My goodness! This entire story is the stuff of NIGHTMARES! I hate to sound like the voice of doom or some kind of a negative influence, here on the Hog, but common folks- what's going on? What is the "profession" of wedding photography coming to- is it going to the proverbial "hell in a handbasket" scenario?! Is there total consumer ignorance and/or total lack of professionalism on the part of so-called wedding shooters.Perhaps, in this situation, there is a combination of both!

What ever happened to writing proper contracts for wedding photography coverage? In my book, a photographer not showing up at a properly booked wedding is a MORTAL SIN, a career ender, and grounds for a nasty and devastating lawsuit. Do brides nowadays, think so little of their wedding photography that the don't communicate, on an ongoing basis, with their wedding photographer as preparations are moving along? This has got to be the worst case of a communications breakdown that I have every heard! By the way, it's up to the PROFESSIONAL photographer to keep the channels of communication open at all times and make sure all plans are well understood by all parties concerned and are intact right up to the wedding day!

When an emergency situation occurs, and a real pro steps in, that professional must take charge and should not have to put up with interference from relatives or other craziness. Taking control of the situation in a gentle yet stern manner is oftentimes part of the job! If control;l is somehow lost, it's like walking into a hornet's nest!

Call me old fashioned or call me a grouchy old geezer but to me, once a job is booked- it is carved in stone- it is entered on the agenda- I have one at the studio and one at home. Same goes for spare equipment! If my studio burns down to the ground, I can still cover my assigned weddings. The only excuse for not showing up on time is DEATH! I have covered weddings with bad colds, fever, and injuries. If you car won't start, you take a taxi! If the job is out of town, you get there a few days prior to the date! You always have spare gear and charged batteries. I have always networked with other photographers to the extent that in the event of serious disablement, there is always someone to cover for you- no excuses! If I drop dead, right in the midst of an assignment, my assistant is always a capable shooter!

Think about this! What if the clergy or officiator forgot about the wedding- the caterer, the florist, the limo drivers? Why should the photographer get away with this nonsense! Would the clients leave any of other vendors or service people to last minute preparations? I think not!

Again! I don't mean to be the grumpy guy around here but I do like the idea of folks who take on wedding photography, on a full or part-time basis, to take their work seriously. Even verbal contracts are binding! Get everything down in writing! Forgetting an assignment is not an option- it's grounds for a lawsuit and rightly so! Being the official photographer at a wedding is not a "hobby" kind of thing!

Sincerely, Ed

AMEN Ed!

I'm very against society being so litigious, but in this case, I seriously think that the "photographer" should be sued out of existence. Not just to benefit the bride and groom, but to save future brides and grooms from the same type treatment. I become friends will all my couples, and we always stay in touch. I can't imagine doing something like this to anyone.

As for Bobbee's comment. I do try to explain that when in "sales meetings." If I get the "vibe" that they don't agree I generally pass. Those are the people that will never understand that besides the ring, and the marriage, our work will outlast anything else that happens on that day, so it should be considered much more major that what DJ they pick, or what music they play, as well as the cake. Depending on the couple, I have made the comment "you know what happens to all the food and cake in about 24 hours? (turns to sh.t.... I don't spell it out, but they get it) Then I tell them that their album will outlast them. Which is more important? I can't say stuff like that to certain couples, but the more laid back ones, that I prefer working with, really do come around.

Hi Greg, It's easy to quickly identify your center of interest, a beautiful woman, with perfect makeup, amazing eyes and a seductive 'come hither'expression. Wow! For me, the crop is near perfect as well. Then I notice that she looks like she is swimming in a pond of water so muddy that it just looks Ike when she gets out she'll be covered in some unsavory mud, leaches and masquitoe larva. I'm thinking that the color of your water, as it looks here, is probably not accurate to what you see on your computer monitor, and probably not what you wanted. I run into the same problem occasionally, myself, and I can't find a successful way to edit and print an interesting photo like this that probably looks browner than you wanted in the print version when the screen version looks un-muddy. Is my observation about the brown correct, and if so, what have you tried and/or what suggestions do you have for a relative Photoshop neophyte to correct this problem in my own work. Thanks for posting such a beautiful photo.