This morning I found myself sucked up in a thread of comments and posts relating to the issue of a photographer who failed to deliver wedding images to a client. It’s sad to say that this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Facebook posts about brides that never get their wedding photos, even if they’ve paid and signed a contract. It’s so frustrating to me how a photographer can ruin their reputation, and even more frustrating for the clients to never see any professional images that they had paid for. If this isn’t a bride’s worst nightmare, I don’t know what is.
This is a real problem out there in the industry, folks. Currently the wedding photographer industry is even more saturated than ever, because the barrier to entry into this industry is low and very easy. As soon as you get a decent camera, and can throw up a Facebook page or website, you’re now a wedding photographer.
But growing your business is where the real business world kicks in. It’s easy to shoot a ton of weddings, and then feel “backed-up” in image editing. But the process of delivering images is probably one of the most important ways to grow your business and trust with your market. It’s a horrible way to do business when you fail to deliver what you promised. An old farmer once said to me, “never make promises that you cannot keep.”
One time I was a second photographer at a wedding. When you’re a 2nd photographer, you’re supposed to be basically invisible to that lead photographer’s clients, but somehow that photographer’s client from a different wedding contacted me. She was desperate to see her photos. I don’t know the situation, of why or how she didn’t receive her wedding images, but all I can say is that if you’re looking for a wedding photographer, look for a photographer who is building their brand, is a registered business, and read reviews.
Unfortunately, there’s not an easy way to predict whether the photographer will deliver images or not. But if you know that the photographer really cares, and is full time in building their business, you can have a little trust! I hope and pray that you won’t find yourself in any sticky situation or nightmare.