Wednesday, October 14, 2009



So today while I was at work, I got a message from Boo.

It read: "Our engagement pictures came today : ) "

It should have read: " Our engagement pictures came today ) : "

As soon as I got home I excitedly popped in the disc and Boo and I watched in horror as the mess unfolded.

In every picture, something is wrong.

Now I will be the first to admit that I am overly critical of myself. I like to always put my best face forward, that's just me - I don't do bad press. So when these pictures unfolded before me the tears, they were a flowing.

Even Boo admitted that I didn't look good in most of them. You know if your fiance tells you that- something is wrong. If I was just being overly critical he would tell me so.

So like any disappointed bride-to-be would: I obsessed. I clicked through each picture over and over again trying to determine what went wrong- and ladies the problems were many.

Strike 1 : I am not directly looking at or facing the camera in any picture but one (ironically enough that's one of the ONLY ones I like) and Ben was. What this means is that my face and neck start to blend together making it look big (Ben also says he thinks it looks as though our photog. may have touched up my jaw line where I'm prone to blemishes and in doing so muddled my face) compared to Ben's head on look which stream lines his face. Even Ben says in some of the pics I look like a cartoon character.

Strike 2: The dress I was wearing had pockets that when I sat would bulge out adding inches to both sides of my waist. Said dress also fit snuggly under boobs but flowed from waist- therefore every time I was seated- said dress ballooned out making me look 5 mos. preggo. I did not notice this, nor did Ben. It should have been up to our photographer to notice and adjust the post or dress accordingly. Also Boo wore a black shirt and my dress was black- therefore anytime we were close together you couldn't tell where either of us began or ended.

Strike 3: Our photographer left shadows in the pictures! There is one in particular where Ben and I are a few inches apart,up next to a brick wall and there is a huge shadow between us making it look like we just flubber right on into one another! Boo opened photo shop and removed the shadow within 5 minutes...why in the hell didn't our photographer?!?!

Strike 4 and beyond: Our poses aren't flattering or natural looking, in one set I look like I'm asleep, in another we look like we're going to tip over because the pose is so awkward, in some pictures the light is so bright on one side of our faces as opposed to the other that our faces blend with our necks....and the list goes on....

So ... After all this I'm sure that you want to see some pictures amirite?

We'll start with the descent ones:



Probably the best of the bunch- but Ben and I don't look like equals I look like a "real housewife of" and Ben looks like the dude behind the fence.




This one is definitely a keeper....



I like this one as well....I guess that's cause you can't see my face ) :

Here's where it starts to ugly. In a few pics I broke out the red pen to demonstrate my points...

Trying to show you where the pockets are in the dress ....




Can you spot my "baby bump"? Or rather my dress poofing out/half turned pose....




Where is my jaw line on the right side...oh that's right stupid door was open casting sun light on it washing it out.... and again my face is turned to the side instead of forward

But if you though that was bad...here is the mother load:

What the hell is that...even Ben says I look like a cartoon gopher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not to mention I'm sitting turned funny- making my hip look like my ass (ask anyone I have the flattest ass in the world) and those damn pockets are adding bulk again!

And last but not least:


We just roll right into each other like the Amber and Ben blob but there's a huge shadow between us! And I promise I'm not just being vain - I never said I was skinny but when Ben removed the shadow in photoshop (which I don't have saved) it shaved off 50 lbs!

SO Frustrating!

Anyway, there are more but its late and I'm sure you're all tired of my vanity. To make a very long story a little bit shorter. I've emailed and asked my photog for a reshoot. If I can't trust his angles and editing now- how can I ever trust him with the wedding day pics?

So I drafted this email and am awaiting response:

Dear Photographer,

Ben and I received our engagement pictures today and had the chance to review them tonight. I wish I could say that we loved them, but to be perfectly honest we were both disappointed with the results. I want to start by saying that I don't mean any of this to suggest that you aren't a good photographer; clearly we think you are otherwise we would not have chosen you to be such a vital part of our big day. However, we feel that there are many things working against the quality of these pictures and we wish to re-shoot with you to correct these problems.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a skinny lady- I carry some extra weight around my middle and I will own up to that in the pictures where that is my only issue (after all I can't ask you to make me look like Heidi Klum - you are a photographer not a magician! )

With that being said; when signing our contract with you we assumed that regardless of physical size you would do your very best to put us in poses and settings that would flatter our shapes and most of these pictures fail to do so.

There are pictures where it is clear that the pockets in my dress are pushing out creating the appearance of a wider middle, there are also pictures where shadows cast between Ben and myself do not allow for the viewer to accurately see where my body ends and Ben's begins. There are times where I am turned in ways, with my arms in positions that you can't even tell I have a waist! As I mentioned before I don't flatter myself to believe that I have a perfect figure- but I look in the mirror everyday and I know that I still have a waist!

I know that you and I discussed wardrobe selection on the phone prior to our session and yes, I selected the dress- with the pockets that I chose to wear that day- but I think it is part of your job as the photographer to either say, "No, that dress won't work for this" - which it clearly didn't or to work with what was in front of you in a way that will give your customer complete satisfaction. And these customers aren't completely satisfied.

Besides "size vanity" we have several other issues. There are a couple of pictures where Ben and I look like we're going fall over because we're seated awkwardly, in another picture I look like I'm asleep, in yet another the light is shining so brightly on us it muddles the lines of our faces. In almost no picture do you have me looking or facing toward the camera. Perhaps I naturally gravitate towards the hip-cocked pose but I'm (clearly) not a model- I was trusting you to determine if that was a flattering pose for me or not!

I don't mean to be picky and again I don't want you to think that we don't like your work- but these are our engagement pictures and hopefully we're going to be looking back and cherishing them for the rest of our lives. Furthermore we are putting our trust completely in Cincinnati Digital when it comes to our wedding pictures and unlike engagement pictures - there is no do-over.

Please help to make this right and restore our faith in you, our chosen photographer by allowing us to come back in for a re-shoot in the very near future.

We are available one week from Friday and that following Monday and of course other dates are also negotiable.

Thank you,


Did I do the right thing in asking him to reshoot? Am I being too critical. I'm not fishing for compliments I just want some validation that I did the right thing and approached in the right manner.

Any thoughts?

I guess in all I'm just disappointed over the quality and over the fact that I don't think there is any one picture that captures Ben and I as people or as a couple- we just look like two awkward people thrown into a semi- attractive background.

Sigh.

That's what I get for high expectations.

I'll keep you posted.

Much Love,

Miss Amber Lane










7 comments:

Liana said...

i think honestly your pictures look great. we're all overly critical of ourselves, but i neeeever would have pointed out the things you penned in girl! i definatley think talk to the photographer, you paid for the pictures and you don't want to look back and be dissapointed :)

Megan said...

I think they look great but if it was me, I'd ask for a re-shoot. If you're not happy and don't say anything, you'll end up regretting it.

Leigh Hutchens Burch said...

I think you are well within your rights to ask for a redo, but I wonder if the photog will charge you for it.

There is nothing worse than photog fear! I hope he responds well to your letter. Keep us posted!

There's No Place Like Memphis Mama said...

If you are not happy with them then by all means ask for a reshoot...they are your photos and you are paying money for them so you should be happy with them.

Rachel Ann said...

Your Photog should be taken out back and slapped around for these! These pictures don't even really look like y'all. He didn't capture any of the "you-ness" in those pictures, and I certainly don't see your personality (or Ben's) coming through in any way. Also, you are right, the photographer SHOULD have noticed the pockets, and other flaws in that dress, it's his job to make you look good. Even the cute black and white one... He framed up that shot in the most awkward way possible, and it looks like Ben is about to push you over.

Honestly, If it were me, I'd be demanding refunds, and looking for new photographers.

Leslie @ A Blonde Ambition said...

Girl you're paying for these pics, so you should definitely get what you want! I think they are good though...You really are so beautiful, so don't be so hard on yourself : )

You only get married once though, so if you aren't happy with them, definitely
ask for a re-do!

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