably let me borrow all his gear so I could drive out and do the shoot for them. It cannot possibly be too hard to get 5-10 poses of just two people with 3 hours to do it, right? I'll see if the bride is interested in doing that. Unfortunately as I have mentioned elsewhere, I recently jumped in with both feet to video productions and have no new clients.... so the $100 in gas to drive 1/4 across Idaho is a bit of a financial hit, but probably less than what any other pro portrait photographer would charge for that sort of shot.

New questions for those following this thread....

3) what would a photographer charge to cover this sort of shot?

4) what would they charge if they knew it was wedding portrait related? Would there be a difference?

5) if my client choose to go with a different photographer, should she tell them before hand the situation? Or get price lists first, check date availability, get travel fee quote, and then tell them the situation?

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Holland

However, if they missed the bride coming down the aisle, it seems to me that no matter the quality, it's better than nothing! Mark

I think that is the key. It beats not getting anything. I did set my cam on a tripod and let it run over the photogs shoulder (actually 45 degrees off to the side) while I was setting up my second cam and getting the audio recorder (Sony MD) taken care of, so I might have a frame or two in there with a smile, just the two of them, and still enough....... but I kind of doubt it.

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randall Allen

Thats what I was thinking. Like did he just not show up at all?!?!
-R

Fortunately he did show up. The bride says he had a decade or more of experience, and from what I saw of how he operated, it could be. So it just looks like one of those random screw ups, although it is a very hard to believe screw up. But stuff happens some times. The formals were together before the wedding so there wasn't the "split formals before the ceremony and together formals afterwards" thing to worry about.

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Grant

Jason,
I echo these guys in that HD does pull stills very well. I have printed several DVD cases from HD stills as well as quite a few 4x6s with very little issue. The GL2 on the other hand might be an issue.

Does it depend on if shooting in 720p vs 1080i? It would seem that cameras capable of shooting 720p/1080p would get the best results. Any experience in the difference between interlaced HD and progressive HD for pulling stills?

I usually have my wife wonder the venue shooting stills for the DVD top (lightscribe) and DVD cover for exactly that reason, so I don't have to worry about where to get the high quality cover images.

Dave Blackhurst · July 10th, 2008, 01:27 PM

OUCH...

The best way to avoid liability is to not be a idjit. Have a shot list, make sure you get the things on the list... I even suggest having a shot list available when you contract and double checking it with the client, just in case they have any unusual requirements.

At least the photog offered to reshoot, and depending on the contract that may be his obligation, BUT IMO to be fair he should deduct the costs for the reshoot (tux and dress cleaning) from the total... was the rest of his "work" at this same level of "professionalism"? Or is that why you're considering doing the reshoot? I'm getting the vibe that the guy blew a bit more than "the money shot"...

That sort of shot is not anything you can recover off video at anything resembling acceptable resolution, PERIOD, not even if you had all that fancy forensic software they show on the Tee Vee where you take a blurry picture of a suspect a block away and morph it into a perfect picture showing he needs to trim his ear hair... he he he

Randall Allen · July 10th, 2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Robinson

In all fairness, sometimes we all just screw the pooch and miss the money shot, and that is one of the reasons I'm still seriously considering liability insurance (but have yet to cough up the several hundred for a policy through WeDJ.com). He offered a re-shoot for free (obviously) to get that shot, but the B & G will still have to re-rent the tux (~$180-200) and get her dress cleaned (..... I have no idea how much that costs..... $200?).

If he has a decade or so of experience he should be willing to cover these costs to protect his reptutation.

Randy

Jason Robinson · July 10th, 2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randall Allen

If he has a decade or so of experience he should be willing to cover these costs to protect his reptutation.

Randy

I'll mention this to the bride. I had not considered that he might be willing to cover the cost of tux & cleaning, but that is always worth a shot. However, I think my client is pretty much done with him and doesn't want to see or deal with him again.

From what I could tell, the photographer did not mess up anything else, though I have not seen the proofs.

Edward Phillips · July 10th, 2008, 02:53 PM

Seems like photoshopping a photo he did get would have a better chance of working than finding a frame grab.

There were posed pictures right? Were there photos with the B&G in the center and family around them? Perhaps cropping would work and then adding a little soft halo effect around the B&G would get a usable image.

July 10th, 2008, 11:04 AM	#17
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Father lifting veil and kissing bride before give away __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

July 10th, 2008, 11:32 AM	#18
Jason Robinson Trustee Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 1,997	Ok, I'll give the hint. There is one part of the entire day that the photographer has complete control over..... and during that part of the day, he missed getting this shot. Thanks for the tip on the app Jason, I'll check it out. So assuming 1) I get swamped with clients all of a sudden (thank to my first trailer I'm sure :-) ... or not) 2) and they all buy my top end package 3) and I'm booked every weekend for a few months in a row...... then I'll be able to buy some A1s and jump to HD where good stills from video footage are possible...... :-) hey, it could happen! Last edited by Jason Robinson; July 10th, 2008 at 11:34 AM. Reason: spelling

July 10th, 2008, 12:49 PM	#22
Mark Holland Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Central North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, & surrounding areas) Posts: 301	Jason, I've pulled frames from a GL-2's footage with fair results. Usually I'll use them for the DVD printing, or something small on the DVD package. However, if they missed the bride coming down the aisle, it seems to me that no matter the quality, it's better than nothing! Mark __________________ These are my own opinions, based on my own mistakes...

July 10th, 2008, 11:48 AM	#20
Monday Isa Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 913	The Entrance of the Bride and Groom at the Reception

July 10th, 2008, 12:43 PM	#21
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	OK, are you saying he blew the FORMALS?????? Like he didn't get a good portrait shot of the B&G????? The MONEY SHOT that really needs to be a BIG (8x10+) portrait aspect ratio??? That's a big problem, as pulling a portrait aspect off a 4:3 landscape or 16:9 is going to involve a lot of cropping...

July 10th, 2008, 01:27 PM	#27
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	OUCH... The best way to avoid liability is to not be a idjit. Have a shot list, make sure you get the things on the list... I even suggest having a shot list available when you contract and double checking it with the client, just in case they have any unusual requirements. At least the photog offered to reshoot, and depending on the contract that may be his obligation, BUT IMO to be fair he should deduct the costs for the reshoot (tux and dress cleaning) from the total... was the rest of his "work" at this same level of "professionalism"? Or is that why you're considering doing the reshoot? I'm getting the vibe that the guy blew a bit more than "the money shot"... That sort of shot is not anything you can recover off video at anything resembling acceptable resolution, PERIOD, not even if you had all that fancy forensic software they show on the Tee Vee where you take a blurry picture of a suspect a block away and morph it into a perfect picture showing he needs to trim his ear hair... he he he

July 10th, 2008, 02:53 PM	#30
Edward Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: May 2008 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 118	Seems like photoshopping a photo he did get would have a better chance of working than finding a frame grab. There were posed pictures right? Were there photos with the B&G in the center and family around them? Perhaps cropping would work and then adding a little soft halo effect around the B&G would get a usable image.