We hired Sage to provide 1 hour of photography for our elopement ceremony on the beach that was a destination wedding via cruise ship. Sage was friendly and fun to work with and arrived on time. The entire experience was great in-person, so I expected to see amazing photos as a result. Unfortunately, they were lacking the "wow" factor that we had hoped for.
Some of the basics that you would expect a professional wedding photographer to capture were missing from a technical skills standpoint. A lot of our shots were taken from a distance and did not include a variety of angles, details, or close-ups. The backgrounds were shot from one side of the beach and did not include a 360 approach. Some were also cropped by the camera instead of being wider to make framing easier later; key details were either not captured or only captured in a few photos. For instance, during the exchange of the rings, the photos were not taken close up to show the actual rings being placed on the hands. Same during our champagne toast, it was only shot from one angle and my husband's glass was blocking my face while we drank. I don't know why some of the photos were shot like this - very amateur. I think a 2nd photographer was needed to get other angles.
Also as a bride, I was disappointed to see that I was photographed with “messy hair” throughout the photo shoot. Due to the humidity on the beach, I told Sage before she began shooting, that I had a comb and brush with me on-site at arm's length because I didn't want my hair to look “messy”, and she assured me that it looked just fine. I trusted her judgment, and she chose to continue taking photos instead of informing me that my hair needed to be fixed. 80% of my photos have fly-aways and tangled ends that could have been easily fixed with a quick break in between shots. In hiring a professional photographer, I expected a MAJOR detail like this to be brought to my attention. Overall, we got average pictures with a few good shots.
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Vendor Response
Anonymous, Thank you so much for your review. I always like to hear what brides think of their photos. I strive to continue to improve my photography service for future clients based on these reviews. I'm sorry you don't love every photo. I just reviewed your wedding to relive your ceremony and out of the 254, there are some really beautiful photos of you and your husband.
A one-hour wedding session that includes a ceremony, cake cutting, champagne toast, change of shoes, props, and multiple settings really isn't a lot of time for photos--I agree that your photos are a little more traditional looking because of the lack of time to make more.
For the ring exchange photo, there are multiple shots and options of this. Unfortunately, if the officiant doesn't tell you how to pose your fingers while putting the ring on, your hand will cover the ring and when I get the close up of the ring exchange you will not see it. I also did spend time getting close-up photos after of just the rings that are lovely. I wish I had the option to share them, but I do not.
For your hair, I'm sorry you didn't like it. I am possitve that the flyaways can be adjusted in photoshop. I remember talking to you about your hair and adjusting it many times. The first time you asked about it, I turned to your husband and asked his opinion since he knows you best. I also remember you brushing your hair a couple of times. The wind and natural elements of being at the beach, does affect long hair. In some ways I feel as though you were not able to totally relax for your photos because you were so concerned about your hair at the time.
Some of my favorite photos are 001, 116, 162,180, 185, and 197.
Thank you again for your feedback. Wishing you and your hubby a lifetime of happiness.
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Anonymous,
Anne,
Melissa,
