BEWARE HAL Photographers

[igraf]

Funny!

 

igraf

 

 

 

Several times when we have been accosted by photographers at the dinner table I have called them over and discretely said, "No photos please. She's not my wife!" That usually takes care of them.

[igraf]

Learn how to use fill-in flash for situations where the background is brighter than the subject and you will save a lot of money. You can practice at home by having someone pose in a dark room in front of a bright window.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

... I've purchased a few shots when we were next to a glacier with very difficult lighting. The pictures looked great and turned out much better than the ones I took, so I paid the money. That's why I let them take the pictures around the ship - you never know when they will catch that one perfect "Kodak moment".

[ski ww]

We normally have one taken at embarkation. Other then that it's no thank you. I have heard some horror stories about the black & white pictures.

Allan

[msmayor]

We normally have one taken at embarkation. Other then that it's no thank you. I have heard some horror stories about the black & white pictures.

Allan

 

My husband and I did a Black Label Photography session a few years ago when we were on the Veendam...we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and thought it would be nice to have a truly beautiful picture to commemorate. For us, it was a very nice experience.

 

At least 30 or 40 shots were taken of us, and we returned the next day to view the digital proofs and choose our picture. Up until that point, it didn't cost us anything.

 

We chose one picture that we really loved and paid $175 for the photo. It was shipped to our home after the cruise printed on high quality paper and mounted on foam core, ready for framing. It's a wonderful reminder of that trip and life milestone for us.

 

Expensive? Perhaps...but that is not much more than we would have paid a professional photographer at home to do our portrait, and we would have had to pay a sitting fee up front whether we purchased a photo or not.

[RandyinDEN]

Be glad you didn't go for the black and white

 

 

Yep, I think those packages start at $800 now.

[VermeulT]

So, I spent quite a few years in the photo printing industry. The "cost" of an 8x10 sheet is relatively inexpensive , even on the machines they run in the backroom of the ships. What you are paying for is the photographer's skill in composing the photo and getting the lighting right. Is it overpriced? You bet. But enough people pay the price to keep them in business. I've purchased a few shots when we were next to a glacier with very difficult lighting. The pictures looked great and turned out much better than the ones I took, so I paid the money. That's why I let them take the pictures around the ship - you never know when they will catch that one perfect "Kodak moment".

Glad that you were able to have that Kodak Moment captured.

Every photographer I have encountered on HAL ships in the last 7+ years as been a hack. These people have little to no training. Hubby and I love to look through the gallery just to see how may pictures they bother printing that have people's eyes closed, a lamp growing out of someone's head, people not looking, bad lighting, .... And to think they were intentionally printed! Can you imagine the ones that weren't ??

[kira5]

I think that there is somehow an explanation that since you are on a HAL cruise ship that all staff and employees will exhibit a level of professionalism that includes honesty and integrity. I had a representative of the HAL Privileges program tell me an untruth (that there was no charge for annual renewal on my package) which was subsequently denied when I called into the program a few months later. Of course, words are just words, and gone on the wind.

[iancal]

Let's not be naive. The photographers are no different than the art auctions or the spas.

 

These services/products are offered on board because HAl and other cruise lines make a great deal of money from their sale. The pricing reflects this. No different from those phoney shore store recommendations that the cruise lines promote.

 

The cruise lines are only too happy to deflect customer complaints and 'heat' to those third parties. It was some other guy officer and he went that way!

[Tampa Girl]

OP thought that because that's what she was told. It was classic bait and switch. OP was taken advantage of by a less than honest employee-whom ever that employee works for. It's always a good idea to stay away from ships photographers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I agree if OP had actually received a price for ten people, but her post is not clear on that point. She refers to $39.95 for the four grandchildren. And I do agree that it is a good idea to stay away from ships' photographers. Besides, candid shots are usually more interesting, if not actually professional.

[POA1]

This thread title seems WAAAY to creepy for "Beware HAL photo package group upcharges."

 

You know what would help? A sticky on how to write a good thread title!

[kazu]

This thread title seems WAAAY to creepy for "Beware HAL photo package group upcharges."

 

You know what would help? A sticky on how to write a good thread title!

 

You are bound and determined to create a bunch more stickies - aren't you ;p:'):halo:

[POA1]

You are bound and determined to create a bunch more stickies - aren't you ;p:'):halo:

You got me. I get paid commission from the mouse wheel people. The more you scroll, the more cash in my pocket.

[kazu]

You got me. I get paid commission from the mouse wheel people. The more you scroll, the more cash in my pocket.

:lips-sealed::lips-sealed::')

[3rdGenCunarder]

Glad that you were able to have that Kodak Moment captured.

Every photographer I have encountered on HAL ships in the last 7+ years as been a hack. These people have little to no training. Hubby and I love to look through the gallery just to see how may pictures they bother printing that have people's eyes closed, a lamp growing out of someone's head, people not looking, bad lighting, .... And to think they were intentionally printed! Can you imagine the ones that weren't ??

 

The stupid thing about what you describe is that they're using digital cameras. They know right away if a picture is bad, so they should just take another shot. We rarely pose for pictures because they put you in such stilted poses. At our age, we feel silly in a "prom pose."

 

At Christmas on QM2, we did a few poses standing on the stairs of the atrium. Because the photog wasn't tethered to a tripod, I said, "OK, now we'll pose the way I want." I posed us sitting on the stairs, and she took a few shots. It's kind of incongruous to have an informal pose in formal wear, but it turned out great and I bought it. They do not print all photos on QM2. They print enough to fill the racks, but then they just put them into their computer system and you look for your pictures that way. There's a sort of grid over them so you can't take a shot of the computer screen.

 

If I can find a place to position my camera, I use the timer to get shots of us together when we travel. I'm getting pretty good at running into place quickly.

[TiogaCruiser]

Learn how to use fill-in flash for situations where the background is brighter than the subject and you will save a lot of money. You can practice at home by having someone pose in a dark room in front of a bright window.

 

igraf

If the subject is wearing a hat, turn the camera upside down and allow the cameras fill flash to provide that little extra to their face.

[FredT]

Four cruises on HAL, and while I have never purchased anything more than an embarkation shot, I have been pleasantly surprised how UNobtrusive they are compared to Carnival or NCL photographers. On our last two NCL cruises were told we HAD to have our photographs taken on embarkation... And they physically blocked our way to try to do so. (Needless to say, a small scene, and we went on our way... no photo.)

[igraf]

HAL isn't much better in this regard.

 

igraf

 

 

 

..On our last two NCL cruises were told we HAD to have our photographs taken on embarkation... And they physically blocked our way to try to do so. (Needless to say, a small scene, and we went on our way... no photo.)

[Stratheden]

We don't stop for embarkation photos. We have sat in the lounge waiting to board with people who are falling asleep in their chairs after long haul flights. All they want is their cabin. Why would they want a photo looking and feeling like that.

[iancal]

We certainly did not find the picture takers (they are not photographers) any less obtrusive on HAL as they are on NCL, Carnival, and Princess etc. At least this is our experience.

 

They are all major PITA. We avoid them just as we avoid the art auctions and the so called duty free sales. We have dodge them at each port stop on all of the cruise lines w/ their silly backgrounds or costumes. You get home, look at the picture, and wonder why on earth you succumbed to such a cheesy idea.....and paid for the opportunity to boot! Much easier to say no thanks and walk briskly pass them.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We certainly did not find the picture takers (they are not photographers) any less obtrusive on HAL as they are on NCL, Carnival, and Princess etc. At least this is our experience.

 

They are all major PITA. We avoid them just as we avoid the art auctions and the so called duty free sales. We have dodge them at each port stop on all of the cruise lines w/ their silly backgrounds or costumes. You get home, look at the picture, and wonder why on earth you succumbed to such a cheesy idea.....and paid for the opportunity to boot! Much easier to say no thanks and walk briskly pass them.

 

At least in recent years, cruise lines have accepted that many people do not want an embarkation photo and have a no-photo route. I'm most annoyed by them when we're getting off the ship in port. We have somewhere to go, and the picture takers (you are so right!) get in the way and slow down everything.

[lenquixote66]

I've heard so many stories about the photo company that HAL uses that I steer clear of their photographers. And this is another example of their bait and switch. The only explanation I can think of for the group pricing is that they're charging by the pixel!!!!

We never have pictures taken on cruise ships ,way too expensive.