Question about bad wedding photos

[SamaraGugler]

My BIL got married in September and just got back their proofs. They are TERRIBLE!!! Everyone's skin looks either grey or totally washed out. It's so sad, it was a beautiful, totally over the top kind of wedding. The photographer shot with FILM, not digital. She was the biggest PITA and made the family sign that we wouldn't take pictures while she was. So, most didn't bring their cameras, me included.

I think that we might be able to salvage some of the pictures with a LOT of work. I scanned some of the proofs and I've played with a few and it's taking me HOURS to make them look ok. She's willing to sell them a disk, but since NOT one of the pictures is decent, I think she should either give them the disk or offer a HUGE discount. How do you approach that?

Thanks!
I blurred the faces of the innocent!! The unblurred one is my daughter.
This is scanned in, unretouched. Most of the photos are even worse than this.

This is after an hour of retouching.

[ashliwolf]

ugh..that totally stinks that they turned out like that..but you are awesome to fix them mY wedding video was about an iota away from becoming SKEET for my husband..it was the most TERRIBLE thing ever....what a beautiful service...i was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to get the video back and watch it..we had a watch party and everything...well, needless to say...not many watched it..b/c it was blurry and terrible..a TOTAL disaster {kinda a precursor for the next 7 1/2 years....things are better now...though{{not with the video..just the marriage}}

so..........anywho...happy editing...if ANYONE can do it...YOU DEFINITLEY can!

[MelindaH]

Wow! Have they asked the photographer to have the lab check the photos to make sure they didn't mess them up? Otherwise yeah ... that is very sad. I am not a professional and took pictures for my SIL's wedding and I think they turned out better than that first photo!

[SamaraGugler]

That's exactly it, all the photos look like something WORSE than what would come out of my little p&s kodak. SERIOUSLY!!!! I don't think there is a single photo that came out decent.

[jessica31876]

wow Im not sure what I would do. I would think at the very least she should be giving them the disk and possibly doing some sort of reshoot (although I know that it isnt possible to get any of the shots back but maybe to get at least a few really nice shots they could be happy with?)

Does she even offer an explanation about what happened and why the pictures look so horrible?

[jessica31876]

Oh and the other thing I noticed which could be from the scan but the photo is really blurry. I have taken photos like this when my camera goes from a very cold environment to a warm or humid one

[SamaraGugler]

These were shot on a very warm September day by a professional with pro. equipment, lights, reflectors, etc. She even had two assistants. Just for her services, we are talking about 2k.

The photos are a little blurry because I scanned them in. Most are not blurry IRL, however everything else is wrong.

This wedding was shot at a very exclusive country club and this photographer was recommended by them.

[Trina]

2K??? That is definitely not acceptable Good luck!

[pbumbaca]

WOW! That is so sad! I think they should tell the photographer they want their money back! Jeesh I am not a pro and I could do better than that! It's so nice of you to fix them up for them Samara!

[gerich]

You mentioned these photos were proofs - I know of some professional photographers who supply their proofs unedited and therefore not colour corrected. When you order the photos you want they colour correct just those photos. Our wedding photographer made a point of saying the colours of our proofs were not how the final photo would look - the skin tones in our proofs were a bit on the red side but the photos we ordered turned out fine. The proofs were for choosing poses and checking no-one was blinking etc. Our photographer was using film as well and was still able to colour correct the photos at the time of processing. Hope this helps.

Bernadette

[BrattyMeg]

I was about to say this looking like it's maybe a printing issue not a photographer/picture issue. I'd definitely ask the photographer if they were color corrected or are the colors just off b/c they are proofs. If these are the actual photos then I agree they are slightly terrible in color--surely no professional would sell that kind of service. Shrug...I'd def ask the photog. though

**ETA** I played with the orig scan to see what I could do to fix it..if you add a layer of blue and put it on normal-about 10% it really takes away some of that yellow. I boosted the color too

[Laura_A]

I definitely would NOT pay full price for those photos! I would also have the photographer have them redeveloped to see if the lab screwed up AND I would demand the disk for free since you're going to have to spend hours fixing her work. WOW, I can't believe she calls herself a professional. I'm so sorry.

[lizzyfizzy]

that is completely out of control. there should be a hefty discount involved as well as the disc free since your going to have to try to make them look decent. i would say DO NOT back down from getting a discount and disc...that is the LEAST she could do!

WOW!!! what a way to ruin the happiest day of someone's life.

[MelindaH]

Originally Posted by gerich

You mentioned these photos were proofs - I know of some professional photographers who supply their proofs unedited and therefore not colour corrected. When you order the photos you want they colour correct just those photos. Our wedding photographer made a point of saying the colours of our proofs were not how the final photo would look - the skin tones in our proofs were a bit on the red side but the photos we ordered turned out fine. The proofs were for choosing poses and checking no-one was blinking etc. Our photographer was using film as well and was still able to colour correct the photos at the time of processing. Hope this helps.

Bernadette

Yeah, this is what I was saying in a much more eloquent way. Maybe they just weren't spending a lot of time on the proofs because they are proofs. On the other hand, some people like to buy the proof sets in addition to their albums as a gift for their parents or something so they really should make the proof sets a little nicer if that is the issue.

It doesn't look like the lighting was the best. It appears the sun was behind them for that photo, and if that is the case, that wasn't the right way to be standing the group, was it? I thought the sun was supposed to be coming in on the group at an angle for the best lighting (and avoiding squinting)?

Melinda