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So my photographer calls me and asks if I have found a location to take pictures after the ceremony... which I feel he should have done but anywho. I said I found a place and its a conservatory in Navy Pier in downtown chicago. So imagine my shock when the next question comes out of his mouth. "Can you make room in your limo for me and my helper because parking is expensive at Navy Pier?" Im paying you more than enough to cover a parking fee of $24!!!! Am I over reacting or should I tell him to find his own ride there. I mean come on dude!
I would let him find his own ride!! That seems unprofessional to me.
I wouldn't want him to ride with me, that's for sure. >_O; That's just weird.
I think he should have to pay for his own parking, unless somewhere in your contract it says the client must pay for his travel if it's outside certain guidelines.
ETA: If you wanted to take pictures inside somewhere that has a fee at the door, would you expect the photographer to pay for that himself? IMO, that is something the client should have to front if they choose such a place. Choosing a place that has expensive parking is similar to that in my eyes.
@Karina27: I would def not let him ride with me. First of all, I have a huge wedding party and his crap would take up lots of room. 2nd, it's not the bride and groom's responsibility to get him/her to where he/she needs to be. 3rd, how rude for him to ask! Wow. I would def tell him that there is no room and he needs to get there.. On time! Wow.. I can't believe that. That's not the correct way to conduct business.
Sometimes photographers do tag along--I've seen it a few times because you could get separated and it'd be a pain waiting on him, etc. Just tell him you don't have room
And I'd say that it is your job to decide where you want your photos taken even if you asked for recommendations
We had photos done at a museum and i still had to cover that cost, though, which was almost $40. It wasn't 'included' in her fees....i'd just pay them for the parking since you want photos there.
He should pay for his own parking unless stated otherwise in his contact. It's a business cost just like gas.
That's crazy. I do think it is reasonable for a photographer to ask you to cover expenses associated with your wedding though. I would offer to reimburse the $24 for parking.
My photographer rode in the limo with us & took some pictures. But her assistant followed in his car. Hmm.....The one thing I first thought about was traffic. What if they get stuck and you make it to Navy Pier and have to wait around for them to show up??
I had our photographer ride with DH and I when we took a towncar to the ceremony site. She took pics on the ride, and I didn't want to lose her! I would say that if you have room, let them ride with you. Maybe they'll snap some great shots of you all in the limo!
you should pay for his parking. unless your contract specifically says that you're not responsible for parking, it's not covered. what you paid for is the time/picutres/editing, etc.
I agree you should pay for his parking, but he wouldn't be riding in the limo with me! LOL!
I was reading through my contract and it doesn't say anything about me covering for any expenses. I have room for him but not sure if I want him in the limo.
@gvsusara.. Thats a great point. Chicago traffic can be a nightmare when your trying to stick together. I guess ill suck it up and hope he does take great pictures of us in the limo. Thanks ladies :) Like always I am put at ease with all the great advice!
I'd WANT him to ride in the limo! A) Think of the great fun and cute shots he could get while on the trip to Navy Pier. B) I wouldn't want to lose him in traffic or have him have diffuculty finding parking and have to be sitting around waiting.
I do also think that if you make him drive seperately, you should be responsible for his parking. You're only paying him to take pictures and edit them. YOU are the one who chose a location that has extra costs associated with it so that shouldn't be his responsibility to cover those. You could have just as easily chosen somewhere that would have been free.
FutureKMM said it well.
The limo will pull up and drop everyone off and then go circle. Meanwhile, while you are standing around with your wedding party, the photog will be paying, parking, walking to you, unpacking his gear etc. You can always have one of them sit up front with the driver.
As for paying, $24 for a hour or potentially less of shooting is ridiculous. A buck or two is one thing, but $24 is another. Any extra costs however for a specific location (for me) are always billed to the client. Like futurekmm said, you can always choose someplace free.
The positive side about having him ride with you is the awesome pictures you could get from him being there!! If you have the room I dont see the problem with letting him ride with you - think of all the moments he could capture!
Totally agree w/ KMM & PitBull Lover! Inside the limo pics would be great - pop a cork on the bubble and let the camera flash :)
@CantWaittillMAY: easy solution, tell him there is no room, and offer to pay the parking (which he will decline). DONE!
I say let your photographer ride with you! Hopefully, he has an assistant and he/she can follow . That individual can pay for their own parking, of course. I really miss that our photographer did not ride with us in the shuttle bus. I'm sure we missed out on some great shots.
I don't think there's anything out of the norm about this! If part of my job required me to incur a $24 fee, I'd expect my employer to cover it for me and not tell me "I pay you plenty enough to cover $24"...kinda similar, right? Plus, think of all the cute pictures from inside the limo! To me, this isn't worth getting upset over as long as there is plenty of room in the limo.
@sarahsunshine: conversely, you are paying for the limo and now his ride, so he should chip in. Also, how will he get his car at the end?
I think it's actually normal for you to find you own location, but many photographers are happy to give suggestions if you're unsure.
As far as the limo, if you have room, why not let them ride with you? It just means you get more photos! :)
I would ask him if he plans to take pictures in the limo. I mean he could get some really cute shots. Then you wouldn't have to worry about finding him later? If he wants to get a free ride, make him work for it.
1. I think it absolutely your responsibility to decide where you want your portraits taken. It's your day and you're in charge of locations.
2. Our photog rode with us to our portrait location and it was a blast. She got great shots of un en route. And, it allowed for more time to discuss what we wanted picture-wise.
3. Unless your contract states that parking expenses aren't your responsibility, I do think you should pay for it. Photographers, despite what they charge, do not make much after the equipment, insurance, advertising, pro memberships, high tax rates, etc are paid for.
I think it's weird of him to ask over a $24 parking cost, but I can see where there might be a benefit of having him ride in the limo with you so he can get some pics on the way to the location. However, I completely disagree that you are in any way 'responsible' for his parking costs or transportation. Professional photographers address issues such as parking, tolls, providing meals, hours of service, etc., in their contracts. If it's not in the contract, you are not responsible for paying it. As far as some of the comments about it being your fault because you chose a separate location for pics, it's pretty normal to choose separate venues for pics, and you shouldn't feel badly about that. If you don't want him in the limo and you don't want to have a tiff with him over $24 parking fees, you could offer to pay it as a courtesy, however it's still really unprofessional of him to ASK and then state the $24 as the reason why. Every single vendor I worked with addressed additional fees upfront, IN THE CONTRACT, so that there was no confusion, awkwardness or hard feelings for anyone involved- and I imagine they had these items set forth in their contracts to avoid exactly what you are dealing with now.
@monkeygirl i'm assuming that the OP had already signed her contract before deciding to do her photographs at a place with expensive parking. I would say that if her reception/ceremony venue had the same parking price and it wasn't covered in the original contract, it would be strange for the photog to ask for OP to pay for parking as that would have been a known cost.
OP: if you don't want the photog in the limo, I would offer to pay his parking fee. (Although I would agree with PPs that you could get fun photos and save valuable shooting time at the location by having your photog with you)
Sorry, but if the photographer wants to be paid for all fees, etc., associated with doing his job, he needs to put it in the contract as a way to protect himself. It's the photographer's obligation to set the terms of contract and payment, including fees, not the client's. If he included it as standard language in his contract in the first place, then no matter where she chose to have her pics, there would be no issue. He would be paid and there would be no source of contention.
I think that you are overreacting. I do not think he would have been out of line to ask you to cover parking in a case where you picked the location. Instead, he offered the free option of riding with you. If it really upsets you, either pay for his parking or decide on another location.
@Karina27: I squeezed both photographers and both videographers in my limo...it was tight...but soooo worth it! We have some GREAT pics of us in the limo and we didnt waste time co-ordinating spots to park and meet etc. Bascially my photog was like "this is a good spot" we all hopped out of the limo and took pics....
I think it's up to you. If you want some cool photos in the limo and its not a long trip I'd say take him with you - less chance of waiting around/wasting time. He'll be shooting from the moment you step out of the limo!
Although if you want some alone time with the new hubs and wedding party (and it's a long trip) and are willing to possibly loose time to him driving separate and parking etc then tell him you'd rather not.
It depends on your schedule, what you're comfortable with and the amount of room. 2 photgraphers could take up a lot of space!!! they'll each have bags & equipment (reflectors, blankets, props maybe etc.) As far as the fee - I say definitely pay it! That is a working fee minimual cost that I think should be covered by the person who hired them. Since you chose the location after the contract you should incur any parking/travel costs. It's only fair.
If they bought a new piece of gear after the contract was signed they wouldn't charge you more!
I would want him to snap pictures during the ride. Most of his gear can go in the trunk and his assistant can sit up with the driver.
You should pay for parking since you want the pictures in that place. Plus, your photographer can suggest places, but in the end they are your photos and you should take them where you want to take them.
If you have to pay adm to get in then you should pay for it. That includes parking.
WOW... Really??? I would never ask a client that. Tell him to get his own ride.
+1 to KLP and Future. I generally just think you should be looking at this situation in a whole other way. I mean, come on, limo pictures rock! If you are going to spend the money on a limo, wouldn't you want some photos in it? My clients usually WANT me to ride with them, and to be honest, it's a little break for me if they don't and I can relax for a minute and drive my own car instead of working and taking pictures in the limo. I say you let him ride, eat the $24 because as others said, you could have picked someplace free. I think everyone should read this article on how much money photographer's actually make off each wedding. $24 is more to us than you think.
http://chrisheatherlilly.com/?p=5318&cpage=1#comment-1200
Just to give some examples of the types of pictures I'm talking about, I attached a couple below :) I said let him ride, but ask that he please take pictures on the way! It's the best thing for you really, this is a good thing!
P.S. What would make you think it's the photographer's to pick the location for your wedding photos?
@LBPhotography: Not sure the circumstances with the OP, but for me, I'm not from the area where our wedding is taking place and my photographer is. Knowing that, I fully expect my photographer to know where the best locations are.
To the OP, I think he might be able to get some great shots in the limo, but I'd have his assistant follow along, and I wouldn't feel obligated to pay for parking.
@Nati-Lyte: I disagree, if she doesn't want to pay the $24 she has two options either A.) let them both ride in the limo and get pictures or B.) Pick a different location that is free. If she makes the assistant drive, the photog still has to pay the $24 so she should re-emburse him.
It's definitely not our responsibility to choose the location for brides' wedding photos. In your case if your photographer is from the area, certainly you would ask him for suggestions, but ultimately you make the choice. We dont know if you want woodsy photos, city photos, open terrain or what, so it's impossible to make that decision for you.
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