I get to be the person who takes the half-filled out envelopes and deciphers them (only some of the dance numbers get group portraits but some girls are in more than one number and they want their portrait in one dress and their group shot in another and then siblings add a whole new wrinkle because mom wants a picture of them together.)
But my favorite part is that I get to be the backdrop Nazi. As in "I'm sorry, it's our policy that we don't allow parents to take pictures with their own cameras on our backdrops". You know, the parents who wait for the goup shot to be arranged and then step up RIGHT NEXT to the photographer.
I had at least six women TOTALLY get pissy with me. For some strange reason it amuses the hell out of me. I just point out the following:
- the kids don't know who to look at
- the flash can mess up our exposure which is metered based on the two professional lights our photographers set up.
- this is how the photographers earn their living
- it's not fair to the parents who DO pay for the professional portraits - this one really gets them. Yes, you ARE stealing, actually. Hey -do I walk into YOUR office and take stuff?
One lady went on and on about how someone else did it and this isn't fair. I pointed out the poster listing our policy which was taped to the table RIGHT in front of her. (She actually came back an hour later an apolgized to me)
The best one was someone who wanted to snap a group shot and she whined at me "but I did pay for some pictures already". Yeah, lady, whenever I buy a car I want another one free. Mmm hmm.
9 comments:
People's sense of entitlement shocks me sometimes. It's as if it has overridden their basic knowledge of right versus wrong. Good for you and the photog!
You need a second person who shines a bright light into the cameras of the image-stealers. That'll fix them.
I think Alisa said it perfectly. While, their sense of entitlement no longer "shocks" me per se, it irritates the living shit out of me.
I'd be one of those people. That is the people yelling. I hate paying $40 for some stinking pic I can take myself. Down with the backdrop nazi klan.
you're hired, Shamus
Brian, do you know how much it costs to get a good backdrop and the hardware to hold up and the lighting and so on? Just asking
:o)
If the dance school instructor wanted to pay us a rental fee and let the parents use the backdrop, that would be fine. But the instructor isn't willing to pay us.
Ok, I admit it...I am one of those "mothers" who will go right up next to the photographer and try to get a "quality" picture to save a few sheckles.
I know that's bad, but when I say that I am cheap, I'm not even lying...hell, I'm the kind of person that will go to a store before a sale, hide the item very well, and then buy it the day of the sale...ugh...now thats bad.
Ok, from now on, I promise I wont be one of those "mothers"...but if I fall...promise you wont make a big scene?
I'll try not to be one of those 'mother' either. but catch me when I'm already hot and bothered and I'm making a scene just cause i'm already pissed.
Carly, I'm sure they are expensive. But, I can't afford the house payments if I buy every $50 photo offered to me. Besides I won a trophy for my great photo abilities:
http://bberk.blogspot.com/2005/05/i-won.html
Just tell'em no flash and no background, then you don't have to worry about it. Let the cheapies be cheapies - they get an inferior shot anyway because their camera sucks ass. If that's what they're happy with, then that's what they're happy with.
Or green screen it and add the background later with special effects. ha.
Hey D.T.
You are one of the people who helped us go out of business! Yay team!
John
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