LOISF

Please bare with me as this may run a little long lol I'll try to keep it short as I can. I'm doing this because I do not want to see this happen to others.

First off, I heard of Ejay from following VipdOut on Instagram. Loved the pictures Ejay took so I started following him. His work is amazing. I've been hoping to work with him one day in getting shots of my car, especially rolling shots, something I've wanted for so long but had never done. Ejay happened to be offering a special Instagram deal for shoots during the week I just happened to be in the Bay Area so we set it up and I we met up one day during my trip. The shoot was great. Ejay was fun & great to talk to and hang with. It was a highlight of my trip especially since it was my first shoot with a professional photographer. I couldn't wait to see the rolling shots and the rest of the pics.

Within the month following the shoot, he had only posted one fully edited pic and 3 teasers. A little over a month passed and he said my pics were being finished up. I think I texted him about a week later asking about them. He didn't reply. In the next month and a half I think it was, I had tried contacting him through just about every means I had, Facebook, Instagram, email, etc. Then one day, I notice he blocked me on Instagram and unfriended me on Facebook. To me, that seemed like he was trying to get away from me and didnt want me to see my pictures. What else am I supposed to think? I was hurt and I felt ignored. I posted about this on Instagram, but I didn't do name calling or anything like that, I just said I felt ignored and was disappointed by what happened. It was only then that he responded. He called me after that post. He was angry/sad/both/I dont know that I had put it out there on Instagram. He said he had never gotten any of my messages and that his account was hacked and thats how I was unfriended (and im assuming blocked on Instagram too). It was just hard for me to think he would do such things because he was so cool when we met. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and thought ok maybe I mightve been wrong. He also said that I didnt try everything before posting about him -- namely calling him. He kept telling me I should have just called him. The reason I didn't call was because I had already tried contacting him in other ways and then when I was blocked/unfriended I didn't feel like calling him would do much good as he'd probably just ignore that too. Nevertheless, I apologized, and it seemed like we were ok. He said he had finished my pictures like a month before but had not gotten around to sending them to me or something. At the time he said he was on a gig or something but that he'd get my pics to me in a couple of days.

That day came and he said he emailed the pics. I told him I didn't get it and he said he would check his mail later. A couple days later he said he resent it one morning, but that it was a 2GB file and to give it some time to get to me. It was until late afternoon/early evening that day that I texted him and told him I still had not gotten the email. I asked that I be mailed a disc with the photos or something because I'm guessing the emailed timed out. He didn't respond. For about a week, I did everything I did before. I contacted him on Instagram, Facebook, email, AND I called him just like he kept insisting I had done before. Every day I tried to get in touch with him. No response at all. On Instagram when I would comment like "Hey Ejay can you call me please" or "Please get back to me with my pics" -- those comments got deleted. Why? I don't know why. OH I also forgot to add that in our phone conversation in the previous paragraph he had said he had a company run his social media. I told him if that were the case they are doing a horrible job. The whole point of social media is not only to socialize but to address concerns of customers/potential customers if youre business of some sort. Anyway back to this. So yeah my comments relating to asking for my pictures or for him to call me were deleted.

Then one day on Facebook he posts a photo of a before/after shot showing his editing of the photo. He puts a caption on the photo about doing photos not for fame or whatever but because its what he loves to do and he wants to give owners something to remember. I commented saying something like "Can I please have my photos too so I can have something to remember?" And what do you know, not only was that comment deleted but I was banned from his FB page. After the phone conversation in the previous paragraph, he unblocked me from Instagram, and then now again I am blocked. Both pages/profiles all did was ask NICELY for my pictures or for him to call me and the comments get deleted and I get blocked/banned.

This hurt me so bad because I was not only looking forward to the pictures from my first professional shoot but I really thought I had a made a friend and I just couldnt believe that he'd do this to me when I had done nothing to deserve such treatment. I took to Instagram again posting a collage of the only images I have from that shoot (all screenshots from his IG) explaining my hurtful and frustrating situation. Apparently some photographer I follow on IG know of similar experiences and he reposted my post and others chimed in w/similar stories as I. Before I had initially posted about him too, I had asked around because I wanted to see if this was personal and its just me or if other people are the same too. I had asked around about 4-5 other people and all did not have pictures from their shoots either. Its one thing for me to come out and say this but for many others too as well? Wow.

Why he has still been going on shooting more and more cars, I don't know. I think most people just don't know and so they shoot with him only later to be sorely disappointed. I also think maybe the reason most people don't know about him is that he deletes any comments relating to people asking for their pics or saying theyve been waiting with no response and such. There was one person who told me they got their pics. Lucky him. Another he said he has gotten some shots. But it seems to me that the majority walk away with nothing but teasers. I feel a lil more hurt because it seems of all the shoots he posted more photos of others' cars and I only had one real shot. Probably 'cause my car is hellastock . I'm hurt that I took the time to meet him and I have nothing to show for it. I just don't understand any of this.

As a car girl, I would hate to see others go through what I did so I'm saying this as a warning. It doesnt look like everyone has had my experience but it looks like most did. Anyway, already making plans to get shoot in next year w/ another professional. Just hope I don't go through this again.

Oh I forgot one more thing. I unliked his FB page yet for some reason his updates are still in my live feed. A couple days after the whole fiasco of me posting on IG and others coming out saying the same thing on IG, he goes and posts a photo of my car (with me in it btw) on his page. I don't know that just seems odd. Friend of mine posted a comment on it asking wheres the client's pics, the client in the car lol. His comment was deleted. Surprise, surprise. Another friend posted something similar. His comment was deleted and he was banned from his page. Another surprise.

I just don't understand any of this and probably never will. Sigh.

Thanks for reading. Sorry its long!

Initial G

iTrader: (38)

Awful story. From what you have stated, sounds like a real jerk. Hope you get your pictures soon and the issue gets resolved. Thanks for sharing.

iH8RICERZ

iTrader: (3)

jeez.... I would've called him from the start instead of trying to contact him through social media. You only use social media and forums to call people out if things get sour. Also, who sends a 2gig file via email. Its impossible to send that big of a file via email unless he hosts it from wetransfer, yousendit, etc. Even then, if you paid for his services, you should've at the very least have gotten a DVD with your images. Was there a contract signed or was it just a mutual agreement of doing a shoot and edits of your car?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i guess his fb account got hacked again (sarcasm)

RoverBoi88

yupppp understood!!! i had the same experience yet with my BMW.... many of the shots he has done were great, but there were plenty of other shots that went unanswered. I would have at least thought, sure send me the raw pictures as well so that way id have keepers, but i never received anything back... i got three pictures, but highly disappointed.... Live and you learn, gotta be able to find those that are willing to work with you!!

JoshIS408

iTrader: (11)

Ejay is a good guy and has always taken care of me, shops, and my friends in the past.

I can confirm one of his facebook accounts did get hacked. Ejay shoots so much he is always busy!

I can vouch for the guy though hes legit at what he does.

Sorry OP had a bad experience...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

maybe you can get Ejay to send OP the pictures that he promised

Sffd103

iTrader: (16)

I know Ejay and he's a cool dude. He does AMAZING work and I believe as an artist he only wants to give out what HE thinks are good shots. He took MANY pics of my car a couple times and I have about a dozen, but they're SICK. Sorry this happened to you. Here is a sample of his work with my car.

RMMGS4

iTrader: (5)

There are many of us on the forums who know Ejay.

I don't think there is any question on the quality of his work, but in this case there are differences where the OP and Ejay don't see eye to eye and only THEY can reconcile it.

Ejay has not gotten to where he is today if he didn't make friends, but it also doesn't mean that the OP doesn't have a legitimate gripe.

It usually is advisable for people to take personal issues and deal with them privately, but in this case if the OP and other FB posts are being deleted and people are being banned for doing what is reported to be just asking a legitimate non-inflammatory question, then I'd say it is in Ejay's best interest to respond to these allegations, either publicly or privately.

So for those of you that have a good rapport with Ejay, it would be nice if you guys can ask Ejay if he and the OP can reconcile this. I would strongly suggest that Ejay and the OP take this issue offline and resolve it. If they have an amicable solution, then the OP can request to close this thread, If Ejay chooses to respond publicly that's his prerogative as well.

FPSee

off topic, but shot in Green valley?

Sffd103

iTrader: (16)

yeah it was actually....parallel to 680.

LOISF

No contract.

He definitely is legit and I'm sorry too . Glad your experience has been good.

Those shots are amazing and I know the kind of work he does which is why I was so excited to work with him. Just sad that its had to end this way. I have a photographer though I'll hire to get my rolling shots before my car lease is up. I've been trying to get as many good pics as I can now for memories of my car after I return him.

I just got off the phone with him actually. He told me that for the week I was trying to get a hold of him he didn't have his phone because he forgot it in a cab I think it was. He said he has a group that handles his social media and he advised them to delete posts/ban people that asked about pics so that he can resolve it with them directly and not online. I can't really understand why because from my point of view after asking for my pictures, calling him with no response, seeing him reply to other peoples post but not mine and THEN seeing my posts deleted followed by my ban ----- I would never have guessed that it was intended for me to resolve this with him offline. Offline is what I was trying to do but like I said he wouldnt call me back so I went back online to try to reach out to him. I think if he couldve simply told me on FB/IG that he lost his phone or something, this whole ordeal could have been avoided. What is someone to think if theyve been ignored/banned/blocked. The only thing it tells me is that the other person doesnt care. I don't know how else I could have interpreted that.

Ejay is a great photographer and I really enjoyed the shoot. Im truly sad its come to this but what else could I have done/thought at that point. I don't deny his work and he is one of the few photographers whose work inspire my own. In short, there is no reconcile. He won't give me my pics but he said he'll refund my money. I just hate how this turned out .

1UGLYGS

iTrader: (2)

Sorry to hear about your experience with Ejay OP.
I've heard a few stories, and i believe i heard about yours as well from another photographer a week ago.
I can't speak on behalf of anyone else but i've worked with Ejay a handful of times and have had great and positive results.

I wish the best for you OP and hope everything gets straightened out.

Past work he's done for me

LOISF

nice pics, glad you had a better experience than I. and thanks. I did talk with him yesterday and basically I was banned/blocked and my comments were deleted because I asked for my pics and apparently not by him but by a company he hires and instructed to do so. I didn't know that after being blocked/banned I was supposed to just continue waiting and he'd get back to me. it felt more like a slap in the face. but what's done is done I guess. and I'm just really hurt and sad that our friendship had to end that way.

JoshIS408

iTrader: (11)

Just out of curiosity did you pay Ejay for the shoot? Or was this one of those freebie type of deals?