Mistakes I made having chosen JudithAnn Photography and mistakes JudithAnn Photography made.
It was up to me to choose the photographer for our wedding. I didn't have a wedding planner or anyone else to go with me to pick out the photographer. All of which was new for me to do and at the time money somewhat wasn't an issue.
When I went to JudithAnn Photography she seemed like a friendly and easy to work with photographer. I told her I had a limit of about $1500 for photos, which is the amount my parents offered me so I could have a professional photographer. Personally I could have been fine with just an amateur photographer. Since I told JudithAnn my price limit she pushed for me to get the imprinted magazine, because it was cheaper than the proofs and a new thing she was doing with her clients and I was the first. The rest of the money covered for her time of taking our photos in her studio and at our wedding reception, for the proof photos taken in her studio, but not of the wedding reception, and a 20x24 photo that was taken at her studio.
JudithAnn tried to impress upon me that wedding photos are priceless and lots of people spend $5,000-$10,000 on their wedding photos.
Mistakes that were made:
1st mistake: Buying the imprinted magazine and allowing JudithAnn to take it back for the order process
She told me the index photo imprinted magazine was going to be mine to keep, instead of buying the proofs because it was the new thing to do and cheaper. When we went to go look at the photos and place an order she asked for the imprinted magazine back, so she can us it for her ordering process. I felt uneasy about giving it back to her. I have never been able to see it again.
2nd mistake: Many horrible shadows caused by her professional lights
The pictures taken of Colby and I in her studio with a black background, Colby sitting in front, low to the side of me, her lighting caused a dark shadow of Colby's head on me. Making the side of me that's behind Colby appear much darker than the other side of me
All the other times she caused shadows were with the group shots during the wedding reception of my bridal party and family standing close to a wall. We all look like we have mullets do to the shadows caused by her professional light stand. JudithAnn on the other hand blames the shadows were caused by the lighting in the building and other flashing of cameras next to her. That was not true. The others were not flashing their cameras when she was. The photos that were taken with the disposable cameras didn't show us having mullets. I shown my photos to another professional photographer and she claimed the shadows were caused by her professional lights.
At the time we were looking at the photos to order them we didn't notice the shadows in the photos until my mother received the photos she paid for and the proofs I received from the studio shots. When we did notice the shadows I called and complained to JudithAnn Photography. At first she said it was going to cost extra to have them fixed. I told her if that was going to be so, then I wouldn't buy them from her. With that said, she offered to only fix the shadows once I pay for my order in full.
3rd mistake: Buying too big of an order.
I should have paid more attention to the price of the photos. A month after the reception, July when I placed the order money didn't seem like an issue, especially since she stated in the back of the imprinted magazine that she understands the financial problems newlyweds go through and would allow them 5 years to pay for the photos at no interest.in order for me to be able to have all the photos I desired it was going to cost about $3100 for about 130 photos. Each 4x6 photo cost $20-25 at the time I ordered the photos; afterwards it would be about $40 a piece if I changed my order. I figured we could pay $3100 within the five years, just not in the first couple years. The first couple of months we were married we could hardly afford milk and then there were debt payments, paying for the necessities of life, bills, getting pregnant, and having a baby. My husband and I weren't about to pay anything until we knew we could afford it.
4th mistake: JudithAnn wanted all or nothing.
Jan. JudithAnn Photography sent a letter to my mother and I regarding that I haven't made any payments on the order yet and I had a year to pay for them. Her contract did not saying anything about having a year to pay for them. My reason for not paying for them yet is because we didn't have the money for it at the time and I knew we had 5 years to pay for it. She also stated in the letter that I had until mid Feb. 2006 to pay for the photos and that I have been taking too long to make any payments on them, the photos were no less than great, the shadows were not caused by her, the shadows in the photos my mom bought will not get fixed unless I bought my order in full.
My parents discussed the letter she sent. They didn't want us to go with out any photos from my wedding reception. She was going to offer me $500 to get the photos I wanted and avoid the ones that have shadows in them.
I called JudithAnn and explained the whole situation to her politely, apologized for not making any payments, and asked if I could cancel that big order and getting something smaller instead and pay up front with the money my parents were offering me.
She refused it all. I held my tongue as long as I could. Finally I told her I regretted ever having her as a photographer and her customer service is bull*.
I related the whole experience to the same photographer that confirmed the cause of the shadows in the photos, she said to go to her studio and demand a copy of the contracts. I went and asked to see the imprinted magazine and a copy of the contracts and apologized for blowing up at her on the phone, hoping to put her on pedestal and she will do the same. She didn't. She said the invoice order was the contract, which didn't have a one year time frame mentioned on it to pay for the order and she wouldn't show me the imprinted magazine.
If I knew then when I was choosing the photographer for my wedding, what I know now, I would have had JudithAnn write and sign everything she was offering to me and give a copy to me at the time or even better yet got a different photographer.
I wish I would have kept that invoice/order and the letter she sent me. But what I do have are photos showing the shadows her professional lighting caused on our photos. I threw away the invoice/order and the letter she sent me hoping to forgive and forget. I realize I can't forget, every time I think of a wedding or a reception I think of the poor customer service JudithAnn provided to me and wish I could still do something about it, which causes a few sleepless nights.
I hope no one else has to go through the same trouble I went through and never take someone's word for anything these days, to put everything down on paper, sign it, and keep a copy of it.
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