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Family photo-shoot gone wrong and the internet is exploding

by 80 Comments

What would you do if your paid family photo shoot turned into a ghost party? Pam Dave Zaring, took it on the bright side and turned it into a fountain of giggles.

According to Pam, she paid for a family photo shoot to a photographer who claimed to be a pro. The photographer was met with a harsh light and did not know how to handle the shadows, so she just blurred them off.

According to Pam, as an excuse, she told the family that “her professor never taught her to retouch photos“. If you wanna see what that looks like, simply look at the photos below.

Instead of being angry, Pam took it on the light side and encourages the world to share the photos. And we salute her for the good humor. Of course, this could all be an elaborate hoax.

Here is the post she put on Facebook, and the phots, but it does not end there….

Here is the post by Pam:

Ok. This is NOT a joke. We paid a photographer, who claimed to be a professional, $2-250 for a family photo shoot. …

Posted by Pam Dave Zaring on Friday, January 12, 2018

The post quickly became viral making over 225,000 shares, and, of course, getting it’s own line of parodies. Here is one that sums it up by Lynn Cartia, followed by a reference to Odo of deep space nine. (I could not resist)

Hit this link to see more.

We asked Lesa Hall for comments and she preferred not to go on record

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  • Arthur_P_Dent

    Sounds like they hired a Fauxtographer instead. Clue one: taking photos near noon.

  • This brings photography in a totally new era. I hope we are going to see a lot more of it.

  • stewart norton

    Tragic but sooo funny 🤣

  • Some say this is fake, but what the heck, it’s still funny.

  • Maybe this is a case of trying to fake it before making it XD

  • At least the photographer has found his own and unique (?) style.

  • I do think it is fake but it is hilarious!

  • Simon Nørlev Nyberg Rune Ekelund Frederik Johs Kasper Kamuk 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • It’s not fake. Been watching since it started but it’s really gotten out of hand. The photographer admitted not knowing how to retouch. Yes it was bad for both sides but what’s ironic is that it has gone viral and she’ll probably get good money and lessons from it and put us all to shame!

  • How was it without the edits?

  • In the main pic there is literally shade in the background 😂

  • Gaul Poomunger

  • Wow some relatives of D.Trump family? Bots..

  • Deb Docherty 😂😂😂😂😂

    • We know someone who looks like that 😂😂😂😂

    • This reminds me of the lady that ‘retouched’ the fresco!

  • Richie Crossley

    WHat do you expect!! Everyone’s a photographer today!
    They buy a camera and they are wow! lol

  • The dogs look a little underexposed

  • She signed the photos too 😂😂😂😂

    • Marko

      That’s incredible :-).

  • OMFG, hahaha unbelievable

  • It’s the “crash dummy family” 🙂

  • I hate public humiliation. We all, as photographers, probably have tons of images from when we were learning we would hate to be associated with now. I hate this might make her never want to try again…or worse. We don’t know her mental state. This is just ugly.

    • Burgess Taylor

      True, but they really shouldn’t have charged $2000 if they were a beginner.

    • But someone paid you 250. You can make mistakes it’s how people learn but to make such a bad mistake with this amount of money is horrible.

    • Sarah Cummins Have you spoken with the photographer to verify she did this and not the client being an asshole? Maybe it is just this client’s soul shining through? Shame on every photographer that feeds into this.

    • The client actually said they didn’t want people to get nasty, just have a good laugh. If this isn’t a stunt, then my main question is: how the hell could she even think of handing that over to a client? Not even the worst photographer would do that. Which is why it sounds fishy, but is still funny.

    • Nadine Spires It looks like the client did it. I saw some of the woman’s photograhs, while not great, looked nothing like this. This actually looks like a paint program. I hope no photographer would ever be willing to work with this b*tch again. Funny at some photographer’s life & career’s expense? Gross.

    • Nadine Spires The client deserves a backlash and I hope she gets it. Nightmare client.

    • Or maybe a marketing ploy. How did you find her page because I can’t find any of her work? If you think about it, it’s more banter than anything else, which is odd and has attracted more attention than paid marketing.

    • Nadine Spires Google her name. She has a LinkdN. She has deleted everything thanks to this woman. Some people have touched base with her and said she did not edit those photos like that.

    • I saw a LinkdN profile but find it odd that she would delete everything when that would be her evidence?

    • Nadine Spires You find it odd? Her business is ruined, probably feels like her life is ruined. She is being publicly humiliated and people have your attitude – laugh first/hang first & ask questions later. I have never met so many emotionally obtuse peaple in my life.

      • AsianReaper

        The photographers mental state ? Who cares what he fucking mental state is was or even if she was on drugs or needs to be on drugs .

        Christ on toast Americans are lost and weak . She mucked it up she needs to own her work and move on not have excuses given her

    • If this is truly real, seems like the client did ZERO research before hiring the photog

  • Seems like they didn’t know what they were doing from the start if they don’t know how to combat the harsh light in-camera with some kind of fill lighting.

    • Marko

      Or just go under a shade.

  • The photographer didn’t retouch the photos. I emailed her when I saw this online. The client wanted untouched RAW files, complained about the harsh shadows and was pretty abrasive from the start.. She offered to reshoot for free but the client didn’t want to. She wouldn’t give them the RAW files, which probably pissed them off. She’s now looking for a lawyer.

    • Who retouched the photos then because she can sue the shit out of them for lying.

    • I don’t who did, but as I said, she’s looking for a lawyer..

    • This is disgusting and I am so disappointed in photography sites and photographers feeding into this. What a supportive commnity. :/

    • Exactly my point. Even if she did do it (which I truly can’t see anyone with half a brain doing) I’m so disappointed in the photography community.

    • Christi Bushby who is the photographer? I am in another group and they got it from the client herself, and that is not what she is saying….

    • Seems there are conflicting reports about the truth.

    • Michelle Smith my guess is the client is the one that did the shotty editing and of course that’s the one they put out there if they are trying to make the photographer look bad

    • The very fishy thing about this. Not even the worst photographer in history would send this to a client and why would the client do this, put it out and say it’s for the banter and that people should leave nasty remarks out? Plus, why can’t I find this person’s work anywhere and why are they so quiet? Smells like a marketing ploy.

      • Judy Williams

        Yep, smells and looks like a scam.

    • Actually.. I just spoke the photographer agsin. I wanted to be clear about whether or not she did the “edits”. She did.. she’s not done much for editing and is still learning. She tried something she found online resulting in this. She wanted to do them over after some more research in photoshop. The client refused any kind of “do over”. The photographer offered the re editing, and another shoot, at no cost. But the client refused every attempt from her to make it right. I’m guessing she showed the client’s these results because she needed more time to correct the issue…

      • Ben Shelton

        aaaaaand the story changes again! Hahaha. Thanks Christi, it’s people like you that are making this whole thing even more entertaining! Lol I’ll stay tuned to see what breaking news you have for us next

    • Michelle the photographer is Less Hall.. her watermark is on the bottom of the photos..

      • Marko

        Could not find anyone by that name and her Facebook page is about 20 hours old….mmm

    • Christi Bushby As photographers, we all have some images that would mortify us if they were made public for the world to laugh at. For any photographers and photographer sites to help this go viral and add to the humiliation is sickening. The fact she was a student and still learning…makes me sad this may cause her to never try again or worse. We don’t know her mental state. 🙁

      • Ben Shelton

        She’s 60. She’s a horrible photographer and needs a different hobby, I’ve seen her original page. (not the spoof accounts that sprang up in the last couple days)

        • Ryqi Gee

          Is there something about being 60 that means one is not a good photographer?

          Perhaps you could tell us more about the relationship between age or race or religion and photography.

          I guess I should toss out these photographs from Ansel Adams that were taken after his 59th birthday. (It was so good of him to die at 62 when he had absolutely nothing else to contribute to society.)

          What assumptions should we make if the photographer was 30? 40?

          • Ahmet

            You are missing the point. Ansel Adams had 47 years of experinence when he was 60. This photographer is 60 and has 0 experience in photography (still a student). But being 60 means life experience. She should know how a business works. She most probably paid for services in the past few years. Most young students stumble and it is a learning curve. They are not only learning the profession, but learning life.

            For above drawings there is no excuse. If these were the pics delivered and customer paid for the shoot she has no right at all to get angry.
            As you said age has nothing to do with being bad.

        • Richard Siemens

          60? so what? Albert Watson is 75. This whole story, has a bad smell to it. I saw at least 4 Facebook accounts, using her name. All look phoney,to me. Although the photos, in general are bad – or what you might except, by cutting corners and getting a $250 shooter, I suspect that there is something to the post by Christi Bushby. The fact that DIYphotography.net even posted this story, just proves how little credibility this site has to professional photographers.

      • Debbie Puleo

        Yes, I’m so sad for her. I hope she is okay.

    • Ben Shelton

      So she gave them crap pictures and kept the $250? I wouldn’t reshoot with her either, she’s clearly incompetent. All of you photographers have talked to her and after several hours each day her story is changing. I’ve watched the progression since Friday of know it all photographers who “reached out to her”. It’s hilarious. If these aren’t the real pictures then let’s see the photog post the real pictures and put all this to rest. Not gonna happen.

  • Marko

    I still think it is a joke. I may be wrong though.

  • Marko

    This is Lesa Hall’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IMagery-by-Lesa-Hall-388688644916623/

    I am sure now that it’s a joke.

    • Stephen Haban

      That profile is 13 hours old. I think it’s a hoax to get people to pay for retouching their photos

  • Fixed this one.

  • lrh

    How much do you want to bet the “photographer” was a 20-something “Another Mom With A Camera” type who is “only natural light” without a studio or even the aspiration of one and also poses on the railroad tracks, uses 32 “props” most times, and jacks up the colors to cartoonish levels? The area is FULL of them now, the REAL photographers with a studio and with real know-how are now seen as “perverts” because they happen to have an XY chromosome instead of an XX chromosome so people flock to these talentless hacks. The results speak for themselves.

  • Alright Lesa Hall, speak up.

  • Ooh I just offended someone for asking questions and not agreeing with them. Will the real Lesa Hall please stand up.

  • Now we know that the photographer herself did the editing in question. She’s clearly not in her right mind if she could giver her client something godawful like this. However, it’s unethical to laugh at people with mental issues.

  • Medevac

    Reminds me of the little old lady in Italy who decided to “fix” that classic painting of Jesus a few years back.

  • I told someone else this but I have an extremely hard time believing this is real.

    In the event that it is, I blame the client for not researching the photographer a bit more. If you, as the client, are that stupid to take someone’s word and pay them without doing a little research, then you deserve what you got.

  • Fake story

  • This is why facebook is modifying its feed algorithm.

  • Whoever retouched those Pam Dave Zaring images in the first place, I will gladly give out my online workshop for free.

  • Debbie Puleo

    This makes me sad. Obviously a new photographer. I certainly hope she doesn’t give up and doesn’t let this internet bashing break her spirit.

  • Funniest thing I’ve seen in awhile. Still glad to be seeing this popping up all over the place lol

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