MK Shoot Issues

[Dani916]

Hi All-

I am sure this is posted somewhere but before I go through a ton of TR's I wanted to know if I could get a quicker answer.

We had our portrait session and we are very disappointed with the pictures. Seriously disappointed. While there are about 5 that are good, the rest are not what a professional photo should look like. I wrote about it in my PJ.

This was on of the most important things to me and I want to cry. I wondered if anyone else has links to pictures that they were or were not happy with. I would like to compare our pictures with others. I know each photographer is different and has their own style, but seeing other people's who were unhappy (or even thrilled) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Dani

 

[PartofDisney'sWorld]

Check out this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2578100

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. It amazes me that it has happened AGAIN!

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

dani i feel so bad about your pics. i've been thinking about this a lot today.

i really feel like all future DFTW brides should raise the concern to their coordinator and/or planner with hopes that if enough people express how nervous they are about having bad pictures that maybe they'll do something about it. i know this doesn't help since yours are already done, but how many more times does this have to happen?? sorry for hijacking.

 

[leonix8238]

Hi Dani,

I'm so sorry to hear of your disappointment. I completely agree this is entirely unacceptable, especially from Disney.

You're more than welcome to take a look at some of the shots our photographer, Amy took of us on 7th December 2010. Personally we are very happy with them, though I have seen much better shoots. I'll PM you the link.

In all honesty we didn't have much of a rapport with Amy and it was bitter cold for everyone that morning so I think it was a little more hurried and straight forward than usual, there were definitely no 'fun' or particularly creative shots.

Despite the lack of rapport you could tell Amy knew what she was doing and we both feel it was worth it for the whole experience and for the photographs.

I sincerely hope you can come to an arrangement with Disney that you are happy with. There really is no excuse for these negative experiences. Good luck with getting it sorted, we're rooting for you!

 

[Ember]

I'm so sorry to hear this is happening again. There were several brides who were very disappointed with their shoots a few years ago, and I recently had no end of troubles when my pictures were out of focus!

You may be able to get Disney to re-shoot your pictures, if that's something that interests you. I know a few brides on the boards who have had re-shoots. If it's any other kind of compensation you're looking for, you're probably out of luck. It was a war with Disney to try and get any help when over 1/2 my images were blurry, never mind about liking them.

Try contacting the Creative Media Manager Tonya Wilson at 321-239-2479 or Tonya.Wilson@disney.com , she's the manager and was the one who eventually got me my half-hearted resolution.

 

[Firefly09]

I'm really sorry to hear that your MK shoot did not turn out well. I hope that Disney can offer some resolution for you. It's concerning that this is still occurring. When paying for professional photography, we should be able to depend on the quality and you'd think something like knowing how to focus a picture properly would be basic knowledge for anyone purporting to be a professional photographer.

Your experience is really making me rethink whether it's worth getting up extra early on my wedding day (ok, I would probably be too excite to sleep anyway) and paying the extra $1100 to take a chance on bad pictures.

But your wedding looked beautiful otherwise!!

 

[sambycat]

girl, i feel your pain... our shoot is just over a week away... and i don't know what to expect. did you get to see your pics at all before you bought the CD? i figure we will at least get the album etc... and i think people can buy individual pics if they want from the website? i think, of the pics you posted, the crazy white light actually looks amazing on YOU but is so strange being "in" the picture!

sigh. i don't understand why, when this crap clearly goes on, they just don't let you have whatever you bought and refund the cash. i personally think i will look bizarre and hideous in every picture, due to my own natural photogenicity (not), so expectations are low....

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

I'm sorry to hear about another shoot that people are not satisfied with. This is why we cut the MK shoot from our budget - we just don't have $1100 that we are willing to risk spending when there have been so many people who are unhappy. I understand that there are just as many, if not more, people who ARE happy with them, but it doesn't seem fair that we have to fork over so much money without having any say in who the photographer is. I really hope you can reach a resolution with Disney. It's so disappointing that so many people end up with unsatisfactory photos.

 

[Ember]

I just checked out your planning journal, I didn't realize you're photos were also out of focus!! I can't believe they let this happen to another bride. I'm so sorry. Seriously, I hope you raise h*ll and let them have it.

 

[Kristen Wynn Photo]

Have any of you called and asked Disney what are the qualifications for the professional photographers used for the Magic Kingdom and other in-park shoots?

I only ask because, as a local photographer, I know the going rate for photographers at Disney and it is very low, especially for Photopass and other positions. These photographers do not use their own equipment, they use Disney's. So they are given minimal training, minimum wage pay, and sent out to use what they are given. I've seen in-park photogs shooting on automatic mode. (Understandable since they are NOT photogs, but rather just employees-they are no more photogs than the cook at a restaurant is a true chef). They may not be retouching their own images-heck, they may not even be reviewing their own images beyond what they can see on the LCD.

I'm very sorry you did not like your images.

Rather than just complaining and trying to get money back after the fact, I think it would help if a lot of potential MK photo shoot brides called and asked what qualifications these photogs have, what kind of equipment they are using, if the photog runs their own business outside of Disney, if they've attended school for photography, how much they are being paid, etc.

I think an additional challenge is that these MK shoots are done in the near darkness. That's a challenge for an experienced photog with a lot of equipment, additional lighting, and an assistant, let alone a Disney employee. I'm not saying this as an excuse, but the lighting conditions are difficult at that hour. Ultimately, because these photogs are not shooting under their own name/business, the care may simply not be there. They get paid either way and probably don't get paid much. They don't see the images right away, versus an independent photog HAS to get it right or we don't get paid. We review the images that day, leaving time for a reshoot if we aren't satisfied too.