[Video] Judge Brown Tears Cheap Wedding Photog a New One

case [Video] Judge Brown Tears Cheap Wedding Photog a New One

I have to say up front I’m a little ashamed at posting this. I don’t watch American trash TV or “reality TV”, in fact, I don’t even have cable. My TV is reserved for my PS3, Wii, Netflix and avi files. But when I saw this video of Judge Joe Brown ripping this ~~professional~~ wedding photographer a new one I couldn’t help but chuckle at this ridiculous exchange. I apologize ahead of time for all the stupid in this video but there is a lot to say about this one so…

via [KEHBlog]

From Kenn:
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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1491861002 Alex Leon
JUDGE JOE KNOWS HIS STUFF!
http://peripatew.com Luke McFadden
I’ll raise my hand for listening to the whole thing. (ashamed). However, as someone who is far from professional, it is a good reminder for me to not over sell myself to “clients”, but to be clear about my own limitations.
http://www.facebook.com/ifarias2 Ignacio Farías
hahahahahahaha!! judge brown knows his shit
http://twitter.com/therealmattymoo Matty
The bride is an idiot. She paid $1000 for a “professional” photographer. DUH.
http://twitter.com/_lauraeliza Laura Eliza
I have to admit, this video both makes me laugh and sobers me. I like to think I am a decent photographer who is improving *crosses fingers*, and I did shoot my first wedding last month. However, I am still shooting on a Rebel (t2i, to be exact). I do have good lenses though, that is where I have done most of my investing. Still, it makes me worry, can people really tell? =P I didn’t think they could, but he sure seemed to be able to! Of course, that could have been the lens used *shudders*
http://twitter.com/angelspov A. David Verde
JJB – “what happened to your 1 series.” Pretend Photog – “evidently we didn’t have it.” (wal-mart doesn’t carry that model lady, that’s why you didn’t have it.)
JJB – “what F stop did you use here?” Pretend Photog – ” we used I tripod.” (I’ve never heard of that aperture setting.)
JJB – “thats soft focus.” Pretend Photog – “We did that to the pictures.” (I feel like they haven’t visited youarenotaphotographer.com)
JJB – ” Its like walking into the chapel with a iPhone and talking about your going to be a profesional and take pictures on that.” (NICE!!!!!!!!! Oh wait………………………………………….Judge Joe Brown hasn’t visited fstoppers.com has he. iPhone + Lee Morris = Pro photog? Its possible. :-D )
Tom Coles
Half way through the video it was VERY clear the judge had already made up his mind. The ‘judge’ was badgering the photographer not allowing her to defend herself.
The irony is him chastising the photographer for not being a professional and here he is acting like a school yard bully …..Disgusting!!!!
http://twitter.com/infinityphotogr Infinity Photo
We charge so lowwwwwwwwwww If she charging 1300$ for a kitcamera & lens, then the pros should charge what?
Did she even knows what an f-stop is?
http://kenntam.com Kenn Tam
That’s one thing that bothers me about the Judge’s remarks. Honestly a good photographer who knows their light and how to use their gear well, can totally get away with that equipment. Joe makes it sound like, to be a professional you need to have “1 series” gear and you really don’t.
But as Luke McFadden said in the comments above, it’s important to not oversell yourself, especially when it comes to weddings. Know where you stand. be confident in your abilities but be honest to clients when it comes to your experience your limitations.
http://kenntam.com Kenn Tam
Lol. Sorry man. I just fixed the embed code so the video will start at 3:22. I put you through an extra 3 minutes and 22 seconds of mind melting idiocy that you could lived without. :P
http://peripatew.com Luke McFadden
:O
http://www.facebook.com/stokesstudios Nick Stokes
This is just another example of “You get what you pay for.” The photos suck because the photographer is not a professional (OBVIOUSLY). Did the bride really think that she was going to get wedding magazine quality images and prints for that price? Laughable!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000013742481 Glenn Marsh
They were clearly not professional photographers also she contradicted herself by saying early they did not know they could not use flash in the church and towards the end she says that today most churches do not allow flash usage.
Kenn Tam – IF you want good results with a slow lens in a low light area using a tripod would be helpful which they did not use. A professional wedding photographer is not going to use a canon kit lens in a dark church even a semi pro would know that and if you are on a budget buy a nifty fifty which can be had for $100 and would have gotten superior results over the kit lens. Thanks for posting this.
Tom Coles – it was very clear very early into this case that the photographer was full of shit, why waste time with someone who is misrepresenting herself as a professional when she obviously isn’t.
Having pro equipment does not make you a pro however having the right tools to do the job will get you better results.
The judge did the right thing. Hopefully this will help educate the consumer about why you should properly research who you are doing business with before hand and why hiring someone that knows what they are doing is worth the added cost. Also I hope that this will scare off the fly by night Craigs List shooters who are hurting the industry.
http://profiles.google.com/pixelwaster Michael Turcotte
Everybody is missing the point.
Did the pictures delivered match the samples shown? If yes, the bride is being a (insert favorite derogatory term here) and should pay the photographer for wasting her time. If they didn’t, the photographer refunds the money and the bride give the images back.Anything else is bullying and noise.
http://twitter.com/storyofanimage Rogelio Hernandez
“We have taken hundreds of weddings” Really? And you still use a kit lens and a Rebel? Nothing wrong with the Rebel if used properly, but you would think she would have invested in something more versatile if she has done “hundreds” of weddings. I mean, even keep the body but get a faster lens.
“You don’t know that until you get there” Has she ever heard of something called scouting?
I used to represent corporations in small claims courts to get judgments against non paying costumers. One thing I learned form the very first trial… You do not speak unless spoken to, you do not answer unless asked something, and you certainly never ever piss of the judge.
I could not see all of the pictures, and the quality of the video is not enough to notice the sharpness or lack of it, but the pose seemed nice enough to me.
But yes, this does not sound like a professional photographer to me at all.
Tom Coles
Well said!
Anonymous
Obviously they were not “professional” – saying they wouldn’t know about whether or not they could use flash until they got there is rubbish as you should *always* at the very least try and check these things out beforehand. In fact, you should visit the venue(s) beforehand (again, where possible, obviously) to speak to the people there to find out what is and what not allowed, as well as to find the best places to take photos from, see what light is available and to plan what lens/settings/whatever to use where.
But as has been mentioned, I think JB had already made his mind up and wasn’t even letting the photographer defend themselves. Saying that though, I think if they tried they probably would have dug themselves a deeper hole.
And that old saying comes to mind – “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. The B&G must take some responsibility here – they must have seen the quality of previous work, and if you go for the “cheap” option, there usually is a reason why it’s cheap.
http://twitter.com/storyofanimage Rogelio Hernandez
This is junk TV and he is doing what he is paid to do, create drama ala Jerry Springler (or whatever the name is).
But I once had to deal with a judge in Dallas county just like him, and loud like him. I was reset to retry and I simply did not show up, I knew the guy had already made up his mind.
http://twitter.com/storyofanimage Rogelio Hernandez
Not everyone has the money to buy a D3, even less when you are starting. Everyone started somewhere, some were lucky enough to get a daddy, or angel investor to buy the entire studio for them. I know a prominent photographer in Austin who had it all in a silver tray, but she is really good too.
I know another guy in Dallas who started by studying photography on Lynda.com and a D40 with a kit lens.
It is all about how much interest you put in your business and tools. If you really care for your business then you care for your clients, and if you do, then you will make the most out of your Rebel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Rebel if used properly. Just remember to reinvest in your business and get a good lens as soon as you can, you can get some primes if you don’t have the money for a good Zoom.
And honestly, if you are charging above 1000 dollars for event, then I am sorry but you should know perfectly well what is your lens speed, and also you should have taken the time to scout the venue.
Anonymous
I wish everyone asked why my lens is not fast enough.
Anonymous
Really have to agree here–as easy as it is to get into the argument whether the photographer marketed herself as a professional and why or why not the technical details of the gear mattered, what it comes down to is what was promised for the negotiated pricing.
As Michael said, if the advertised samples matched the quality of the results, the photographer clearly has a leg up. None of this was discussed (at least from the in-point set on the embedded video.)
Juan Carlos Hernandez
For the given amount paid for that wedding… You spend as much as you need to on rental equipment. And I believe the “photographers” friend, assistant or something confesses to them only having shot 1 wedding in the past. Another point for the lack of professionalism, there wasn’t a contract presented. Also, the T2i has a good enough sensor for large prints, I wouldn’t be surprised if the images were saved in a bad resolution and sent to print, given the ridiculousness of it all as it is. I particularly enjoyed the photoshopped image of the couple inside of a wreath.
Thanks for posting that, fairly entertaining.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000013742481 Glenn Marsh
1. Did the customer get what she paid for?
2. Where her expectations for paid services realistic?
3. Did the photographer deliver what she was contracted to
do?
4. Did the photographer
misrepresent or mislead the customer?
The answer to the first 3 question would mostly be subjective.
The answer to question number 4 is more easily answered and relies more on
facts then on opinion.
A. You cannot run a successful wedding photography business
if you are charging between $1000.00 – $1300. 00
B. Kit lens?
C. f-stop?
D. Flash or no flash in a church?
E. Low light environment, slow lens, no tripod?
She (the photographer) demonstrated that she is either not a
professional or is a very incompetent professional photographer and it is for
this reason that she lost the case.
The judge ruled correctly even if you don’t care for his
rough around the edge style.
http://twitter.com/Seshan Seshan
I was impressed.
Anonymous
Save Joe Brown, they are all idiots. When will people learn that no pro would devalue them self and do a whole wedding for $1,300. You get what you pay for, people should pay attention when they are hiring someone. Just the same, those ladies calling themselves “pros” is a farce and gross misrepresentation – which also needs to stop.
http://www.facebook.com/shannon.wimberly1 Shannon Wimberly
yeah… that can be scary. You do have to know how to use light, and the better the cameras ability to shoot in low light and having fast lenses will help when you walk into a church with “bad lighting”….. it helps to have a million dollar litigation insurance policy which is very reasonably priced too…… I do think the photographer in this video is very arrogant, I would have tried to appease the unhappy client before being dragged into court for all the world to see…… or just simply give them their money back…
Anonymous
If you have skill then you don’t need to visit the venue before. I guess you should go back to your kit lens.
http://profiles.google.com/jamesd3rd James Darden
Is this still going around? I think this is over a year old. I wonder how their business is going now?
Anonymous
Wow. I could take that as a personal insult, but I don’t want to get into a bitch fight right now so will give you the benefit of the doubt when you say “you” you mean “in general” and not just me…
But personally, no matter how good I (or anyone for that matter) may or may not be, I would rather be prepared than to be surprised at the last minute. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and all that.
Anonymous
Wow. I could take that as a personal insult, but I don’t want to get into a bitch fight right now so will give you the benefit of the doubt when you say “you” you mean “in general” and not just me…
But personally, no matter how good I (or anyone for that matter) may or may not be, I would rather be prepared than to be surprised at the last minute. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and all that.
Anonymous
The equipment thing is not important here. You can use whatever gear you want, the high end stuff just makes it easier to produce high quality. You can deliver good quality with lower end but you face restrictions. High end doesn’t make you a professional. Low end doesn’t make you an amateur.
The thing that stopped me in my tracks and was when she was asked what speed her lens was and she didn’t know. I got the impression she didn;t even know what that meant. That there is a amateur, and a poor one at that.
All that being said, being an amateur doesn’t make them guilty. Setting and expectation with the client and then not delivering on it – that makes you guilty.
http://profiles.google.com/bennydanny Benjamim Daniel
Well, a bad photographer that gives the product to the client in time… or a great photographer that takes 3 years to to give the photos to the client.. you can choose :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUeC-nE3cl4
Anonymous
Luckily I am fortunate enough to travel for many weddings I shoot and I am not paid to go to venues multiple times before hand. How would you propose handling that situation? I feel that your comment “always” refers to at least %80 of the time a photographer should be location scouting. Almost “always” my weddings are either a plan ride away or a few hour drive. I feel a “good” photographer not even a great photographer should be able to be thrown into just about any circumstance and come out with amazing results.
jorge pastrana
LOL
Anonymous
Please re-read my original comment and you’ll see that I said “(again, where possible, obviously)”. I know it’s not always possible to visit venues/locations beforehand. I know I could perhaps have worded it better, but I’m not that ignorant.
http://twitter.com/FilmBarrie Brent Barrie
Those women are clearly not professional photographers in the least. What they are, are girls with digital cameras that think auto is sufficient, and photoshop will save their arses.
You can shoot a wedding on an EF kit lens, you really can. But to not double check with the pastor about the flash, and to not understand the basics of photography?
Hardly professional.
And with a paycheck like that, they should know their stuff, because it was only a matter of time until they were ripped on by someone else, and in this case. Judge Brown delivered what was coming to them.
It’s insanely irritating seeing people like this making money. Just because they have the confidence to line up their DSLR’s body to the A on the dial, make sure the lens is full auto, and can use the on camera flash.
It’s degrading to the real photography scene. I could shoot better photos on a consumer point and shoot. Which is basically what these ladies turned their DSLR’s into.
http://twitter.com/_lauraeliza Laura Eliza
That is how I always looked at things, that if you know your light and know your gear and know how to use it properly, that counts more than anything. But, that being said, I don’t use my kit lens ;) I love my low fstop lenses.
Anyway, more on point, I guess the video just made me pause and consider how shooting with that camera can be perceived by someone. I usually don’t think about it, I just go and do my job. I never saw any problems with my Rebel until he seemed to judge her business on it. Though, can’t really blame him. Nice “photoshop”, and well, if I were shooting that many weddings, I would be a proud owner of my coveted 7D.
http://twitter.com/JPGodwin John Godwin
Well, if you want to put yourself forward as a serious professional, then you need that level of equipment. That is to say a professional using professional equipment. You can be a professional using amateur equipment, but that’s really like calling yourself a rally driver and burning around in a Pinto.
http://twitter.com/JPGodwin John Godwin
Yeah, that’s why he’s called a “judge”.
http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris
I’ve been shooting weddings for the last year with a couple of D7000 soccer mom cameras :)
http://www.facebook.com/vanderweide James VanderWeide
*slow clap*
http://www.facebook.com/chipspraguephotography Chip Sprague
This is from early 2010. Judge Joe was way out of line with his grandstanding, badgering and abuse of buzz words. Disgusting.
http://twitter.com/SerendipityCand Candice Cossel
I pretty sure the bride knew the photog was crappy from their portfolio. You get what you pay for. She should have invested.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=709725584 Paul Koziorowski
Sorry..but you get what you pay for.
Anonymous
LOL I’m surprised at some of these comments. The judge was out of line completely. It is up to the client to research what they are buying. He’s trying to show he knows something about photography and he just sounds like a fool. “Where’s your 1 series?” Umm why would you want to shoot anything besides the 5dmk2 around the airing of this show anyway if he wants to pull rank on pro choice cameras?
He’s a jerk and I feel bad for these photographers. I’m also wagering to bet many people that are dissing these women, don’t shoot much better than them yet advertise themselves as pros when they are using flikr as their website and still doing color isolations on black and white photos.
These women were trying to make a start and unfortunately ran into a crappy bride and groom. The judge insulted the two photographers while trying to build himself up. Many of you started off bad I’m sure and realized how difficult it was to learn the tricks of the trade without going to school for it.
Shame on those who put these women down in their first attempts to shoot. The photographers offered to compensate the plaintiffs but the judge went beyond reason just so he could prove he knew about Canon cameras. And how lame are those stupid people in the audience applauding like the even know what an fstop is.
This clip almost made me punch my screen. But my laptop is hot sexy time and I wont do that to my lil lady.
Please don’t post Judge Joe Brown again. He makes me not like black people……..AND I’M BLACK!
http://www.facebook.com/earthrokk David Shepherd
I shoot with D7000 and D90, but I rent the pro lenses when I do pro work. I wonder if the photographers posted the pictures to Facebook for marketing? Funny stuff.
Marian Cihoň
I’ve seen this long time ago. You folks may object, that the judge was not completely fair, but I am sorry, a professional photographer who claims to have shot “hundreds of weddings” still shoots on an entry level Canon and kit lenses? Yes, camera doesn’t make you photographer, but c’mon “a professional photographer” knows the limitations of such equipment and hundreds of weddings ~1000USD makes you enough money to get a proper gear…
http://www.elliottmontello.co.uk Elliott.G.Montello
LOL they should be put on http://youarenotaphotographer.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1498036442 Jason Smith
Lee, I’ve always been taught that it’s not necessarily the equipment that makes a photograph a photograph. Yes that photographer way over sold herself on capability, but can or would a real professional photographer be able to produce deliverable quality prints with equal equipment? I think so. Might be a good f-stoppers “back to basics” challenge!
http://twitter.com/vormkrijger vormkrijger
that woman can’t shoot weddings with a high-end tools either
a lens and body are just 20% of the quality of a photograph

[Video] Judge Brown Tears Cheap Wedding Photog a New One

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