We were not at all happy with Starr Photography. We allowed a family member to select Starr based upon a recommendation from a friend; all coordination of photographs was conducted between the two (this was our mistake, one that will never be made again since we paid a portion of the fee for photographs). The photographs were intended as a birthday gift for another family member and there were four generations being photographed together.
We showed up at the appointed time and place and prepared to be photographed. Starr was polite and cordial during the shoot and once the shoot was complete she agreed to send CDs of the session out individually to each family for an additional fee (which we all agreed to pay).
Two of the families received their CD within a day of each other two weeks after the shoot; ours took another week and when we received it, we received not our family photographs but photographs of a completely different family altogether. Stating the obvious, we were quite unhappy.
We sent an email to Starr with all members of the family carbon copied, indicating the mistake and requesting a new CD and further requested it be sent via FedEx with a tracking number at Starr's expense. To our surprise and irritation, Starr felt the need to provide reasons/excuses in two separate response emails as to why the CD was mailed later than the first two and why the mistake occurred - she indicated she'd rushed the job, attempted to explain the amount of time it takes for her to burn CDs (something we've had a decent amount of experience with, therefore weren't biting off on the explanation), indicated that a large number of photographs were taken during the shoot and that she had to sort through them, explained her normal turn-around time, indicated that some things weren't explained in emails exchanged between her and the family member who did the coordination, etceteras. Essentially we were given a list of excuses, instead of being apologized to and offered an immediate remedy to the situation. For customer service, she gets a resounding 'F'.
In the end she did finally send the proper CD and also sent a second for our eldest son to take to college with him upon his return to campus; the latter presumably done to accommodate the situation ... a nice gesture, however, at that point in time very much a non-gaining point with us.
Upon launching the CD to view our photographs, we were once again highly disappointed. For the "high" number of photographs taken of all four generations, only a handful were something we'd be willing to hang on our walls. Many of the photos were taken with the camera being turned at a 20 to 22 degree angle, which of course, when one attempts to frame and mat the photograph for hanging on the entry wall, etceteras, it looks absolutely ridiculous as its off-kilter. Further, there weren't any touch-ups of the photographs, just mere manipulation of brightness, contrast, saturation, etceteras - something that any amateur photographer can do while manipulating personal photos.
Our expectations weren't extremely high on photo count, we expected at least one nice photo of our in-laws with their children, the grandparents together, the great grandparent with her great grandchildren, one of us together and one of us with our children (the eldest in college, the youngest just starting school this year). We did however have high expectations for someone who appoints herself as a professional photographer. What we received was nothing special and even eccentric; we could've accomplished better shots taking photographs of each other and then asking a perfect stranger to take three to six shots of all four generations together.
Don't spend or waste your money, you'll be highly disappointed. This is one military family that will never solicit this particular photographers business ever again. read more