Brides Helping Brides ™ - Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:10 AM

Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Since I picked up my proofs, I have not been happy. My proofs did not look good, many pictures were taken in bad lighting and most were so cheesily posed that I couldnt stand to look at them, It is partly my fault because I wasnt specific enough, and while he was having us pose, I could ahve said no, inttead we did the poses, even though I hated them, anyhow..they were aware with how unhappy I was and have been very accomodating..I had about 400 proofs and was able to find enough pictures that I loved to make an album ..and I was DREADING picking it up because I didnt want to cry anymore,..but we got it yesterday and it was BEAUTIFUL. It really came out nice, I was pleasantly surprised, I actually love my album. So Im very happy. If you have booked Patken, just be specific with what you want, they do beautiful work, but they dont knwo what ya need unless you tell them..I wasnt specific enough. I wanted mostly candids and black and whites, I thought they did alot of everything, but I got mostly posed color pics, not what I wanted....anyhow, also I had ordered pics for my wall and my mom ordered a few, some of them didnt look good, they werent touched up at all, so they are going to reprint them so that we are satisfied, be very specific and you will be very happy. I wasnt specific enough and that is my biggest regret. Just wanted to fill brides in who have booked patken. When we booked them, theys aid they did photojournalism, traditional, etc. I didnt specify that we wanted MORE photojournalism, and thats my fault.BE SPECIFIC< I cant stress it enough! Good luck!!!

razz1031 Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:18 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I'm glad everything turned out okay! FH and I have Doug. I've known him and his work for a few years so I'm not worried at all.

Anniegrl Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:22 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I've already made up a list of things that I want and don't want so I can go over it with Steve. I've already told him that I HATE traditional wedding photography - some of those poses that they make you do make me want to gag. They're so corny! I want mostly photojournalistic, and I've e-mailed him some photography websites with tons of examples of things that I like.
I'm going to be the biggest pain in the a$$ on my wedding day - he's going to hate me! I don't want my wedding album to be the traditional boring wedding album - I want mine very artsy and different, so hopefully that's what I'll get. I'm almost sorry that I didn't book Imagine......

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:33 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Anniegrl..you and I seem to have similar taste...and Steve can most definately do it, the photojournalistic pics he took are BEAUTIFUL! The one bad things is my very favorite picture looked like CRAP when blown up, thats the only one that didnt come out, the rest came out very nice, you arent being a pain in the a$$, I wish to God that I would have been more specific, Steve can do great things and your album will be everything you want! Unfortuntaley for me..I HATE thos erony poses too and I have a proof album filled with them..I never said I didnt wnat them, I got caught up in the day and forgot what I wanted... but my album is gorgeous, I picked mostly photojournalistic pics for it and with the black background, its exactly what I had wanted, so it worked out graet in the end. Once I get the negatives..Im going to change ALOT of the color pics to blacka nd white and make up another album..
I didnt post on here to scare anyone, thats not my intention..I am hoping to just help a bride make sure she is specific. Because I had a list made up if what I wanted, but then I read on here that those lists only confuse and overwhelm the photographer and I didnt wnat that, so I never gave him my list..I wnat to tell all of the brides who read this, GIVE them a list.!!!

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:35 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

They have also been very good with reprinting things to make us happy. I would still consider going back to them for other occasions.

Anniegrl Posted: Apr 04, 2004 11:49 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I'm so glad things worked out for you! I know how upset you must've been seeing a bunch of pictures that you didn't like. I would have burst into tears! The only reason that I knew to be specific with Steve was that some brides that have used him and posted their pictures had really nice photojournalistic, but others had the corny posed shots and it confused me. So Steve told me a lot of brides like the traditional, and I was like, not me!!! So I made a short list for him of the typical shots that he usually does which I DON'T want, and then I gave him a list of alternative shots.

I plan to call him soon to go over the list, just to make sure he understands!

Thanks for the tip though, and hey, did you get a video done, because your videographer may be able to make up pictures for you from your video. You should ask because I'm using Wild Rose and they said they might be able to do that for me...

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 04:07 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Im using Wild Rose for video and Marie told me she'd get back to me with whteher they can take photos from our video! I hope they can, so far I just have the raw footage, but they did a great job and have ALOT of beautiful moments on video! I hope they can do it for me!!

Marcela1654 Posted: Apr 04, 2004 04:12 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Alicia: I'm so glad that you like your album YAY!

Thanks so much for the advice. FH and I are meeting with Steve next week to go over the specifics. If it weren't for your advice, I probably would not have even met with him again. Thanks again

jen110704 Posted: Apr 04, 2004 04:22 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I'm glad your album turned out beautiful & thank you for the advice We're meeting w/Patken again next week for our e-pics & to decide who our photographer is.

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 04:36 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I am so glad I was able to help someone!!! Anniegrl said it best when she said she saw two different syles from Steve , some posed, some photojournalistic, I wanted both, just not cheesy posed, but I ended up with the cheesy posed anyhow, I never told him I didnt want them though..so definately tell him what you want and you will have gorgeous pictures!! He is a talented guy...Im kickin myself for not speaking up!

lilmrs Posted: Apr 04, 2004 04:58 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I am so jelous that you have your album already! I still don't have mine and the order was placed in June of 03. It was supposed to arrive in Feb, then mid march....now who knows! Anyhooo, congrats to you and I am glad that you do indeed like it!

Monkeybride Posted: Apr 04, 2004 05:08 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I am so glad it worked out and that you have an album you are happy with. I really felt so bad every time you were upset.
Thanks for the information because I am using Steve too. We have our e-pics next week and I plan then to tell him what type of style we want for our pictures including the e-pictures.
Hope you can get some pictures from your video and adjust your proofs to have more photos that you like.

aliciahelene Posted: Apr 04, 2004 05:46 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Thanks you guys!!! I hope I am not scaring anyone, again that is not my intention, had I been specific I would have been the happiest girl around, Im confident of that! Patken does a great job and have been very accomodating!

daisybride Posted: Apr 05, 2004 08:26 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up. I want the same type of pictures as you and I know I probably wouldn't say anything if we were taking other types. I will have to type up a list of what I want to give to my MOH. Thanks again

MCDO15 Posted: Apr 05, 2004 08:28 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

good for you... did you get the soho book?

JP&EP Posted: Apr 05, 2004 08:47 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I'm glad you're happy with your album. Patken is high on my list of Photographers to go see

Rob-luvs-me Posted: Apr 05, 2004 09:21 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I am happy that you were able to get everything to work out! Unfortunately I heard this similar story from a few people off of LIW's while I was planning - I sorry that you went thru this!

Betty Posted: Apr 05, 2004 10:05 AM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

I TOTALLY agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We used Patken as well. I'm not saying I wan't happy with my pictures because overall I was. My problem was that I wasn't specific enough either!!!!!!!!!!!!! A few shots he missed which he SHOULD HAVE gotten on his own...for instance, there is a TERRIBLE shot of my father kissing me goodbye, he stood behind me therefore couldn't see him (or my face) AT ALL!!! There are a few imp ones like that that he missed. Another thing was there aren't too many of us with the bridal party. For some reason we only took pictures INSIDE the church with them. The weather wasn't great outside but it wasn't raining at all so we should have taken some outside. There are NO pictures of me with the guys or DH with the girls. I agree with you that it is MY fault for not saying anything but I thought these would be a given. Honestly I didn't even think about it that day but I feel you shouldn't have to b/c there are SOOOOOO many other things you are focusing on that day. My TYs were another headache (not steves fault) but in the end I was still a little dissappointed in them.

Overall we loved our pictures and our album but there were just a few important shots that I still think about to this day

BriBri529 Posted: Apr 05, 2004 12:20 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

Posted by razz1031

I'm glad everything turned out okay! FH and I have Doug. I've known him and his work for a few years so I'm not worried at all.

I am glad everything turned out okay also!!!! We are using Doug too, and I am not the least bit concerned

lullabella Posted: Apr 05, 2004 12:25 PM

Re: Future Patken brides..I picked up my album yesterday..

My friend used them and they took her pictures behind this screen, which I dint get because it was really nice out??? It TOTALLY reminded me of when you got your grade school pictures done!!! With the lasers??

Her pics came out ok~ but she wanst thrilled with them either. I thought they were very outdated in regards to style and creativity. JMHO

Edited to say: I guess that is why it is so important to tell them what you want and give them a list of pics you defiantely want. I think this holds true for any photographer.