My Magic Kingdom wedding pictures are out of focus!! *Finally, a resolution*

[Chilly]

I hope you get this sorted. Those photos are totally unacceptable.

 

[BecBennett]

Sending hugs and pixie dust your way!

 

[cherokeemamma]

Good Morning Ember!

I just ran across this thread while looking for ideas for a friend that is getting married in Jan. at Shades of Green. She will be using their photographer but I will also be doing pictures for her as she only gets a small amount included in her wedding package. Although I do not make a living as a photographer I do consider myself to be a semi professional. I take a lot of pictures for events and websites in my town and do alot of photography for friends. I don't really enjoy taking wedding pictures because it is a "once in a lifetime" event. If you screw things up you cannot recreate the day, it is impossible. I would not be able to live with the fact I messed up someones pictures. Wedding pictures are something you look at for years and generations to come. If the photos you posted were mine, I would be devastated and embarrassed. The photographer should take enough shots to ensure that you get clear, well composed pictures. Not every picture you shoot will be perfect; that is why you take several to make sure you captured the mood and emotion of the day/event but also that you are getting a quality photograph. At the price they charge...that goes with out saying.

You are so right in pursuing some sort of compensation with your pictures. Photographing memories is extremely important in my life and I cannot imagine how upset you must be. Not only can you not re-create the day (mood, feeling, etc) but even if you could, what about your expenses with things such as having your hair, nails, make-up done. The expense of having your dress pressed and your DH expenses also. I think you should mention all of that to them as well.

I am anxious to hear what happens. Be nice but stand firm.... I personally think you should get a 100% refund and compensation for another trip with a photo shoot included. However, make sure you get a different photographer.

I am sending pixie dust your way....

TTFN,
Darlene

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

I know exactly how you feel Ember! I've been there!

When DH & I got married (over 19 years ago) his brother said he would be the photographer for us. We agreed (it saved us money since he didn't charge us - it was his "gift" to us). Besides he was a "professional" and had done many weddings. However, for our wedding my BIL needed glasses and instead of wearing his, he opted to go without and focused the camera on HIS eye rather than the camera's eye. He took 12 rolls of 36 shots each. I managed to salvage about a dozen photos out of the bunch! All were blurry! We were heart-broken - we still are. It is one of the sore points of our wedding! We ended up spending money and going to a studio to get some decent photos. It was about 6 months after our wedding but at least we got a few photos.

We're planning a VR (Escape pkg) for April 2011 for our 20th anniversary. I want to go with the Disney photographer, but after seeing your post - now I'm thinking I may look into having an outside photographer.

Disney should compensate you some how! Those photos are unacceptable! And I agree that if we have a contract with a Disney photographer - we should be able to choose which photographer!

 

[angel81uk]

I really hope you get an outcome you're happy with. Receiving photos like that in these days of digital photography is totally unacceptable. As much as I would love to have an in park photoshoot (and would love an in park ceremony too!) there's just too much risk with having to use Disney photography for my liking. I don't just want a wedding that looks like it belongs in a magazine, I want photos of that quality too and very few Disney photographers seem able to deliver that.

 

[Swmhc]

I just wanted to chime in a repeat a previous post. Keep in mind this was three years ago. We got married around the same time as Ember and DPS was having issues with photography back then. They didn't have the website to view their work, they only took about 50 shots at the bridal shoots, etc... In the past three years, they have vastly improved their services and now couples get hundreds of shots at their park shoots. I really don't think current brides (couples) should be scared of using DPS as I can say I have seen a lot better stuff out of DPS in recent years.

Also as a previous poster said, no one takes 100% great shots. Even the best photographer has some shots that aren't good. When you order all the images, that is what you get, and you should know that they aren't all going to be good. Personally, if I were DPS, I would not include the poor quality ones on the disc, but they give you all of them.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you blow up an image enough, it will get blurry, so that's not always a good indicator. However, in the ones Ember posted, the bricks are clear, so the faces should have been too, thus, my comment does not apply to those. Just throwing it out there as a general comment.

This is certainly not to say Ember shouldn't pursue a reshoot or something comparable. Just wanting to try to ease the minds of current couples.

Luckily for us, we had 2 different photographers for our 2 different shoots (MK and AK) and we got great photos from both. Again, you only got 40-50 shots and like any photographer, not every one is flattering/great, but I certainly feel we got our money's worth.

It sounds like Ember got some good shots though, so at least all is not lost. Personally, we got one great one that I adore and several "good" ones. I was happy to get the one great one that is now a 16 x 20 on our wall.

Good luck and let us know what you find out!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I don't post here often, but I am a regular lurker...

Just wanted to say I very strongly agree with the previous poster who advised you to go into the meeting with an idea of how you want to be compensated, and probably several ideas would be best. Personally, I wouldn't accept less than a refund for the original photo shoot.

Nothing can replace the pictures, but I hope you are successful in obtaining some recompense.

 

[Ember]

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you blow up an image enough, it will get blurry, so that's not always a good indicator. However, in the ones Ember posted, the bricks are clear, so the faces should have been too, thus, my comment does not apply to those. Just throwing it out there as a general comment.

It sounds like Ember got some good shots though, so at least all is not lost. Personally, we got one great one that I adore and several "good" ones. I was happy to get the one great one that is now a 16 x 20 on our wall.

Good luck and let us know what you find out!

I'm not sure what your point really was with the first statement. I guarantee you the images are not blurred due to enlargement, they are clearly out of focus.

As to the second comment, all my shots of us and the castle, every single one, is out of focus. Later, when the sun was fully up and the light was brighter, things improved, but we had moved on by then. To me, all feels lost. I didn't want a shot of a carousel, which could have been taken anywhere... I wanted the castle, which is the heart of the Magic Kingdom and a symbol of Disney World (and also why I think most couples have a MK shoot to begin with).

All that aside, am glad you got some pictures you're delighted with. If I'm defensive, it's only because I'm still getting over the disappointment this situation. While I truly am happy for couples who got great MK photos, part of me wants to stamp my foot and scream about it not being fair. (Sadly, this sort of behavior is unacceptable after about age three...)

 

[FutureMrs.B]

I'm really sorry that this happened to you. You're entitled to be upset. I swear I won't judge if you stomp your foot and throw a fit because I know i would. I really hope you get something resolved from Disney. I know it can't make up for it but still I hope they take responsibility for their incompetence. Bc honestly that's all it is. I'm not a photographer and I'm sure I could have taken better pics. I wish you the best when you have your meeting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[lurkyloo]

Ember, I just wanted to chime in and say we had a very similar experience with DPS around the same time you did, and I know EXACTLY the sick feeling you get when you look at the photos. I still can't look at mine. It makes me feel like we took a thousand dollars and lit it on fire, never mind the whole "irreplaceable, once-in-a-lifetime experience completely wasted" thing.

I will keep my fingers crossed that they are able to resolve this in a way that makes you feel better.

 

[JuliBells]

Sending pixie dust your way.
I really hope that Disney does something great for you! And I don't blame you for wanting to stomp your foot and scream it not fair! I would want to do the same.

Like everyone else has stated make sure when talking to Disney you have a plan!

 

[Ember]

** UPDATE **

And so it begins...

I had my phone meeting scheduled for today. The call came over an hour late, at which point I couldn't really talk. She said she was ill today, and that was the reason for the late call, but then why not send an e-mail this morning to reschedule?

Anyway, apparently the photography team had retouched the images so they're now in focus. As I said on the phone, I highly doubt this. I am a semi-professional photographer and you can not retouch an out of focus image back into focus. You can run it through every sharpening filter you want, but all you'll get is a pixilated, out of focus image.

So they're sending me the new CD to look at. I'm not holding my breath. I've also let them know that if the new images aren't satisfactory, that this issue is not resolved.

I'll be sure to post some samples of the amazingly now in focus pictures.

 

[Chilly]

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Ugh. SO annoyed for you!

 

[Belle2Be]

Yeah, those aren't really savable for any print larger than a 4X6, I'm surprised they'd even offer. I loaded them to my programs to see what I could come up with, and while its better, it's definitely still bad. Did you tell them what you wanted? (IE reshoot or tickets etc?)

 

[sambycat]

thanks for sharing your experiences and i hope the boards are feeling supportive to you. i'm sorry this stupid phone call means more waiting. was there a time frame on this new magical CD?

hang in there!!

 

[Ember]

Yeah, those aren't really savable for any print larger than a 4X6, I'm surprised they'd even offer. I loaded them to my programs to see what I could come up with, and while its better, it's definitely still bad. Did you tell them what you wanted? (IE reshoot or tickets etc?)

I didn't have time to really say anything! I scheduled the meeting for today because I have a double prep (I'm a teacher) on Wednesday's. By the time I got the call, it was lunch time and I was with the kids. In between opening milk and snacks, and keeping the kids eating and then getting ready I didn't have time to say much at all. It was quite frustrating.

I've also run the images through all the tricks I know, you can't salvage an out of focus image. If it's very slightly off, and you don't intend to enlarge it at all you can sometimes make it work. But you can't create focus where there isn't any. The idea is just silly.

The new CD will apparently be overnighted. I can't even believe they would suggest "retouching." To me it almost makes it worse because it's such an unprofessional thing to say. Anyone who knows the basics of photography would know you can't post-process the focus in. It feels like a pat on the head in the hopes I'll go away. I won't.

I was really hoping Disney would step up, but it appears this is going to be a long haul.

 

[Belle2Be]

Well, post a couple that they "retouch"! Maybe it will be a little better, they should still have the raw files and those are pretty big, so it is possible to sharpen a little without pixelating.

Since you aren't the only one to have this issue, I'm surprised they aren't handling it a little better...

 

[BecBennett]

 

[Sccrmnky2005]

I'm so sorry, and I hope that you don't back down from them. Even if these pictures that the "retouched" look say ok in 4x6, doesn't mean they will not show the out of focus flaws when you want to print a bigger photo of them.

I think it's outreagous that Disney Photography is trying to retouch your pictures, like you said it's not going to make the pictures look in focus and perfect how real phography pics should be. I would be completely firm with them and don't take these retouched ones.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this but I don't want you or any bride that went through this to back down, as I know you pay loads of money for this very special once in a lifetime photo shoot, I'm not planning on any photoshoot without my outside Photographers because of DPS not up to par in my opinion.

Hopefully things work out for you, but I just wanted to give you encouragement to not back down from them, they have the obligation to fix it and it needs to be done the right way! GOOD LUCK! Stay Strong