Double H Media

Review: I went to this photographer to have pictures taken for modeling agency. Very few were good most were not professional quality. I needed 4 right away to send to agency the rest he was going to fix at his convenience. I got opinions about the pictures and it was unanymous the one made me look way older than my age and not in a good way. So two of the four I needed fixed because there were problems. Originally I had told him specifically what I wanted him to edit on each picture and he failed to do so. Then when he sent then pictures back to me days later the way I originally wanted he had said it was photoshoppped too much and not representative of his work. Well there's pictures that he took with arm placement and just bad judgement as a supposed professional that I should never have to pay for. So ultimately he's there to please the client and didn't. All of this would've never gotten this far if he would've did what I asked in the first place. I have all the emails and texts back and forth as well. So he said wouldn't do them like that and didn't understand what I meant when I sent him two other pictures to fix. He didn't understand what I wanted him to do with them when I clearly stated I wanted him to fix them up and just forget the other two for now. But he chose to say "I think it would be better if we would just part ways and I'll give you a refund." Then a few days later he said that job was all but finished when it clearly wasn't he had all of 100 pictures to edit before the job being done. So he said he didn't think it was fair to give me a full refund it would be fair for half. Well he's dragging this thing out I want my money and now because it's a different day I think he changed his mind again. He gave his word that I would get a full refund I didn't ask that was his suggestion. So I feel entitled it. I have someone else that can fulfill the job. In the end it was worse of him to make me pay for pictures that clearily can't be used then to have photoshopped.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund. He was the first one to suggest it and I now have to hire a different photographer which I did and I had called the modeling agency and they are waiting for my pictures. He went from a full refund to half of a refund and returning the disc I have. I don't have any usuable pictures now. Clearly I told him step by step details in each picture of what to get rid of and he failed to do so because he didn't want to, knowing this was my first shot at a modeling career.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Let’s start with the facts. I photographed the client Monday, August 5, at 6:00PM. We shot approximately 120 photos of various poses, outfits, and lighting. A few days later, I provided her with a link to 105 images for her to preview. [redacted] She was going to choose a few of her favorites, and let me know what needed retouched on those images. I did the retouching, and provided her with another set of proofs, [redacted] She approved them and I burned a disc containing those retouched photos. She received the disc. That evening she left a text and voicemail indicating she was extremely unhappy, that she looked much older in the photos, and that it looked like make-up caked on her face. I immediately looked at the images she approved, and images that she got on disc.

There was no difference. I was very confused about what she was seeing that was different than the photos she approved, (afterwards I found out she viewed her proofs on an iPhone, not suitable at all for proofing large image files) At that point, I decided trying to understand her and spending any more time on the job was a waste of time, and said I would refund some of the money. I pushed aside other clients to get her job finished in a timely manner. After I said this, she told me she actually didn’t like the photos from the start, and that she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. In my opinion, anything after she made that decision not be upfront an honest is null and void. I have no idea how she would expect to get what she wants if she wasn’t upfront an honest about the photos, let a lone a refund. She indicated that she liked some of them, but not all of them. There was some satisfaction on her part. What she didn’t seem to understand is when you do any sort of photo shoot, you always take a lot more than you need and then whittle it down to the best photos—not every shot is going to be a winner Out of a hundred-plus images, she was happy with a few. In fact, as of this writing, she still has one of the photos as her profile photo on a social media website, and a few more on a post she made. If I were unhappy with them, I certainly wouldn't use them for anything. Yes, I did say I would give her half of her money back, but this was before she told me she wasn’t up front for fear of hurting my feelings, (how can I be expected to give a client what they want when they aren’t upfront and honest?) And, not to mention, she is using one of the photos as a profile photo. I know if I were not satisfied, I certainly wouldn't use it online.

When she arrived for the shoot, she had almost no make-up on and her hair was not styled. She said she wanted a natural look. The photos reflected just that. The lighting was correct, the images were in focus, color-corrected, and sized properly for her needs. My gut feeling is she probably felt insecure with the results, and regretted not wearing make-up and having her hair styled, and thought she couid get something for nothing.

If you look at my online reviews, you will see nothing but positive experiences from all past clients who reviewed me. I feel I did what I thought was what she wanted, and she is happy with some of the images. I also have no guarantee that she won't use the images elsewhere. I have never had any issues like this with any of my clients. Of course, they were all honest and upfront from the start, not after all of the work was done and approved.

My gut tells me she realized that not doing hair and make-up before a photo shoot was a mistake, and decided she was getting her money back. She approved the work, I did the work, she changes her mind and dislikes most of the photos. I am torn here. I want to be the better person and just write a check and be done with it all, but I also must stand with my principles. I'd love to hear a neutral point-of-view.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I do not have his photo as my profile picture on [redacted] and it was his idea to refund me the money the whol amount first and go our separate ways. I specifically sent him the pictures I wanted and every detail I wanted him to photoshop. When I said I didn't lik them and the consensus among people is that they made m look old he went back and photoshopped them again and somehow they came out looking exactly how I wanted them to look in the first place. I told him to get rif of lines under eyes and at mouth and he failed to the first time. But when he re did them automatically they were gone! He said it wasn't representative of his work. Well it's his job to please the clint and he didn't do that for all the pictures. On an average with a photograher you pay for atleast 20 pictures to be edited. He did less than 4 satisfactorily. I can email them to you. I can also email you th texts where he said he would reimburse me. By the way I had to pay for another photographer to get the job done. I did not approve all of the photos either. I can send you a picture that he thinks I should be happy with and is representative of him. I even asked him afterwards to forget the two that I didn't like and to edit two new ones which is still way UNDER twenty photos to be edited and that's when he told me I think I should just refund you and we go our seperate ways. So for him to say I wanted to get something for nothing is absurd! He was trying screw me and only do four pictures when on average evry photographer for that price edits around 20 pictures. And he kept saying that the job was all but done. It wasn't even half way done. I don't appreciate him trying to take advantage of someone who never had pictures taken before. Just because I said I only needed four for the modeling agency doesn't mean he can be a shady business man and only do some of the work. It doesn't matter what I viewed the pictures on it's not about that. when they were printed out they were not to my liking I asked him to remove things he didn't and I didn't get th full number of edited photos I should have either. I also gave him two other options to edit so I could quickly get them to the agency but it was his idea once again to refund me in full at that time and go our separate ways. Then every other day as he came up with some other reason it came down to oh he's now refunding me only half then he's sending me the check. Then he wanted the disc back and he will send the check. Reality I never got the check and that's why I contacted you. I liked a few of the pictures but there is only two that are photoshopped the way I want them the rest are not I have zit on my forehead therefore I can't use any of the pictures unless they are fixed. And it had nothing to with not having makeup. Agencies want to se you as natural as pissible thats why I chose no makeup. As far as using the pictures I'm using them so I don't know what he's talking about. If he knew anything about agencies that is what they look for. I learned that from my modeling school. He didn't edit all of phtos so I'm not sure what he meanbs when he says "after all the work was done and approved." He didn't edit all of the pictures. And him being a photogragher knows full well he got over on me by only editing 4 photos. So him saying he wasted more time than any other client is outrageous. Most people that go to him are not for modeling agencies either, they are for personal pictures where it doesn't matter as much. If he wanted to write a check then he should. Call other photograghers and ask them how many photos they edit for $150. Then make your decision. I will try now and get my text messages and some photos in order for you they will be coming via email.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Out of goodwill, I will be sending a check to you, for the client, for half the amount. Although I strongly oppose doing this, I did say I would. I don't feel she is taking any responsibility for not being upfront and honest from the start. If she had, all of this would have been avoided, and none of us would be wasting valuable time dealing with it. She failed by not being upfront, by viewing proofs on her iPhone, and by coming to my studio without make-up or her hair styled and expecting not to look her age. I don't think it’s fair to do a full refund because she did give me an approval every step of the process.

Thank you,