Wedding Photographer Discusses His 1-Star Review Horror Story

If you've ever photographed a wedding — or really any important event or shoot — you know that a client being unhappy is your worst nightmare. Well, it happened to this photographer and he talks candidly about how it unfolded.

I have shot a fair few weddings at this point and I have been extremely particular about who I work with. The reason for this is more or less what happens to John Branch in this video. If you feel as if there's something not quite right between you and the bride and groom, I would recommend walking away from the job. Weddings are high pressure and whatever you see in the meetings beforehand by way of red flags, will be exacerbated beyond comprehension.

Although I haven't had a wedding go wrong, I have had one important shoot fail. It was for a brand I wanted to work with and it landed on my lap when they were in a bind with a tight deadline. They sent me the brief and it was not the sort of work I do, and I told them so. However, they were asking me to help them out and had been recommended to me by a client of mine I worked with for several years. So, I figured out how to do what they wanted and shot it. I paid close attention to the example images but they were incorrect in several places. The client and I hadn't communicated enough and the images I delivered were not fit for purpose. I refunded the client and we mended fences, but I was devasted. The sentiment Branch shares in his story about "wanting to quit photography" might seem extreme or even childish, but I had the exact same response.

Rob Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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2 Comments

Your videos are always helpful, and I am not shooting weddings.

" If you feel as if there's something not quite right between you and the bride and groom, I would recommend walking away from the job"

That's easier to do with commercial accounts. Personal jobs like weddings require great care and clear documentation. In today's litigious society, discrimination suits are profitable for cash as well as publicity.