In case you missed the training or it was above or beneath you, I am going to give you a few pointers. Like it or not, you are in a Customer Service business. Would it have killed you to demonstrate of modicum of pleasantness? Your constant scowl was more than a little off putting. Our family consists of three generations ranging in age from 2 through 84. Asking my parents to straddle a coupe of pieces of styrofoam was crossing the line. Luckily Maternal Countessa did not allow them to even attempt the pose. After that, things went downhill.
It is no wonder that the pictures you presented us with were less than par. There were 9 of us in the portrait. Between you asking me to kneel in a very uncomfortable and awkward position and then asking us to wave frantically at some sensor above our heads to get your flash to work, it was quite difficult to agree upon any pictures. To be honest, I only agreed to the one so that our ordeal could end quicker.
This picture far outshines the one we purchased:
I wonder who took their photo?
Maybe next year we will do more research and find a photographer that will a) actually enjoy their work and b) their enjoyment will rub off on us.
Love and Kisses - Wicked
22 comments:
Oh wow! Reminds me of some of my experiences with my kids!
The best part of the whole picture taking affair was lunch at the Cheesecake factory with a glass of Pinot.....bah humbug to that squirrely woman!
well if it was wal-mart.... they do not really get trained to take pictures LOL just knowing how to developed them even then that is questionable
I'll take pictures of the family whenever you want. I can beat those stick pictures everyday.
For some people, a job is just a job. For others, it's an experience to be enjoyed. I'm sorry that you got a photographer who lives by the first sentiment! And love the photo you posted!
Small Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
Yep, with 3 kids, that would be probably better than most of mine too!
My hubby does excellent portraits. Won't help you unless you live in NC, but they far outshine those awful department store people.
www.joneckard.com
www.jeckard.com
I have just started dabbling in photography but even after an 8 week course (intro to fundamentals) I don't feel like I'm qualified to take family portraits of others. I bet this dude had even less training. But yeah, he could have at least faked the customer service part;)
I hope you didn't pay him! :P I can never get my family to sit still for an actual portrait, all we have our a few snapshots here and there, but no real photo of us all together posing quietly... :P Anyway, the photo you chose is awesome! :-D
Sorry you had such an upsetting experiences - it is really hard to get a great family photo of a large group, but this photographer made a real mess of the whole interaction. An experienced professional appointment with a reputable studio is likely to be a much happier time and you will be pleased with the results. Ask for recommendations and check their references, but mostly have a fun time that the family will remember with a smile.
Actually, I rather like the drawing. You should leave it and use it as a family portrait.
Here's my point -- we've got plenty o' family photos up on the walls in my home. What happens? People just look past them.
Your illustration grabs attention, certainly. Besides, it shows a sense of humor (a rare thing these days).
Innocence is gold.
Kids are better than adults sometimes.
Lol, I know EXACTLY how you felt!
this was a hilarious read. Im still curious who did the drawing in the pic, though...
This must must must go on the group blog.
You're sharper than a lean mosquito girl.
That's pretty disappointing. And in all honesty, the employer shouldn't be working if he doesn't realize what you experienced.
HAHAHA that's hilarious. I thought you were really talking about someone at a store or something. LMAO that's cute.
Wow! Where did you go?
I have to tell you, the family photo experience is ALWAYS a stressful day for me. We go to The Picture People and even though I feel like we always deal with chaos, long waits and disorganization... but our pictures always turn out so beautifully that we keep going back.
I just don't know that having family portraits done CAN be pleasant. It might break some universal rule. Just like, license photos can't be flattering.
What a cute picture.
What a whacknut. Every time I get bad attitude from customer service people, I feel like saying, "Well, if you don't like your job, do something different."
Hey, man, I used to work for a portrait company that was in K-Mart and Wal-Mart. Training was minimal, as was the studio. The studios aren't really meant to house that many people.
The photographers are usually pretty bad at the job. I was okay after what I learned. The phot quality is decent, but remember, the prices you pay at those places is WAY less then most other places.
That photographer should have warned you in the beginning that the studio wasn't very conducive to large families. She should have been as accomodating as possible, given the circumstances.
Those photographers are salespeople, really. The main agenda is to push portrait packages, but to do really well, the photographers have to take decent pictures, give good customer service, and deal with people who only want the advertised package (they get in trouble and can lose their jobs if they don't sell a certain level of packages).
I feel for ya. I totally believe you that it was sub-par.
Oh! IT's a nice blog... web application
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