Looking for opinion on wedding photos

My grandson recently got married the bride lived in St Louis and so did many of her relative's so the wedding was in St Louis.

The photographers that they talked to wanted from 2k to 3k for the shoot.
The kids did not want to spend that much on photo's and hired a woman for $1200 she passed herself off as a pro.

Before they actually got the prints she sent him a password to the photos that she had put on her site.
He sent me the password and I was shocked. He is taller than his bride and most of the photos cut his head off at the eyebrows.

The photos of them dancing was very soft since they were moving I think she used too slow of a shutter speed.

I told him he should try to get her to lower the price but he was happy with them and paid her.
My wife and I are old and in poor health so we did not go but I wish I could have gone because while I'm just someone who enjoys shooting wildlife I know I could have taken much better photos than that.

I understand they shopped for a lower price but is this what one should expect when someone passes themselves off as a pro wedding photographer.

I would like to hear from some who are wedding photographers on this

I hate to say that "you get what you pay for" but for that amount of money, I would expect much better results. The only real option is to ask the photographer for a partial refund based on the number of photos shot vs the number of unacceptable images.

jcolman wrote in post #16286069
I hate to say that "you get what you pay for" but for that amount of money, I would expect much better results. The only real option is to ask the photographer for a partial refund based on the number of photos shot vs the number of unacceptable images.

Thanks for your reply. Yes I know they shopped for price but I have given photos away to people that was waaaay better than what these wedding photos were.
I find it hard to believe someone would pass themselves off as a pro and take such photos.

Are you able to upload any of the examples? Its kind of hard for us to say they got ripped off without seeing some of the best photos, and some of the worst photos. In regard to getting what you pay for, there are photographers out there worth more than what they charge, and there are those who aren't worth half of what they charge. You just have to do your research.

I'm afraid it happens a lot. At my 50th high school reunion there was a so-called professional hired to shoot a group shot and the result was staggeringly poor. It was done with a prosumer camera--nothing wrong there--but the posing and the concept showed that she had no idea how to do a group shot. In the enlargements, unless you could remember where you were standing, you could not identify anyone. There were two of us in the group with 40 years experience each, the other in commercial video and me, a retired news photographer. We were chatting as the shot was being set up and we both had suggested to the organizers beforehand that either of us would have been happy to set up a shot at cost. We agreed at the time that there was no way the shoot was going to turn out.

Everyone was spread out in four long lines, spaced apart about ten feet in depth on a sloping hill. The idea was obviously that a longer lens, I think she was using something like a Tamron 70-300mm, would compress the group while the slope would put each line high enough above the other that no one would be obscured. Of course we were all squinting into a setting sun. What none of knew until we got the print was that she decided we would all want to remember what country club we were holding the event at, as she included the colorful shrubbery arranged and clipped to spell out its name off to one side. 150 people strung out on a grassy slope with a great big sign off to one side and depth of field, no doubt, to contain it all--but she had probably never heard of diffraction with digital sensors. I hope you can imagine the result.

Trent Gillespie wrote in post #16286203
Are you able to upload any of the examples? Its kind of hard for us to say they got ripped off without seeing some of the best photos, and some of the worst photos. In regard to getting what you pay for, there are photographers out there worth more than what they charge, and there are those who aren't worth half of what they charge. You just have to do your research.

I don't remember the password but it has been a few months so I'm sure they are no longer on the site.

My grandson and his wife were happy so I guess that is all that matters but you don't need to know much to know that when the photographer cuts you head off that is not acceptable she is lucky that he did not say anything.

Black Bart wrote in post #16286246
I don't remember the password but it has been a few months so I'm sure they are no longer on the site.

My grandson and his wife were happy so I guess that is all that matters but you don't need to know much to know that when the photographer cuts you head off that is not acceptable she is lucky that he did not say anything.

Actually it's a trend today to cut off the heads in some of the shots. Not a trend I particularly care for but if it was just a few shots, then I wouldn't worry.

I'm not sure they got ripped off. Photography is a moving art and is constantly changing. I'm pretty sure every wedding photographer is trying to push the limit and create different and more in your face type of work. I mean a lot of people and photographers hate my style too, heck sometimes I hate my own style but I do know some people like it.

Your grandson and his wife picked the photographer after viewing their portfolio so it might be the style they wanted and price might be right for them - that's why they are happy with the photos.

jcolman wrote in post #16287193
Actually it's a trend today to cut off the heads in some of the shots. Not a trend I particularly care for but if it was just a few shots, then I wouldn't worry.

Well this is the first I have ever heard of that.
Maybe the new trend if they are not able to compose correctly.

I like to shoot motor-sports and wildlife if someone can not get a person posing for a photo framed right they better not try a bird in flight or a car at 180mph.

Black Bart wrote in post #16287252
Well this is the first I have ever heard of that.
Maybe the new trend if they are not able to compose correctly.

I like to shoot motor-sports and wildlife if someone can not get a person posing for a photo framed right they better not try a bird in flight or a car at 180mph.

I rather doubt that they are "unable to compose correctly". But I would have to see the images to know for sure. You and I are old school and it's not our style, but as I mentioned previously, it's a new trend. The blurry dance shots could be on purpose as well. But if all the dance photos were blurry, then I blame the photographer for not knowing proper technique.