- Report: #769038
Complaint Review: LaRose Media - Albany New York
Reported By:
Louis Torres -
Scotia, New York, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
LaRose Media
Albany, New York, United States of America
Phone:
518-364-6609
Web:
www.larosemedia.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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LaRose Media The WORST Videographers I've worked with, EVER. Albany, New York
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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: [email protected] 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
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: [email protected] 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
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3 Updates & Rebuttals
Larose Media Email as Proof
#2Author of original report
Fri, April 24, 2015
So, they claim not to have written that negative post and yet, their emails say exactly the opposite. It's incredible and in ALL the years I've worked in this business, I've never had to deal with such a vial company. Ever! Even the ones that vendors say are "bad" aren't THIS bad..!! Of course, the ONLY negative review on another site is clearly from them as well. That's why my contract specifically states that if a couple hires LaRose Media as their wedding videographers, they will be in breach of the contract and will have to look for another wedding photographer. I'm happy to say that after 400 weddings in the last 10 years, I've had more couples choose another videography company after finding out that I refuse to work with these two.
They went ahead and wrote a negative post, disguised themselves behind an anonymous email but of course, they left enough information that led me to who they were. To this day, it's the only company I tell couples that they are not allowed to hire and 100% of the time, my couples are super awesome and will listen to the story. Who wants to work with a couple who makeout in front of the bride's family..!!? You're wedding videographers! GO WORK..!! Makeout in the privacy of your own home! Who does that anyway!? Hahahaha..!! You were awful back then and in 2015, I KEEP hearing stories of your nonsense from other wedding vendors! Way to have an entire industry not like you! Doesn't surprise me though and all I can do is share my own personal experience.
Louis Torres
Scotia,New York,
United States of America
Care for your Wedding Photographer
#3Author of original report
Wed, August 24, 2011
If you're like most brides who value wedding photography. Trust me, from my own experience and from their OWN statements, do your wedding photographer a favor. Hire someone else. This isn't a bash on their work, it's beautiful, without question but at the expense of your wedding photographer wanting to pack up and leave shouldn't be an option. I'm sure they can drum up a bunch of testimonials, just like everyone else but from an experienced wedding photographer, who's clients have flown me to Ireland, Miami, Mexico, Jamaica, San Diego and other locations throughout the U.S. - I've NEVER had this ever happen and I'm a happy go lucky kind of guy. NOTHING bothers me but to the core, I hate these guys for the awful experience I had. Again, this is just my experience and I will NEVER shoot a wedding if these two are there. I'm willing to lose thousands because I just refuse to deal with what I thought were two idiots who are too selfish in creating their own wedding video to know that there's a wedding photographer floating around capturing the same event...!!
Go to the links above. The entire situation of me arguing with Lauren Caldwell's fiance was only viewed by two people. HIM and the Wedding DJ and the Wedding DJ has been a close friend for years, so yeah, again... these guys left a note on here for everyone to view so what did I do? I decided to share my own experience as a wedding photographer to everyone. STAY AWAY...!! They're LIARS and they'll drive your wedding photographer crazy..! NOT a good mix. Hire me and hire another wedding videography company, it'll be PERFECT...! :) Giant hugs to everyone that really KNOWS me if you don't, then go to my website and check out my video then go to their website and check out the photo they feature. You're going to laugh as much as I did when I saw it. Hahahahaha..!! Woot..!!
KarmaIsReal
United States of AmericaWould expect something like this from this guy
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, August 24, 2011
Its funny that I knew this was going to be written because Louis Torres left an e-mail in my inbox telling me he was doing so. Apparently he thinks I wrote up a bad review on his business and although I did have the displeasure of working with him and I do think he is a very vile and unprofessional individual, I did NOT write a review of him on here, I simply wouldn't waste my time. However Louis, I'm not the only person that thinks not so highly of you since I see you have a few bad reviews under your name along with all of the bad things I've heard about you from Laurie Beckman and her brides that had unfortunately come in contact with you.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/photography/luis-torres-photogra/luis-torres-photography-luis-t-4a257.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/photography/louis-torres/louis-torres-luis-torres-loui-5e601.htm
So this AM this guy sends me an e-mail saying he was posting a bad review of my business with these words and I quote, "I'm almost done with my post. You're going to LOVE it. You can thank your fiance."
So you can read just by the way this wackjob talks he is a vindictive slimy individual. I have never ripped anyone off in my life and my work speaks for itself. I don't block views for any photographers and I could post a handful of "comments" from TONS of other photographers that love working with me however I wouldn't waste their time or any more of mine by bothering them with something as idiotic as this. Not sure what you are trying to stir up Louis Torres but please never contact me again.
