To request that our wedding photographer edit our photos in a particular way?

[Mumtobe193]

So I booked my photographer last year, to be honest we picked this particular photographer because he was offering a very competitive price compared to many other photographers and I’m wondering if we’ve done the right thing, although his pictures are nice, the way a lot of his photos are edited maybe isn’t our cup of tea. Quite a few of his photos are quite dark and moody, high contrast, bold colours, extreme closes ups of faces in getting ready photos, dramatic lighting, bridal portraits of bride standing looking very serious just staring off into the distance. We prefer lighter airier looking photos personally, with a softer focus, and more natural maybe even slightly pastel tones to colours, We also prefer photos of people with more natural smiley expressions, as opposed to serious faces. A few of his photos are more as I’ve just described, but many are much darker and more dramatic, which isn’t really what we’re looking for.

We don’t want to break our contract with him as we don’t want to let him down and we’d rather not lose our deposit, as we are on a budget. But we don’t want to regret our choice of photographer as I in particular am very fussy about photos and they’re the one tangible thing we will have left of our wedding after the day has been and gone.

So would it be cheeky of me just to let him know how I would prefer our photos to be edited? How do I put it to him without offending him? Could I just email over a few of his photos that we like the style of, explaining what it is we like about them and that we would like our photos to be similar? How do I convey to him what we don’t like/want without it sounding rude?

Should I just cancel with him altogether and book a photographer we do like the editing style of?

Should I just cancel with him altogether and book a photographer we do like the editing style of?

Yes.

You’re regretting it already, because you booked the wrong photographer for what you want.

Cut your losses and cancel now. You’ll lose your deposit, but it’s not going to work to ask for the images and edit to be so completely different to the photographer’s style. It just doesn’t work that way.

Cancel and find someone who does the style you like.

You can ask but if I were them I wouldn't be happy. I think you need to cancel and book a photographer who's style you like. It really isn't that easy to ask someone creative to just do things differently if that's not their style.

Cut your losses OP and cancel now.

Although if it's any reassurance, I love my wedding photos but ten years on, I can't tell you the last time I bothered to look at them beyond the couple I have in frames about the house. Most of the best ones (my favourites) on the day were actually taken by guests.

A photographer can't just change their style overnight to suit you, you really need to talk to them and explain and forgo your deposit

I'm afraid I think you should cut your losses and chnage your photographer.
You book a photographer for their style (assuming you like it) - unfortunately you can't ask them to change it to suit your taste. Well, you can, but I wouldnt, and wouldnt be surprised if they ysaid no.
Its their art, style and their livelihood, it would be like asking you to write with your opposite hand i bet!

Cancel him and book someone else.
a) you dont want any awkwardness with them on the day if it casues any issues and b) you dont want to look at your photos with regret...

You should book the photographer based on their photographs, not their price. I think you're right, you need to find someone different who can give you the photos you want.

He should have asked you how you wanted the photos to be. Have you told him what combinations of shots you specifically want yet? I.e bride groom and parents, bride groom best man maid of honour, etc etc etc? I'd use that an opportunity to say how you want photos editing and how you want them captured.

Our photographers were awesome, we asked for captured moments rather than posed shots and they did it perfectly.

A good photographer will be able to edit them however you want. Also ask for him to keep all the originals for you.

You can tell him the style you like and ask if he has any samples of his work in that style.

If he hasn't done that style before, cancel.

Yabu. You're getting married not posing for hello magazine

If you don't like his style, you should never have booked him.

It’s not even so much about the deposit, I would feel like a terrible person letting him down. But I suppose I’d feel just as terrible basically slating his work to him, it’s not even that his photos aren’t nice, they’re great photos and they’re very professional looking, just maybe not how we envisioned our photos to look. We had to postpone due to the current situation and he was great, even offered us extra photos and a free storybook album as consolation for having to postpone. He’s been great to be honest, and I’d feel so guilty cancelling, especially as so many small businesses are really struggling at the moment.

Pretty torn about what to do tbh ..

Because we’ve had to postpone it means we now have lots of extra time to save and to actually have some of the things we had to compromise on due to budget restrictions. Photography being one of those things.

Some of his photos are the style you like right? Tell him so, and ask him to focus on that style. He might well do both styles and have just selected the moodier ones for publicity because they’re artier.

@Etinox yes quite a few of his earlier photos are in the style that we like.

I’m thinking maybe I might save a few photos from his social media that are in our preferred style and when I email him over our list of group shots, I might attach the photos I’ve saved and just say how much I really liked the way he edited those photos, and that we would love our photos to be edited in a similar style. Think that’s the most polite way of doing it.

When you book a photographer you should first meet up to see their work and speak together to understand their personality.Good vibes between you. Do you like their style??Go for it.Not too keen..speak up first.Will content you,ok. After the photos are shot,too late.Another bit of advice.Cheap doesn't mean bargin.Go for a professional.The photos will be the only thing that you'll keep after your big day.

It seems you've seen his work,that's his stile.Like it,go for it.Not keen,you'll probably regret it later

Trickykid.Well said

Cancel. That's his style. You're looking for something different. My friend wasn't happy with her pics but when you looked at the photographer's website they were very similar to what was on there so I don't know why she booked him. Speaking as someone who has been let down by certain wedding vendors in the last I would say cancel.

Past

It sounds like he may use natural light a lot. It's also about whether he uses prime or zoom lenses, even the type of camera he uses will affect the warmth or otherwise of the photos.
No-one has ever asked me to change my style and I don't think I could do it.
To be honest a conversation like that would unnerve me and I'm not sure that's how I'd want to feel before photographing a wedding.

If I cancel with him what would be the best most polite way of putting it? How would explain my reason for doing so without offending him?

So you don’t like the reportage style but you’ve booked a photographer who does the reportage style.

I would lie and say you're cancelling the wedding. You've decided to go abroad when it all calms down.

Having a good rapport, which it sounds as if you have with him is also really really important. Ours was so lovely not a prat on a box that four friends booked him afterwards, based on his presence as much as the photos. You don’t look at the photos much over the years but you do remember the bullying or loud photographer, so talk with him. He might well say that’s my favourite style too, but the moody ones are more popular or he might push back, in which case cut your losses.