“But we paid YOU. YOU work for us. We should have received THAT photo.”
Thankfully, that’s not a phrase I have heard often, but it is a dagger (and a red flag) anytime I do.
Nothing is worse than disappointing, except disappointing when there was literally nothing that could be done on my end about the situation. As a photographer, the disappointment generally comes from realizing there is a photo missing from a gallery.
For that reason, many photographers have a clause like this in their wedding photography contract:
6. Artistic Discretion; No Specific Images. Every reasonable effort will be made to take pictures you love or request, but no specific pose or photograph can be guaranteed. The Couple agrees that the Photographer has sole artistic discretion in the performance of the Services and shall not hold Photographer responsible for any specific image.
Any failure by Photographer to deliver any specific image shall not be a breach of this Contract and shall not result in any refunds. The Photographer shall not be required to deliver every image taken at event, and the determination of delivered images is left solely to the Photographer’s discretion.
-2024 KLP LCC Wedding Photography Contract
Why can’t we make this guarantee? Lots of reasons:
SOME ARE TECHNICAL
Not all gear is created equal, and not all scenarios lend themselves to some gear. I have literally had the request to do what is the equivalent of a drone shot while stressing I am droneless (for now). I pride myself of my lens arsenal, but there are somethings a digital camera just cannot do.
Furthermore, we can’t replicate the vibe of a beautiful Arizona sunset on a vibrantly sunny Minnesota summer day. A bright white brick building won’t be the same as a warm red barn. Lighting, setting, vibes are all different, and those will all work to create a different photo. I know this sounds obvious, but in our over-inspired day and age, these variables are sometimes discounted and results in disappointment in imagery.
On that note, any quick moments without time to adjust settings could also result in lost images. Going from light to dark or vice versa without some time cushion to let your photographer adjust settings could cause a missed moment.
The Solution: Book your vendors for what you see, not just what (you think) you want. Trust us, trust our process…and give us space to do our thang for you.
SOME ARE ORGANIZATIONAL
Wedding days can sometimes be like snowplowing: The more we fall behind, the more that piles up and spills over and the less effective we are. Even the best laid plan can derail, and that can lead to a time crunch. There are only so many hours in a day, and even less in contracted photography coverage, so some things might have to fall by the wayside to make room for what matters most.
The Solution: Build a timeline with some flexibility to create pockets of time to make sure there’s time for what you truly want.
SOME ARE BECAUSE OF A COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
As much as we would love to be, vendors are not mindreaders. If we didn’t know with warning what photos you want, we can’t take them. Personally, I send out a slew of education in the form of a 100-page planning guide with sample shot lists, and I also put out a questionnaire and strategic emails leading up to a wedding day that open the doors to brainstorming and discussion to make sure I know what family photos you want and what details/moments matter most. If I’m not taken up on those chances to communicate and that opportunity isn’t taken, I won’t know what you seek and will default to what I know. That’s human nature. There is no one-size-fits-all photography experience, so we have to work together to make sure what I see through my viewfinder is what you have for your vision.
The Solution: Communicate with your vendors BEFORE your day so they can have a plan of how they will accommodate your request, should you have any.
SOME ARE ACTUALLY ILLEGAL
Copyright with photography is an awesome, yet weird thing. In some instances, those pins you’ve sent or that TikTok you’ve screenshot could actually be protected material, meaning it is illegal for us to replicate (and if not illegal, somewhat shady). There are also some things that are flat out just wrong and super, duper illegal (ahem, senior photos on rail road tracks). This is why many photographers will have this clause in their wedding photography contract.
The Solution: Be inspired, but realistic about images you see online. Leave Copy and Paste for the keyboard.
Your wedding day is a huge day in your life, and we all know that you just want the best of those memories capture. We don’t have these restrictive clauses in our wedding photography contract to be buzzkills, but more to set expectations. Bad news is best avoided but being upfront, and this is our way of setting the stage so when you see your final gallery, you see what you want to see, and nothing else.
Kayla Lee is a Minnesota-based wedding and elopement photographer (and handcrafter and designer on the side). She serves elegant, authentic, sentimental couples who not only choose their own adventures, but also live them to the fullest! See more about the KLP Wedding Experience!
On Mondays we educate! Check out the blog every Monday for a new post to help you plan your wedding your way! Find past posts here!
