Photographer Destroys My Photos – Should I Get a Refund? [HINT – the answer is YES]

Photographer Destroys My Photos – Should I Get a Refund?

Photographer Destroys My Photos – Should I Get a Refund? Great Question! All in all, we are generous with information. From time to time couples ask us for advice. Once in a while the request is after the fact. Sooner or later, disaster strikes. When we see this, we are sad. Because no one wants that for anyone else. This comes to the point of this article: If a Photographer destroys your photos, should they be compensated for the work done prior to the loss? 

The story originally was posted on the r/AmItheA**hole subreddit, when a saddened groom asked the community on Reddit if his request for a refund was unreasonable based on the premise that a Photographer Destroys My Photos.

“My wife and I hired a photographer for our wedding for $2,000, and we were eagerly awaiting our photos,” stated u/LimaBean481. “Fairly recently I was contacted by the photographer, apologizing profusely, and telling me he’s not going to be able to get us the photos due to a fire that ravaged his entire house.

Here’s the catch, though: he’s only offering us a 90% refund ($1800) instead of the full $2000 one. He says the differential is due to the “huge amount of time he put into editing, the 5 hours he spent shooting at the wedding, and the hour-and-a-half round trip he drove to shoot.” So that’s $200 we’re out.”

 

The facts are this.

The facts are this. The photographers house did burn down. Consequently, they had a complete loss. Chiefly, everything they own, plus the wedding photos. Emphatically, all of this is true. Also, the fact that the photographer did do work is also true. Overall, it is a tragic situation on both sides. Hence, my point is this – If a Photographer Destroys My Photos, then the photographer is 100% negligent in the loss of the images. And here is why.

A Photographers Sacred Duty.

A Wedding Photographers chief duty is to generate usable, printable images of an event. Period. To this end, let us discuss the ways in which a professional protects the client against loss of those images.

Firstly, a business owner has the obligation to mitigate potential loss of images due to theft. Of course, to prevent this, they secure their gear, their home, and the images. Therefore, if a business owner did not secure a customers product from theft prior to delivery, that’s it. The business owner cannot retain compensation for the work performed without delivering the final product.

Secondly, a business owner has the obligation to mitigate potential loss of usable images due to poor performance or equipment malfunction. Or course, if a photographer enters into an agreement to photograph an event, they must be prepared. Should a photographer fail to have backup batteries, lenses, cameras, or lighting, then the following is true: They are negligent in preparing for the twists and turns of a live event. 

The saddest part of all when a Photographer Destroys My Photos.

Thirdly, a business owner has this final obligation. Above all, mitigate potential loss of usable final images due to those images being erased, deleted, or otherwise lost as files within the workflow. A situation where a Photographer Destroys My Photos should never happen. All in all, you know what is really sad about this situation? Basically, this is the easiest loss to mitigate against. You simply store the original images online/offsite. Certainly this is the most basic function of a professional photographers workflow. Storage is extremely inexpensive. Additionally memory cards are extremely cheap. In fact, cheap enough that nearly all photographers store the cards from one event until the final images are delivered. Between online, second drive, and the original cards, these are at least three backup copies of the images. 

So to that end I say this to the photographer. You have my deepest sympathies for your personal losses. Conversely, if you are not backing up your work offsite, there can be no excuse for that in today’s world. Additionally, it is your shortsightedness that has caused the permanent loss of those images. I hate to sound harsh, but it is the truth. Photographers who do not back up their current work in progress are irresponsible. Also, if a Photographer Destroys My Photos, then they are unprofessional. Certainly at the very least they are entirely careless with other peoples most precious moments. Moments entrusted to them to capture and deliver unharmed. I sincerely doubt that when the home owners insurance sends you the check for your home replacement, they will have deducted 10% for the work they did to process the claim. It just does not work that way.  From Disney Boardwalk to Lake Mary Event Center, we are responsible for our own actions. As Orlando Wedding Photographers. we must be professional.

In conclusion, everyone loses when Photographers do not protect Images.

I am very sad for the Photographer. But I am more sad for the couple, who assumed their chosen photographer was a responsible steward of their priceless images. If you are interviewing a Photographer, always ask this question – What do you do with the images you come home with? How are you protecting my images from damage or loss while you are working on them? How many backup locations do you have? Do you have offline and online backups? What happens if I am one of those people finding themselves in a situation where a Photographer Destroys My Photos?

To the Photographer – you get nothing. Because you could have avoided the loss with basic minimum back up procedures. Your work is not something you should be compensated for, because part of your work is to protect those images. One would say it is the most important part of your job. I certainly would be one of those people to say just that. Protect yourself by selecting a responsible, professional photographer. Especially one who can demonstrate a level of care you are comfortable with.

Nicholas Durante