I found J. Clawson Photography through weddingclassifieds.com and after weeks to months of emails back and forth with Joannessa, she proved to me that she was a wonderful person, honest and trustworthy, not out to make a buck, but out to capture those timeless moments of the most memorable day of my life. She sent me pictures of recent weddings she had photographed so I could get a good idea of what her work looked like, and I was blown away. I booked her for my June wedding.
We passed on the engagement session so she threw in more enlargements, and even a coffee table book! The wedding day came, her and her husband James showed up early, ready to take pictures and followed us all around as we set up, and got dressed for the day. James followed the groomsmen and my soon-to-be hubby and captured picturess of them goofing off and getting ready, and Joannessa followed me and the girls around and took pictures of us getting all gussied up. They took an awfully long time after the ceremony taking pictures, and unprofessionally argued with one another debating which poses were better, etc. So we ended up missing the appetizer mingling portion of our event. We made it inside, and mingled after eating, and as we made our way around to our guests, they prolonged us getting done sooner by stopping us to pose with each table. At the time, I was bothered, but after the fact, I thought it was a great idea so we could remember all of the people that came for our special day. They took TONS of photos, and I was so excited waiting to see them. They originally told me that they would have proofs to me before I left for my honeymoon (wedding Saturday, honeymoon Tuesday) so I could check them out and maybe, time permitted, even start my order with them for the prints I wanted.
Well, I didn't get them. Weeks and months after our wedding, I still hadn't seen anything, and no one was returning calls or emails. Finally, I stopped leaving messages, and just kept calling until I got a live person on the phone. Each time I actually was lucky enough to speak to someone, all I heard was excuse after excuse of why I didn't have a disk yet... Each time someone else had health problems, or their new baby was sick. I'm not one to not feel pity for those that are unhealthy, but after a while, I was sick of it.
When I finally got the disk, it came in a flexible envelope, no case, with my name scribbled on the front - misspelled even! The disk was badly scratched, and I couldn't even open the files on it. I took it to work, no computers there could open it, no family members could open it. Several more weeks went by before I finally got a replacement disk - this one came in the same condition; no protection at all. I was able to open it, but saw that some of the specific pictures I had requested they take, that they did take, were nowhere to be found. More messages, more emails. Finally I got through to one of them, only to hear that their assistant had moved files between their multiple computers, so they'd have to get another one to me with those files on it.
As of today, over a year later, I still don't have the other disk, and the only prints I have were those I paid additional out of pocket and purchased on my own. I don't have a disk with all photos on them, I don't have any prints, and I don't have my coffee table book I was promised, but they sure have all my cash!!!
Website is down, email is down, phones and faxes are disconnected. Now, I'm hearing rumors they've filed for bankruptcy and have a class action lawsuit against them, but I can't find any information on this lawsuit, or how to join up.
If anyone has any other information, please, please, please let me know! I want what I paid for! The most memorable day of my life is stuck in a computer somewhere, and I want to share it with family and friends without having to pay a fortune ADDITIONAL for what I should've gotten from them in the beginning!
0 comments