Engagement Photo Advice

Just about a month ago I had an engagement shoot and used a friend from high school that is starting a small photography business. She's always been really creative so I trusted that we would get some good photos out of it. FH and I got new outfits, had my hair and makeup done, and paid her for it. It was cheaper than having our wedding photographer do it, but it was still a paid service. We figured we would be happy with the results.

She was great at first and sent us a few pictures that night. A few days later she put up a Dropbox for us to see her progress. She said that she still had a bunch more to edit and would put them up as she did them. She hasn't put any up in about 3 weeks. I'm also pretty disappointed in a lot of them. All of the ones taken at our last location (the place I really wanted to go) are shadowy and really dark. They don't even look like she tried to edit them.

The photos she put in the Dropbox are really low resolution and our Save the Dates turned out a little blurry. I told her this and she just blamed Vistaprint. I told her that I didn't want to rush her but also had purchased a photo book from Groupon that expires at the end of the month so would really appreciate if she could send me a USB of the hi res images, even if she just picks the better ones and sends them unedited. She ignored my Facebook message.

Not to mention, but a few weeks ago she asked what photo she could put up on her Photography Facebook page and I told her any of the red, white, and blue ones and then showed her the one we were going to use for the STD. A week later she posted that as the photo! So everyone that likes her page has seen our STD photo before it had even been sent out. We untagged ourselves and mentioned it to her but she responded that I never told her which one we were using. Too bad I did.

Girls, I don't know what to do! I'm really not one for confrontation but I want the photos we paid for! She is also an old friend I don't want any bad feelings! It sucks that we didn't have a contract or agreed # of photos. But she said she had taken over 400 and there are only 48 in the gallery. And I don't think those are the best 48, I think she was just playing around with a bunch. Save the Dates are being sent out today with a blurry image, our website is published with some of the crappy photos on it. Do I just suck it up and learn my lesson that you get what you pay for? There is no way we can afford to pay for another session. We are already broke with this wedding as is!

I think you have been pretty patient and nice already. I think you need to stand firm and not be afraid to confront her. You paid your money- she is not doing a free favor. She should treat you a little better esp since she is using your pics for her own benefit too.
I would work with the pics for the engagement she gives you and hire someone else for the wedding. You def dont want this on your wedding day.

i know exactly what you're going through, and I'm sorry you're going through this too!!

you paid her for a service and shes not delivering the product in which you paid for. She's not giving you hi-res photos (which is absurd), shes missing her timelines, and she used an image if you that you didn't approve to promote herself!! I know you don't want to cause problems, but you have every right to be annoyed and confront her. there are roundabout ways to do this, like @kaselyn suggested, that will still get your point across without feeling like you're being a *****. but you should say something.

It just sounds like shes taking advantage of the fact that you guys are friends. I really hope she wouldn't be treating a client that she didn't know this way, its very unprofessional and won't attract repeat business.

UPDATE: FH was also really pissed about the whole situation. We figured maybe since she wasn't listening to me that she would listen to him (e-photos was the only time they've ever met). He sent her FB message explaining that we would like more photos to use for the photobook, and she got back to him saying that she had more but they were all the same poses. He told her we didn't care and that if she could just mail us a disc of whatever she has, it would really help out. He sent her my address for her to mail the disc, and she never even opened his message! So about 5 days later, after I eagerly checked my mail every single day, he messaged her again and asked what was up with the disc. Still no response. Yesterday I texted her and just asked for an update on the disc and if she had a chance to send it out yet. No response, but late last night she added about 10 more to the DropBox! I wouldn't have even known if FH didn't notice we were missing one he liked in the photobook design, resulting in me going back to the DropBox to download it. There were a few new good ones and at least I have enough to fill my book now. There are a lot that I wish had turned out better or had been edited some more, but I am done with this whole fiasco and just thankful that we ended up with a few good photos. I'm thinking in a few days I'll shoot her a text and thank her for posting the extras.

My guess is that she was embarrassed that she wasn't better at giving us posing directions and that it was too late in the evening for a lot of them to come out bright. I wish she had just communicated that to me instead of ignoring me for the past month! We were her first engagement shoot, all of her other clients have been babies with controlled light. We weren't expecting professional like quality, but at least wanted something for our money!

Thanks for all of your advice and for letting me vent!