I was married last year and definitely hired the wrong "high end" photographer. Dealing with him, both before and after the wedding, has been a challenge, as he has attempted to squeeze money out of me every chance he can and his pictures were simply not great (plus he missed photos of more than half of my guests).
Here is the background info:
My contract did not spell out the specifics that I now realize should have been. While it did mention that my package (which was $5,000) came with a DVD of the pics and that prints would be additional, it did not specify a price for the high definition jpegs. I mistakenly thought that the DVD would have jpegs of high enough quality that I could use them in Shutterfly albums that I want to make for my bridal party, etc. A week ago, I asked him for prices on prints and he quoted me higher rates than my contract (which I looked at after-the-fact). When I asked about rush fees for getting the album sooner, he quoted me a price of $1,000. When I asked how many pics I should give him to fit in a 35 page album, he refused to tell me and said to just send him all the ones I like and he'll make it work. He then gave me a layout for a 65 page album (each additional page is $95). He didn't do the photoshopping I requested, and the list goes on...
Here is my question:
Is there a "going rate" for medium def jpegs that can be used in a photo book ? I suspect I have virtually no leverage to get them at a reasonable price and that he'll attempt to charge me top dollar, but I'd love to hear from the community to see if anyone has any advice.
Thank you!