How To Catch a Wedding Fauxtographer

Mike Allebach, a punk-rocker photographer out of Pennsylvania, shares on his blog, 

10 ways to tell if your wedding photographer is faking it  (read original post here)

You’re searching for a wedding photographer, scrolling through countless websites, when you spot a portfolio that takes your breath away. “OMG, these photos are amazing,” you’re thinking. The only problem? The photographer is a fraud. Every image in his portfolio has been stolen from a seasoned wedding photographer. And you may not find out until it’s too late.

Real Tattooed Bride & Groom (c) Allebach Photography

Welcome to the latest trend in wedding photography — faking it. With so many brides booking online, it’s easy to create an impressive website and fudge a few details to draw in clients.

And it’s more common than you think. This week my frustration came to a boiling point when both Top New York Photographer Angelica Glass and boudoir photographer Sue Bryce had images stolen and posted by a fraud-tographer. It brought back bad memories for me — in 2008, a Russian photographer copied my website, added a few images from Moscow for that “personal touch,” and used my logo and images to promote his company. When I contacted him, he blamed his web designer.

The Wedding Photography Industry’s Dirty Secret

Real Wedding Photography Moment by Allebach Photography

In May 2012, Corey Ann launched Photo Stealers Wall of Shame to expose photo thieves. When I asked how prevalent theft was, she dropped this bomb: “My best guess would be 5% of all photographers are using stolen images of some kind, for advertisements or proudly displayed on their blogs.”

Pennsylvania wedding photographer Leslie Gilbert explains, “Inexperienced photographers don’t have a portfolio to show potential clients, so they look online and think no one will ever know if they steal images. Ever since things went digital, it’s been so easy.” And stolen photographs are just one way that wedding photographers fake it. Wannabe wedding photographers may be exaggerating their experience, lying about their credentials, or padding their portfolio.

“I know a lot of photographers, and probably half are fakes. People just buy a camera, a website, and go at it. I’ve known some who have purchased stock images and used them on their photography website,” says Louisville Photographer Shane  of Studio E.

How can you ensure that YOUR wedding photographer is the real? I asked some of the best in the industry to share their tips for spotting a fake.

10 ways to make sure you’re booking a quality wedding photographer.

• Consistency is Key.

  “Be diligent in looking at the work and looking for ANY inconsistencies in style,” suggests Todd Laffler. “Do most of the photos on their site match in style? Is the post-processing relatively consistent? If you see too many different post processing styles, then most likely something isn’t right. Trusting your gut is important — if it seems fishy, it probably is.” Laffler recommends looking for a photographer with an active blog. “If someone is ripping off images, it’s much harder to keep up with the charade if they have to do it every other week. Consistency in the photographer’s work is key!

•  (continue to Mike’s Blog to read the rest of the tips)