'Photographer from Hell' Sued After Wedding Photography Catastrophe - UPDATE

Shooting a wedding can certainly be a daunting task, especially if you're new to the genre. However, self-described "up and coming photographer" Chloe Johnston soon learned that they, just like every other business venture, have a serious job that should not be taken lightly. In this instance, I'm not sure if it was a lack of experience, or maturity, or both. Ultimately she did not deliver a desirable final product. After which, she publicly tried to defame the bride and groom once they attempted to voice their concerns to her about the low photo count and overall poor quality of the images delivered.

There were various other grievances that the couple noted about Johnston including a deficit of equipment and tardiness. The main issues that I seem to find are as follows and as such can also serve as words of warning for anyone that is interested in becoming a professional photographer.

Food for Thought

Communication is key. According to an article from The Mirror, Johnston took a deposit and then made no other communications with the couple that she would be attending until 10 p.m. the night before the ceremony. Additionally, she arrived 45 minutes after the reception had already begun which leads me into the next point.

If you're hired to complete a job, it's extremely important to be able optimize the time you're given. Especially if you're on an hourly rate. Things like showing up on time and showing up with enough time that you can set up equipment prior to the slotted time are important. Additionally, it's also important that you stay on task and not get sidetracked to things that aren't actually in your job description for what you're working on.

Organization is critical; Whether it be your finances, your image data, or even the desired shot list a client gives you for a project. It's important to keep organized, that way you can keep your workflow streamlined and efficient.

Keeping contracts is important. Even this year I have learned some of the really unfortunate consequences of believing the power of a hand shake agreement. They can be your saving grace as long as you honor your side of the agreement.

Finally, and not directly correlated to the article in question, but always rise to the occasion, never settle, and should you not hit your mark with a project that you're working on, don't get discouraged. Re-examine what you did and figure out how to improve and move forward.

In Closing

On a final note, should you be in the market for a wedding photographer, you frequently get what you pay for. That's not to say that inexpensive photographers should never be used, that's not the case at all as many of them may just be starting out and learning the ropes and may be in your budget. However, manage your expectations. If you want photos that look like they were shot by a photographer that charges $6,000, don't hire a budget photographer and expect the same results.  When you're paying for that photographer, you're not only paying for their ability to take beautiful photographs, but also their reliability and professionalism.

Update (4/14/2016)

We reached out to Johnston to get her side of the story last night and made contact and we will be following up with more info should it come available. In the meantime however, more evidence has surfaced including more detailed statements from the couple as well as her use of stolen images on her website and Facebook to help garner her own business. We are still reaching out to Johnston in an effort to get her account of the events in detail. More information can be found here.

[via The Mirror]

Source: 'Photographer from Hell' Sued After Wedding Photography Catastrophe - UPDATE