So I hired this guy to get new pictures (he's semi known). A three hour photo shoot where I was promised
all the files in a CD right after the photo shoot and 8 retouched photos of my choice 2 days later.
Photos came out "decent"... but:
1) He gave me a CD with only the B&W files (we shot both color and b&W).
So I'm missing all the colour photos and that's half of the images.2) Two days later he sends me 8 images that I don't intend on using as they don't correspond at all with the ones I asked.
3) I asked him to sign a model release at the end of the session (
silly cow me for not discussing this at the begining) and he refused. Later I find out he has a pretty lucrative business as a "fine art erotic photographer" where he sells fine art prints online and to galleries using the images he shoots of sex workers. He has also two books of erotic nudes in Amazon. His excuse is that he refuses to sign model releases because (from the UK law's point of view) the photographer keeps all the copyright to those images if there's no signed model release (I don't know if this is the case or not -would need to do a proper research-)
I (very politely) called him up and asked if he could send me the color images and the proper selection of retouched images of my choice. He hung up on me and won't answer my e-mails (so rude). Clearly this is one guy that views women as a peace of meat that will make him money and can care less about us.
I didn?t get what I was promised for my money and now I may (or I may not) end up in some fine art print or in some bloody erotic photography table book. I feel I've been used and I'm pissed off.
Is there anything I can do (small claims court?) or should I just call it a day, lesson learnt and cross my fingers so that I don't end up decorating someone?s living room?
(All feedback is welcome. Thanks so much)