Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

HELP! Warned about photography company but already booked! Anyone know George Street Photo & Video?

Hi all,

My fiance and I booked George Street Photography & Videography after checking out many photography companies online. We love their work and the price was competitive. After going to their NY office and choosing our photographer, we booked with them.

My D-O-C (who I booked with after the photographer) recently informed me that when she saw who my photographer is red flags went up because she remembers reading about horror stories and bad reviews. She said she even asked some of her photography friends in the industry who confirmed her concerns.

My fiance and I just had our engagement session and the photographer seemed very nice, and seemed to know enough about angles and stuff. Haven't seem the pictures yet, but I guess that will give me an idea of what to do also.

HELP! Does anyone know anything about George Street? Personal experiences? Reviews? Don't know what to do!

Re: HELP! Warned about photography company but already booked! Anyone know George Street Photo & Video?

  • Hi all,

    My fiance and I booked George Street Photography & Videography after checking out many photography companies online. We love their work and the price was competitive. After going to their NY office and choosing our photographer, we booked with them.

    My D-O-C (who I booked with after the photographer) recently informed me that when she saw who my photographer is red flags went up because she remembers reading about horror stories and bad reviews. She said she even asked some of her photography friends in the industry who confirmed her concerns.

    My fiance and I just had our engagement session and the photographer seemed very nice, and seemed to know enough about angles and stuff. Haven't seem the pictures yet, but I guess that will give me an idea of what to do also.

    HELP! Does anyone know anything about George Street? Personal experiences? Reviews? Don't know what to do!
    @MichelleMS4

    I didn't go with them because of the red flags I had when I was reading reviews and the photographer I talked to seemed really "off" somehow. I couldn't place my finger on it but FI and I could not wait to get out of that meeting.

    Reviews vary and each experience is different. Each photographer is different. I think all you can do right now is wait until you see the engagement photos. If they're what you want and you like them then great! you found your photographer. BUT if you do not like the photos then eat the cost and find a new photographer

    .
  • edited December 2013
    Have heard lots of shady stuff about them. I don't know how they manage to keep their reviews on the knot and wedding channel so positive, but they must use some sort of filtering tactic, because their Yelp reviews don't lie. It's not worth it - this is your big day and you will look at these photos for the rest of your lives. If I were in your shoes, I'd just forfeit the deposit (if you've made one) and find a local independent photographer.

    Keep in mind that often when it comes to photographers, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/george-street-photo-and-video-chicago


    Make sure you click on the "x reviews are currently not recommended" link...there are HUNDREDS of filtered negative reviews (yelp pulls out a lot of reviews that don't have a ton of detail or differ greatly from the ones on the main page): http://www.yelp.com/not_recommended_reviews/9etJQsZyavikEeScYeTvgw

    The problem with George Street is that they aren't a photographer...they're a company that hires a gazillion different photographers. So you could get a great one or a bad one. And they could also pull the switch-er-oo on you and inform you at the last minute that the one you selected is no longer available (I've heard accounts of them doing this several times, and the contract you signed actually states that this might happen) and poof...that great photographer you loved is replaced with a stranger whose work you've never seen, just like that.

    Personally, I wouldn't risk it.
  • Emmy1493Emmy1493 member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2013
    I honestly think it really also depends on your region. I have booked them, made two payments and worry too, but I am in Texas, so all photographers may or may not have been good and vary. I have seen several positive reviews for GS photags. in my area, but that's if you get the right person. Seems like a gamble but you meet with them a week before so I am praying it goes smooth. That's all I can do cause it's too much money to lose out on for us right now. GL to you! If you can go with someone else JIC if you haven't forked over as much as I have.I should have double checked before, but I guess to late now.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker


    image
  • We have had both some ups and downs with George Street - though mostly ups.  We booked a photographer back in early 2013 with them, and did our engagement shoot with her in May of 2013 (we have a May 2014 wedding). We were ok with her, but not totally in love - but decided to stick with her regardless.  I ended up doing more research, found her personal photo company site, and had super mixed feelings.  We received our engagement pics back, and again.. mixed feelings.  George Street fixed some editing on 20 pics for free for us, and I really think that it was the way that the photos were taken, rather than the editing, that really  needed to be fixed. As it turns out, I found out just a few weeks ago that she was let go by George Street because of complaints. I was definitely freaking out - but I think it was more the photographers fault that GSP's. 

    With all of that in mind, GSP gave us the chance to pick another photographer and we received a free engagement session (in addition to the one we had already had with the previous photog)... and all I can say is WOW! Love him, love him, love him! I also found his personal site and the quality of photos he had were heads and shoulders above the woman we had previously contracted with.  Again, it has been a little bit stressful - but I have complete faith in our new photog and GSP has done everything they can to right every situation that arose.  We are overall happy thus far :)
  • edited January 2014



    Have heard lots of shady stuff about them. I don't know how they manage to keep their reviews on the knot and wedding channel so positive, but they must use some sort of filtering tactic, because their Yelp reviews don't lie. It's not worth it - this is your big day and you will look at these photos for the rest of your lives. If I were in your shoes, I'd just forfeit the deposit (if you've made one) and find a local independent photographer.

    Keep in mind that often when it comes to photographers, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/george-street-photo-and-video-chicago


    Make sure you click on the "x reviews are currently not recommended" link...there are HUNDREDS of filtered negative reviews (yelp pulls out a lot of reviews that don't have a ton of detail or differ greatly from the ones on the main page): http://www.yelp.com/not_recommended_reviews/9etJQsZyavikEeScYeTvgw

    The problem with George Street is that they aren't a photographer...they're a company that hires a gazillion different photographers. So you could get a great one or a bad one. And they could also pull the switch-er-oo on you and inform you at the last minute that the one you selected is no longer available (I've heard accounts of them doing this several times, and the contract you signed actually states that this might happen) and poof...that great photographer you loved is replaced with a stranger whose work you've never seen, just like that.

    Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

    DELETED post from now BANNED vendor George Street Photo


    You can't post on here as a vendor @knotporscha
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

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