Second Photographer Posting Our Wedding Photos

KJiras

My friend just let me know that she saw a handful (around 20) of our wedding photos on the photography website for the second shooter at our wedding. Apparently he has his own business, aside from "second shooting" for our photographer and posted a open gallery of them online. She found them because her's are there too - he was the second photographer at her wedding (she used same primary photographer as us) and was googling her photos to see what came up for some reason.

I checked out his site and sure enough, we are 1 of 4 "featured weddings" listed by name and town, the gallery is small but public, and at least half of them we don't have in our own gallery of images through the primary photographer. So, I found this unusual! I know the copyright remains with him as he took the pictures but a little heads up would have been nice, especially from our primary photographer, that a second gallery of us on our wedding day was floating around on the internet.

Full disclosure - we've had some issues with our main photog post-event with communication/deadlines. After getting our online gallery of 350 edited images from our photographer I felt like there were definitely some things missing (we had just 2 group shots of bridal party) and a overkill in other more minor areas (many many close up detail shots of shells and flowers). Plus it'd been over 40 days late (after our contracted 90 days passed she claimed she actually deals in business days!) I didn't get a great deal of resolution from her, just the opportunity to purchase the next level package and get an additional 150 pictures for $300..no thanks. So my left over frustration with that process may be influencing my emotions here  

I did reach out to the guy this morning via email to say I noticed the few pictures he put up on his website from our wedding and asked if he could share them with us. Was that wildly inappropriate? I'm not asking for pictures not otherwise made public or shared, but I just don't know the protocol here There are a few that are really cute. Has anyone encountered this? I have no idea what type of relationship he has with our primary photog, he doesn't credit her business at all on his site/our gallery.

HisGirlFriday13

What does your contact with your primary photographer say? If the second photographer was there as a sub-contractor to your primary photographer then those photos should be yours and included with your price and package.

I'd reach out to them both, cite the language in the contract, and ask for all the photos both of them have.

Once you have thoae, I would write honest reviews on their websites and anywhere else you can about their lack of promptness and their lack of professionalism.

Yes, the copyright belongs to them, but the photos are of you so check and see if your contract allows them to use your images in their advertising. If it does, you're SOL I'm afraid.

FiancB

That's pretty strange. Definitely take a careful look at your contract. Generally the rights of the second photographer go primarily to the lead photographer, and you shouldn't have to contact both of them to get your photos. 

phira

I just want to make sure I'm understanding that the photos the second photographer has on his website are ones that were not made available to you. If that's the case, then he basically got to photograph your wedding (and get paid) to take photos for his own website, which is totally bullshit.

Also, I'm sorry you're still dealing with all this and that the photographer didn't even make up for her huge bs mistake regarding the delay in images (business days, my ass).

grumbledore

Also, wtf is that about not giving you ALL of the photos?  I would demand every single photo, edited or not.  That's bullshit.

Jen4948

No advice, I'm just sorry you're dealing with photographers who either didn't share the photos they took of you at your wedding but charged you for them and/or delayed giving you the photos.  I'd report these photographers to the BBB or give them negative reviews.  This is bullshit.