Complaint Review: LaRose Media

   Being a wedding photographer has been an amazing experience. I always work amazingly great with vendors including wedding videographers but these guys were unusual. First, I show up to the bride's hotel room and notice Lauren sitting on her fiance's lap, making out...!? Just a little odd but I didn't know who they were, I thought they were guests..! Then I was introduced to them as the wedding videographers..!!? Hahahahah.. Yeah, just a little shocking but they're young... a little unprofessional but whatever.  **This is just the start.

   Shortly thereafter, I'm told by Lauren Caldwell (the owner) that her fiance will be taking some photos which they include in their wedding videos. To be honest, I thought it was a great idea and I'm really casual, I don't mind... i thought it was great that they did that so I say, "okay, no big deal." **Looking back, I should have refused on the spot. Ultimately, as a wedding photographer, my job is to photograph the wedding but these guys were just as ODD as odd can be. When you work with a videographer (which I was for a number of years) you always talk about where the photographer and videographer will stand. Being a photographer, I can move around since I'm just capturing stills. So I'm standing in one location, only to have them jump in front of what I'm shooting. No big deal, I just slide over and out of the blue, the fiance jumps in front again... All the while, keep in mind that I'm directing the bride so I've JUST finished asking the bride to pose, put your arm here and there and they're now ruining the shots that I've just staged...!?  Hahahahaha...!! Seriously, the entire time I'm thinking, "wow, these guys are idiots," just my opinion because who does that. Seriously, WHO?! No one except these guys..! Just no common sense. So, we go outside by Proctors and I tell them how I'm going to setup the bridal party and what do they do!? They leave their GIANT bag RIGHT IN THE WAY...!!  Hahahaha... It was a serious case of the crazies.. This is when I wondered if they were just being dumb for the heck of it. In this business, you'll see people from time to time try to sabotage other vendors. It's funny but that's what I was thinking was happening BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TWICE...!!!! No kidding, it got to the point, that I calmly walked over to their bag, picked it up and moved it out of the way. What I wanted to do was smash it on the concrete sidewalk...!!  Hahahaha..!! I wouldn't have but you get what I mean.  :)

   We then drive off to the ceremony location and I'm shooting down the aisle and the fiance is in my way, taking photos. So I tap him on the shoulder and ask him to slide back a bit so I can shoot and it was the first time I get a major attitude. Am I going crazy? I thought I was the wedding photographer...!? That MY photos are important since they're making their way into a wedding album. Nope. This 20 year old arrogant kid keeps giving me attitude. Even better, I'm shooting the bride and groom at the alter AND THE GIRL STANDS BEHIND THE BRIDE, GROOM AND OFFICIANT..!? BEHIND THEM... Clearly I tried to shoot from angles since EVERY photo that's shot straight has Lauren standing in the background, IN PLAIN VIEW..!! Talk about NOT being unobtrusive..! They should advertise that they will ALWAYS be in front of everyone, and that the photographer's photos will be hindered by the obstruction.

   Now we're inside, at the reception. First dance: As I'm shooting the bride and groom, the 20 year old kid is now blocking me from capturing amazing shots of them dancing. No big deal, I can't complain, I have a job to do and I slide over and keep shooting. There he is again but now SHE'S in the way too..!! Aaaaahhhh... It was seriously a nightmare. It was so frustrating that the OWNER of the banquet house.... THE OWNER!!! The Owner asked me if I were okay. I then told him how these two are clueless and how the fiance has been annoying since the word go. With that, having a long relationship with this facility, the owner said, "if he keeps blocking you and ruining your shots, you let me know and I'll escort him off my property." Now THAT'S loyalty right there and that's why I LOVE this venue. I told him it was fine but I DID tell them that the fiance has to STOP taking photos immediately because he's ruining my shots. Seriously, I'm NOT that photographer, I don't care who shoots, who's in the way, who's bothering me or being annoying. But after HOURS of having to deal with a couple who are clueless of others and only care about themselves, it made sense to share my own personal opinion and experience on here. If a couple were to EVER tell me that they've hired LaRose Media, I will forever decline to work alongside these two. After EIGHT years of shooting weddings and 23 years of being a photographer, I have NEVER felt this way about ANY VENDOR, EVER. Not ONE, even the annoying ones are fun to work with. Until now, I officially NOW have ONE. Not two, not three or 10 after so may years of shooting but only ONE. That ONE vendor is LaRose Media in Albany, NY.

If you have any questions in wanting to learn MORE about my experience, then you call me directly at: 518-605-6565 or email me at: louis@louistorres.com and I'll be MORE than happy to share more details about these guys. Funny. In the end, I did some research and it looks like they're going to try and offer wedding PHOTOGRAPHY services as well, which makes sense as to WHY they were taking so many photos but clearly 'guised it as a simple tool to their videography product. So they lied to me, butchered a bunch of images (thank god I shoot MORE than enough to save myself) and I NOW have on my contract that if a couple hires them AFTER they've hired me, that they will be breaching our agreement and I will NOT capture their wedding and will be forced to use someone else. To say that I'm SERIOUS about these guys is an understatement. They may be great when a couple meets them but if you're like EVERY couple who looks at wedding photography as their main source of capturing their wedding day, then I'll suggest that you use another wedding videographer in the area.

   What's even funnier is that THEY TOLD ME THAT OTHER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THEM AS WELL....!!? Wow, really...!? I'm surprised that other wedding photographers have also. I wonder why...!?  Yeah, get the hint.. when you get multiple wedding photographers complaining, then maybe you should try things a little bit differently. I'll give you a list of 20 wedding videographers I've ever worked with throughout the years and NOT ONE has ever bothered me. Not even a bother, not a small, tiny hair of a bother. NEVER. No kidding, NOT ONE. NONE..! I seriously cannot stress NOT ONE. Again, until now.

In my opinion, if you don't want your wedding photographer to be driven crazy like I was, you're WAY better off working with Bigler Production or Al Woodard. BOTH have amazing work, both are amazing production companies and BOTH work GREAT with EVERY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER I personally know..!! There's nothing like working with an amazing wedding videography company, but LaRose Media are a novice duo, in my opinion, who may potentially ruin your wedding photographs due to their lack of common sense.  The only reason I walked away unscathed is because I shoot a LOT of photos and act quickly enough to relocate to another location if my view is being blocked. Again I cannot stress that this is just my personal opinion, as a professional wedding photographer who has YEARS and hundreds of weddings captured without ONE single complaint, EVER..! Don't believe me, I'll email you a list of 100 brides who will attest to me, my business and personality. This is my personal/ hands on experience and it is all true. On my reputation as a New York based Destination Wedding Photographer.

**I have every right to offer my own experience, I have every right to share my opinion with others and I have a duty to my brides/ potential brides and to the wedding photography industry and I do it openly so everyone knows WHO left this and WHY I left this review.

http://LouisTorres.com