A CL ad you MUST see!

[ShotByTom]

Ok...so I was looking through craigslist and came across this ad for a free wedding photographer..well, not free in their eyes...read on, it gets better!

Here's the heading:

LOOKING TO EXPAND OR BUILD YOUR WEDDING PORTFOLIO

the ad reads:

As the wedding coordinator and event design company for an upcoming wedding in September of this year at The Hostess House in Marion, IN we are seeking upcoming professional wedding vendors who are looking to build or expand their wedding portfolio.

Images from this wedding will be displayed on the couple's wedding website and will also be featured in our company's profile which can be seen on The Knot, Get Married, The Wedding Vendor and The Wedding Wire. All participating vendors will also have the opportunity to partner with our company as a vendor on our preferred vendor list for our future bridal and event clients.

Interested? Please feel free to visit the couple's wedding website at http://www.bruceproposed2rhonda.com or you can contact us via email at info@bruceproposed2rhonda.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers!

So...what you have here is a wedding coordinator that is doing a wedding for free, asking for a photographer to shoot the wedding...for free..with the promise that your photos will be posted on the free coordinators website...AND the couples free wedding website!

SO...I HAD to look at the couples website...www.bruceproposed2rhonda.com

Not only do they have the nerve to ask someone to plan the wedding, shoot the wedding, and cater the wedding...all for free...but they are asking people to DONATE money to their "dream honeymoon" and have set up a page for donations!

They are calling this a "Sponsored Wedding". Amazing! Oh...and it's not really a wedding, they are renewing their vows, they were actually married in 1989...

[5Dmaniac]

And you know - there certainly will be enough suckers jumping on this. It's amazing!

[nonameowns]

it's sad that people think technology today is cheap and shouldn't charge much or none at all

[Apollo.11]

Well they have a few "sponsors" listed, but not many. I would at least call the couple creative. Better than couples mortgaging their future to throw a fancy party.

[Scatterbrained]

Well they have a few "sponsors" listed, but not many. I would at least call the couple creative. Better than couples mortgaging their future to throw a fancy party.

I'm willing to bet every one of their "sponsors" are either family or friends. I think it's funny that the page says "welcome to family, friends, and wedding enthusiasts.." as if getting married is some sort of sport and people go around attending weddings for the fun of it. I think they've watched wedding crashers one too many times.

[Apollo.11]

I'm willing to bet every one of their "sponsors" are either family or friends. I think it's funny that the page says "welcome to family, friends, and wedding enthusiasts.." as if getting married is some sort of sport and people go around attending weddings for the fun of it. I think they've watched wedding crashers one too many times.

Agreed.

[luciddreamer]

Cool, wonder if any enthusiasts would like to sponsor my lens addiction.

[Joelene]

Scary, it is a trend.. the sponsored wedding thing.. I am getting requests more and more and more for them...

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2179991&page=1

They started it and the masses have followed...and are being encouraged to do it...

http://trulyweddingfavors.com/articles/sponsored-weddings

[Fernando]

I would love to point my Boney Finger of Judgment at the couple but we had a photo booth (to use as favors) lined up to do the pics for free as they wanted to become a preferred vendor for the venue. We also had a honeymoon registry that paid for most of the 7 days in St. Lucia. Beats getting a bunch of candlesticks and place settings.

Now, when the photo booth backed out about 6 weeks out for a paying gig I didn't hold it against them.


For our photographer, caterer, and flowers we took no chances and page out a pretty penny.

I even jokingly offered our marketing dept. the opportunity to be title sponsor. They passed.

-F

[kjonnnn]

As offended as many may be, celebrities do this all the time.

[edge100]

As offended as many may be, celebrities do this all the time.

Yep. Something tells me though that having my name splashed around People magazine as the "official photographer for Celebrity X" is going to get me a wee bit more publicity (and business) than being the sucker who shot Bruce and Rhonda's little shin-dig.

[ShotByTom]

As offended as many may be, celebrities do this all the time.

That's a new one on me! I've always seen how much money celebrities spend, never who sponsored them.

[digirebelva]

Yep. Something tells me though that having my name splashed around People magazine as the "official photographer for Celebrity X" is going to get me a wee bit more publicity (and business) than being the sucker who shot Bruce and Rhonda's little shin-dig.

Just a bit...:D

[AZAlphaDog]

You know how little league teams have the sponsors name on the back of their jerseys?

Get stickers printed up advertising your photography business and plaster them all over the wedding dress, every table, all backgrounds, everyone in the wedding party must wear a t-shirt with your name on both sides, your logo must appear on the cake in at least 3 places . . .

It's all good . . .

this could work out real well for the enterprising photographer, wink, wink

[MikeFairbanks]

It's rude behavior, plain and simple. They are freeloading off the hard work of others.

Nobody should expect anything for free. Just rude.

I'd like to shoot their wedding for free and underexpose every single shot.

Then I'd give them a refund of all they paid.

[photoguy6405]

Cool, wonder if any enthusiasts would like to sponsor my lens addiction.
Only if your name is Ken Rockwell.

[memoriesoftomorrow]

I wonder if I can get someone to sponsor my living costs for the next 50 years or so... that should just about cover it.

[tkbslc]

It's rude behavior, plain and simple. They are freeloading off the hard work of others.

Nobody should expect anything for free. Just rude.

I'd like to shoot their wedding for free and underexpose every single shot.

Then I'd give them a refund of all they paid.

You are a teacher, right? Can you believe our state legislature nearly passed a bill to allow ads on our local school buses? People are nuts, I tell you.

[QueenChatty]

Cool, wonder if any enthusiasts would like to sponsor my lens addiction.
bw!You and me both LOL!!

[ShotByTom]

You are a teacher, right? Can you believe our state legislature nearly passed a bill to allow ads on our local school buses? People are nuts, I tell you.

Eli Lilly offered $25m to our police dept to buy police cars, they asked to have a small sticker on the rear bumper, nothing else, and our city said no..."The Arts" got an extra $25m and our dept didn't buy cars for two years!

[asysin2leads]

It's rude behavior, plain and simple. They are freeloading off the hard work of others.

Nobody should expect anything for free. Just rude.

I'd like to shoot their wedding for free and underexpose every single shot.

Then I'd give them a refund of all they paid.

That's funny. Either that or show up with a couple of small cardboard boxes painted black with "Canoon" logos on them. Get some Pringles cans and paint them white. This could be fun.

Only if your name is Ken Rockwell.

Name-dropper. ;)

[photoguy6405]

In all seriousness I'm torn on this. On the one hand, i agree with the sentiment that it is rude and boorish.

On the other hand, if they ask, and people comply of their own free will (i.e., no coercion), then who am I to say they can't do it? Rude and boorish does not equal illegal, nor should it.

[Picture North Carolina]

On the other hand, if they ask, and people comply of their own free will (i.e., no coercion), then who am I to say they can't do it? Rude and boorish does not equal illegal, nor should it.

Exactly. Either the coordinator or the bride or groom is a marketing genius. If they make it work, good for them - they save a ton of money.

Do you try to save money in your life? Are you a bad person or rude because you want the new lens or camera at a lower price so you purchase it online which forces the local camera stores to go bankrupt? Do you feel you "owe something" to the local camera store business sector and as such, should always purchase from them at a higher price?

One example. The list is endless. And one can easily see the hypocrisy of it all.

I don't mean this to sound as harsh as it does, but rather it's meant to be honest and straight to the point:

it's legal, every consumer of a product or service has a right to do whatever they want with their money, any provider of a service has a right to do what they want with their service, and it will continue to happen. If you are a pro who doesn't like this behavior there's nothing you can do about it other than sell your cameras and find another profession.

[ShotByTom]

Exactly. Either the coordinator or the bride or groom is a marketing genius. If they make it work, good for them - they save a ton of money.

Do you try to save money in your life? Are you a bad person or rude because you want the new lens or camera at a lower price so you purchase it online which forces the local camera stores to go bankrupt? Do you feel you "owe something" to the local camera store business sector and as such, should always purchase from them at a higher price?

One example. The list is endless. And one can easily see the hypocrisy of it all.

I don't mean this to sound as harsh as it does, but rather it's meant to be honest and straight to the point:

it's legal, every consumer of a product or service has a right to do whatever they want with their money, any provider of a service has a right to do what they want with their service, and it will continue to happen. If you are a pro who doesn't like this behavior there's nothing you can do about it other than sell your cameras and find another profession.


No one said anything about it being illegal. It's just another example of our "gimme" society. Too many people expect others to do things for them, rather than working to accomplish and do the things you want for yourself.

The worst part of it, for me...was using the death of their daughter to justify asking others to pay for this.

[Picture North Carolina]

No one said anything about it being illegal..

I didn't either.

I was responding to photoguy6405 post.

read the thread.

Too many people expect others to do things for them, rather than working to accomplish and do the things you want for yourself.

What's that got to do with anything? That's a general political statement about society. Has nothing to do with photography.

[scorpio_e]

It's rude behavior, plain and simple. They are freeloading off the hard work of others.

Nobody should expect anything for free. Just rude.

I'd like to shoot their wedding for free and underexpose every single shot.

Then I'd give them a refund of all they paid.

Which is nothing ;)

[scorpio_e]

I have seen a similar ad in New Jersey. If they can find some sucker..good for them !!!! Those of us who shoot professionally understand how hard this job really is.

[ShotByTom]

I didn't either.

I was responding to photoguy6405 post.

read the thread.



What's that got to do with anything? That's a general political statement about society. Has nothing to do with photography.

oh boy...:rolleyes:

I guess you didn't see this part of my statement..."It's just another example of our "gimme" society."

[Picture North Carolina]

I had to send an email..

I saw you ad an it is very nice and I would like be be a sponsor. I take really good fotos.

I have a REBEL XT digital camera and it is really cool. I have a back up camera too!!!! It is a nice DROID and I have taken some good fotos with it too.
I do not have a flash but I can borrow one from my cousin.. Well you really do not need a flash because I can fotos in really dark places too. It has an ISO thing to adjust for dark places.

Almost forgot I got ZOOM lens and I can zoom in on stuff kinda far away !!!!!

Can't wait to shoot your wedding!!!


I wonder if I will get a reply *LOL*

And what did that accomplish?

It accomplished only one thing: it wasted your valuable time.

For pete sakes, people stop whining!

These threads pop up all the time - whining and sniveling about the portrait photog who is undercutting everybody's prices, the wedding photog who sells a cheaper package, and on and on.

It is simply the nature of free enterprise. It is simply the nature of business. And if you do not understand that, you should not be in business to begin with.

Instead of whining in forums and wasting time sending fake emails, what you should be doing with your time is developing marketing strategies to address problems and competition - ways to promote your product irregardless of what others are doing. And if you don't understand that's what you should be doing with your time, you know very little about business and are probably doomed to failure.

Edit: and why I wasted my time on this thread, I'll never know. unsubscribing. Whine away.

[ShotByTom]

And what did that accomplish?

It accomplished only one thing: it wasted your valuable time.

For pete sakes, people stop whining!



Wow...you take yourself WAY to seriously! I can imagine what it's like working with you...
"Hey, did you hear about the man from Nantucket?"
You: "Shut the F up, I'm working on a marketing strategy!"





Do you try to save money in your life? Are you a bad person or rude because you want the new lens or camera at a lower price so you purchase it online which forces the local camera stores to go bankrupt? Do you feel you "owe something" to the local camera store business sector and as such, should always purchase from them at a higher price?

it's legal, every consumer of a product or service has a right to do whatever they want with their money, any provider of a service has a right to do what they want with their service, and it will continue to happen. If you are a pro who doesn't like this behavior there's nothing you can do about it other than sell your cameras and find another profession.

If no one said it was illegal, then why did you feel the need to tell us it was legal??


So....as long as we're judging people, let's judge your rediculous post...

They say they got married in '89 and couldn't afford a wedding, had a bunch of kids they couldn't afford, adopted more kids they couldn't afford...now they want a glamorous wedding and honeymoon that they can't afford...so, because their daughter died and they have a bunch of debt, they want strangers to pay for everything for them.

And you think that's the same as someone ordering a lens off the internet to save money rather than buying it at a local store...:confused:

So...your advice is:

If you are a pro who doesn't like this behavior there's nothing you can do about it other than sell your cameras and find another profession.

So my judgement of your post is that your analogy is asinine and your advise is foolish.

Hey...that was kind of fun!


Lighten up Your Honor! :rolleyes:

[photoguy6405]

No one said anything about it being illegal. It's just another example of our "gimme" society. Too many people expect others to do things for them, rather than working to accomplish and do the things you want for yourself.

The worst part of it, for me...was using the death of their daughter to justify asking others to pay for this.
Is it really our current "gimme" society, or are we viewing history with rose-colored glasses? Seems to me that all of human history has always had certain segments that have tried to take shortcuts and/or get something for nothing.

[ShotByTom]

Is it really our current "gimme" society, or are we viewing history with rose-colored glasses? Seems to me that all of human history has always had certain segments that have tried to take shortcuts and/or get something for nothing.

I agree with you, but given the size of our social entitlements, I would say our current situation is far worse than it's ever been!

[scorpio_e]

And what did that accomplish?

It accomplished only one thing: it wasted your valuable time.

For pete sakes, people stop whining!

These threads pop up all the time - whining and sniveling about the portrait photog who is undercutting everybody's prices, the wedding photog who sells a cheaper package, and on and on.

It is simply the nature of free enterprise. It is simply the nature of business. And if you do not understand that, you should not be in business to begin with.

Instead of whining in forums and wasting time sending fake emails, what you should be doing with your time is developing marketing strategies to address problems and competition - ways to promote your product irregardless of what others are doing. And if you don't understand that's what you should be doing with your time, you know very little about business and are probably doomed to failure.

Edit: and why I wasted my time on this thread, I'll never know. unsubscribing. Whine away.

I got to vent sooo..I feel better...30 seconds to send an email..I am refreshed.!!!!! As far as wasting time..You spent more time and effort in a response to me than I did on my email to these cheap skates *L*

Maybe you should rethink how you waste you time in the forum..