Photographer refuses to show or release images

[Meilyn]

Not sure if this should be in the bitch it out or not since it relates to that plus photography but if it should then someone move me lol.

So right before I sold my tail, I had a shoot done with a girl who's shot my friends before and I really liked her work. Literally days before, so it was my first and last shoot with the tail and I had expressed to her how much I loved it and how much this specific shoot meant to me.

Shoot happened, days past, she keeps saying literally EVERYTHING would not work when she attempted to send them to me or that she did but I literally never got them except 3 snippets underwater that we could use at all because I was half cut off in all of them. It's been over 3 months. She said she would send me a usb but I'm assuming is ignoring me. So i decided to do some research.

Turns out, she only shoots really high fashion and stupid skinny girls. I am not super skinny. I have rolls when I sit down. I am chubby. I believe she isn't giving me any pictures because she thinks I'm fucking fat. Which, I could care less because I thought highly of her and really wanted high quality pictures of my tail with me in it for one last time.

So I confronted her. She said that was not the case, but i can feel it in my gut that it is.

I am pissed off. We literally wasted an entire day with her and drove 45 minutes to shoot with her.


Anyone else ever had this "oh I didn't know you were fat so you showed up fatter and now I'm not going to release your photos anywhere because I don't like having my name tied to ugly fat people" problem.

[AniaR]

I'm so mad for you. What's her fb page? Lol

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[SeaGlass Siren]

What the -- that's is unprofessional of her.

[Spindrift]

Did you pay her? If you paid for it there's no reason for her to not give you photos. Photographers are hired to take photos of people, no matter what their size.

[Sabrina the Selkie]

*grrrrrr*
*flail*
That is ridiculous.

[shimmygoddess]

If you paid for the shoot, then yes, you are entitled to them. the only thing I can think of is that she doesnt want to share them b/c the quality isnt good. Did you see any previews? I know when I photograph someone, if any come out bad or it was an error on my part with exposure, I don't show them. I would talk to her honestly. That does sound pretty unprofessional. Unless it was a practice shoot and specifically said she didnt have experience with this type and couldn't guarantee the outcome.Still, even as a pro, I think if the photos I took came out bad, I would share at least one if the person really wanted it.

[Ciriun]

Gosh, I feel for you. It took my sister years to get the photos of her wedding, and it required her and several others who had the same problem constantly pestering the photographer and when he vanished getting in touch with his friends and family. I really hope you get yours soon. Just be persistent and don't give up hope!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

If you paid for the shoot, then yes, you are entitled to them. the only thing I can think of is that she doesnt want to share them b/c the quality isnt good. Did you see any previews? I know when I photograph someone, if any come out bad or it was an error on my part with exposure, I don't show them. I would talk to her honestly. That does sound pretty unprofessional. Unless it was a practice shoot and specifically said she didnt have experience with this type and couldn't guarantee the outcome.Still, even as a pro, I think if the photos I took came out bad, I would share at least one if the person really wanted it.

Not necessarily, it depends on the contract.
Q: Who owns the copyright in a photograph once it is taken?
In general, when the shutter is released, the photographer who pressed the button owns the copyright. An exception is when the image falls into the “work-made-for-hire”(also known as “work for hire”) category. A work-made-for-hire relationship is created in two situations: (1) the photographer is an employee hired to take photographs for the employer—an example would be a photojournalist who is an employee of a newspaper but not a wedding or portrait photographer who is hired for one event; or (2) the photographer is hired to provide photographs for collective works or compilations and signs a written agreement that specifically states that the work is to be considered a work made for hire. Therefore, freelance photographers are subjected to work-for-hire status only when they agree to it contractually.

^^ Taken from http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/photography-copyright-and-the-law/

Unless you signed a for-hire contract, legally you do not have any claim on the photos. You hired the photographer to take the photos, under the assumption that you would receive them, but you legally hired her to just use her expertise as a photographer and take the shot. Legally, she has the right to not release a piece that she feels would reflect poorly on her ability. That's why photographers can take 300 shots at a shoot, and you only see the proofs of 5-10. It can sometimes take that many bad photos to get a good one. That's the nature of it. I do not show my clients every shot I take, because most people are not pro in front of a camera, and I see all the doofy shots so that I can get the great ones in between to give to them.

However, agreeing to a photo shoot and then not releasing any photos is shitty business. Nobody hires a photographer thinking they will get nothing to show for it. If she isn't happy with her shots, for whatever reason, then she needs to find the best of the bunch to give to you and learn from the shoot so she can do better next time. If she didn't think she could get good work from you, she shouldn't have agreed to the gig. It is her responsibility to direct you as best she can to get the best shots possible, especially if you're new to this and don't know your own best angles yet. You only learn that after several shoots and lots and lots of photos. Your size has nothing to do with taking a great shot - you can look great at any size given the right angle.

Legally, she may not owe you anything. Ethically and good business-wise, she does. If she's unhappy with the quality of her work, she should do a re-shoot at no additional cost to get you pictures you are happy with.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Also, I've used transferbigfiles.com for so many gigs and have never had an issue. Video and photos.

[Mermaid Momo]

that is freaking terrible, I'm seconding Raina, does she have a fb or portfolio or a model mayhem?

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

I don't care if you are fat or thin, gorgeous, or the girl next door. If a photographer is actually good at what they do, then they could make anyone look fabulous. (Not that I am saying you need anyone to make make you look fabulous because you are totally gorgeous) but the point is. It seems like she F***** up the pictures and doesn't want to give them to you because she botched when she took them.

Either way, if you paid, then either you need a refund, or the pictures. If you didn't pay, you may be in trouble.

Also, I worked as an editor for a photographer. He was a Terrible business man. He still owes me a few grand for weddings I did for him. I expect to never get paid by him. He is notoriously late for everything.

[AniaR]

I wont harass her or be mean I'll just let her know I am looking forward to seeing your photos

[Meilyn]

Michelle Tirronen photography

I didn't pay, we agreed on trade work.

She keeps saying she'll send it but I was spi angry last night, I just wrote her a message with 4 letter words in it lol. She won't admit it but I know she's been releasing photos she's taken after our time with other girls and I can tell and I just feel it that she didn't think I was good enough or whatever. Plus I can feel it in my gut because I'm more commercial and she is in the "high fashion" end. Won't even show me previews or anything. >: (

[Meilyn]

Supposedly she's tried every option and it just doesn't send which I know is b.s. so I've asked for a usb but still no word. Like, I have tough skin. I don't get offended easily, and if someone doesn't like something, or has no intentions to do something, I'd rather them say so and leave it ended instead of stringing me along and stuff.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Supposedly she's tried every option and it just doesn't send which I know is b.s. so I've asked for a usb but still no word. Like, I have tough skin. I don't get offended easily, and if someone doesn't like something, or has no intentions to do something, I'd rather them say so and leave it ended instead of stringing me along and stuff.

That is bs. She's a pro, right? She should be able to get the files to you, if she has to walk to your front door with her laptop in her hands to show you.

[Mermaid Alea]

Well for my graphic design classes we save all files (big & small) on Google drive. It is super easy to use Google drive and you can even share the folder you put say photos in with other people even if they do not have a Google account. You just type in their email and they will get an email with the direct link to the folder you are sharing with them.

In other words if it won't email (which is a big problem I will have with photographs since they are large files) there are plenty of options for her to get the photos to you electronically without any USB, CD, etc.

I really hope you get your photos!

[PearlieMae]

Tell her you've asked nicely, over and over, and have been more than patient. Give her a deadline of a week to give you high resolution, unretouched digital files of your entire shoot, on removable media or burned to dvd, and if she doesn't comply, your next contact with her will be through your attorney. Send it to her on paper, certified mail. That should get her off her ass. You could even go so far as to say that if you use any photos, you will NOT give her photo credit, if she is so "ashamed".

[shimmygoddess]

That is bs. She's a pro, right? She should be able to get the files to you, if she has to walk to your front door with her laptop in her hands to show you.

^^ This...she should be trying harder to get the images to you.

[shimmygoddess]

Well for my graphic design classes we save all files (big & small) on Google drive. It is super easy to use Google drive and you can even share the folder you put say photos in with other people even if they do not have a Google account. You just type in their email and they will get an email with the direct link to the folder you are sharing with them.

In other words if it won't email (which is a big problem I will have with photographs since they are large files) there are plenty of options for her to get the photos to you electronically without any USB, CD, etc.

I really hope you get your photos!

I use Dropbox for large files. She could always maker smaller web versions at least for a preview so you can see some images

[Meilyn]

Yeah, that's why I kind of know that I won't be getting any photos. It's been over 3 months.

I'm already having a lawyer do my contract for the business sale to me and he's cheap, but is costing 1.5k altogether just for 1 piece of paper :| I don't want to get legal parties involved for the sake of my money is extremely tight on things outside of the necessities (food and healthcare) and business supplies.

I don't know. I just really wanted to vent, bitch, moan, and complain and I knew you guys would understand how much a tail can mean to someone so I came here. I'm just so irritated that of all people, I trusted her for something I hold really close to me. I had had (and possibly still have) a broken foot shortly before spring/summer hit and then a bunch of health issues from my little cancerous friends on both my thigh/groin area that kept flaring up so I wasn't able to do any shoots in the tail at all until the very last minute which was with her. (I've gotten them both cut out and thankfully within my budget because I couldn't work due to the health issues with them.) So yeah. Frustration of myself for not going up someone else, and her for not doing what was verbally promised.