Be Careful its all lies ( First hand experience from a Second shooter some one that use to work for her)

Good Day all,

I write this with a heavy heart.

This photographer was my mentor and we had to separate paths due to lies and no payment.

I use to second shoot for Zeone from June & July, I saw everything that went on behind the scenes and if I was one of her brides I would be furious. I have seen numerous times how she lied to her clients and what she does. Every time she's late she just tells the bride that shes been at the venue photographing the venue, as I was her second shooter I saw this every time. I am a punctual person and the first time I shot with her she was late and had some excuse, she stayed closer to the venue than me but still she was late.

I was impressed that the paid the day of the wedding so I decided wow I would love to learn from her, how she works ect. Don't get me wrong I do not want to bad mouth her but I do not like dishonesty.

After all this I have shoot remoteness weddings whit her, and about 50% of them shes late to, shes good in what she does but brides contact me as they do not get hold of her and they wait months for their photos full of empty promises saying she will deliver withing this week and never deliver. She did the same to me with payment after this, she will say she will pay me the full amount she owes me and weeks later nothing, her excuse is and I quote "you know I'm sick and that I forget things and you should remind me." So this works once but saying this to me every time is not going to fly. I send her reminders, emails, messages and call her every day and no pay.

I have seen her make double bookings, then she tells me the bride knows and I should meet her for the engagement shoot an hour before the shoot she does not feel well I should do the shoot. When I get there the bride thinks I'm Zeone and have heard nothing about me doing her wedding as well.

Another bride last year:

Two months before the wedding she asks me to cover the wedding due to it being her birthday and she does not want to work on her birth day ( then do not book a wedding). I have asked her every week if she has told the bride yet that I will be doing the wedding and every day pf the week before the wedding. I asked her to pay me as she gave the entire wedding to me and said she will pay me the R6000 (50% that the clients have payed her for the wedding) so I can book gear for the video. Every day she said she will pay and the wedding is past she still owes me the money, the bride has payed me the remaining 50% already but still nothing from Zeone. The day before the wedding she contacts the bride letting her know shes sick, (shes not sick its her birthday) and she is booked off I have covered that days wedding (Friday) and the next day (hers the Saturday bride on Zeone's Birthday) due to her being booked off by the doctor. In fact the previous day she had a double booking I did the one and she the other, but she tells the Saturday bride that I have covered Fridays wedding as well (lies its a double booking). I have not received any payment yet from her.

On the Saturday at the wedding that she canceled the day before the wedding I heard from one of the grooms men the same happened to him and and one of his friends with Zeone ( June & July). He told me she send someone ells some one better (witch I know is not the truth as this guy learned from her and his just starting out as well coz I know him).

She gives all her clients canvas print to apologies, but this same canvas she gives to all her brides. To tell them she really liked them. (to those she did do the job properly with.)

So today 29 Jan 2018 after 43 days of payment being late and promise every time I do get a hold of her that she will pay that day and still no payment, after 21 email reminders from my invoice app and 2 separate emails, after nearly 40 calls no payment still. I have bills to pay and she goes on holiday telling me that she has no money and waiting for brides to pay me before she can pay me. LIES!!!!

I then emailed reminder her today, called her and messaged her, now she tells me she did pay (no payment received) and that she will no longer do business with me because I lie and miss use her.

I would like to let all the brides this, if she does this to someone that works for her, she will do the same to you. Her brides contact me asking for photos. Unfortunately I can not help even if I wanted to.

I do not want to associate my name with her as this will give me a bad image.

Please do your research. I do beg you I have first hand experience.

Shes sick but go to the Maldives pays R90 000 for her holiday and buying new leather couches and revamping her little house but she cant pay me. Shes "sick" but go to Cape Town and swims and jols and drinks and can't shoot weddings because she's sick.

This is not to bad mouth her or damage her business or steal her brides or get her bookings or anything like that, this is to warn brides as I have been a bride my self and know the stress, I have had bad suppliers my self and I would like to prevent this for you.

Please please please be careful.