walmart photo nazi's

[johnastovall]

Want Prints done right? Do them yourself. Why would you have prints done on a non-calibrated color managed system?

The print is the raison d'être of photography.

[Coogie]

Originally Posted by janikphoto

Geez... You don't understand what you are worth, I guess. I agree with a tiny bit of what you said, but you are pushing the pendulum way too far in the other direction!

I think people shouldn't be sued for putting a scanned print up on a personal site, like facebook (unless that personal page turns out to be a company/advertising page in disguise). I think photogs should automatically include a provision and possible fee that allows consumers to use the images digitally on non-commercial websites (like facebook and myspace).

However, a solely time-based fee structure makes absolutely no sense for editorial and commercial shooters like myself. I've done shoots worth thousands and tens of thousands of dollars, based on the number of people/customers who will see my images used on company products. If it was only based on time, those same fees would be in the hundreds, not thousands.

I'm not being greedy, either. I am basing my fees off of an established pay structure that allows me to pay my bills and feed my family. If I only did shoots based on time, I couldn't pay all my bills and my family would be on food stamps...

Commercial print is a completely different dog and I don't know of any magazines that would get prints at Wal-Mart! I'm referring more to portrait photographers who still insist on only giving out prints and would never give the customer digital/originals. Sure it's their choice, but it's a losing battle in the digital age and they could actually make the same money they were making while trying to push prints without pressuring their customers or feeling like the customer is trying to rip them off if they just price it right to where they feel they're getting their worth and the customer is happy because they got what they got.

I don't make a living from photography but I do a paid shoot here or there so I do value my work and afterwards feel good about it. More importantly I'm a consumer too so when someone I know asks me about a particular photographer, that's the first thing I ask them - "will they give you print rights to your pictures?"

If they say no, then it's an easy choice...a buddy of mine is getting married soon and that was a very big deal for him too while he was shopping. He didn't mind paying $5k for wedding pictures (ok he wasn't exactly thrilled) , and he wanted quality, but he also wanted to keep the pictures, archive them himself, and make additional prints later. Who knows, in 10 years his wedding photographer may be out of business, dead, or otherwise not around.

I'm sure there were some photographers who insisted he wouldn't get hi-res CD's because they could make more off prints, personal code, business model or whatever, but in the end, they ended up losing the 5k they could have made in sales - is that really a smart business choice too?

lol but anyway if you can make money just selling 4x6's then more power to you.

[Flea77]

Originally Posted by Coogie

I'm sure there were some photographers who insisted he wouldn't get hi-res CD's because they could make more off prints, personal code, business model or whatever, but in the end, they ended up losing the 5k they could have made in sales - is that really a smart business choice too?

That depends, how much of that was pure profit? An example:

I do computers for a living. If someone wants to argue price with me I just walk away. I do not negotiate. Pay my price or get out of my face. But wait! I might be giving up that $10,000 sale! Oh no! Well I have news for you. I have three more customers right behind that one that will not argue, they just pay, and no headaches. So did I really just lose a sale? No, I lost a headache and still took home the exact same amount. I see that as an incredibly smart business decision.

Everyone has different business models. One that may be right for you, might stink for me. Just because you do not see the value in one model does not mean it should be done away with.

Allan

[Coogie]

I'm not talking about price/profits...$5k for a wedding isn't exactly a craig's list wedding. And let's assume the profits are the same whether they charge $3k for the wedding and make up the rest with print sales or just $5k with an album and digital copies. Personally I think the second guy has a lot less headaches...no running around with proofs and putting giant watermarks over the pictures and wasting time going back and fourth after the wedding, no losing sleep at night wondering if they're scanning the proofs, no worrying whether uncle bob cut into their print sales - everybody relaxes.

I guess both models have their merits, but what I get peeved about is I hear alot more complaining from the print guys vs. the time guys. It's usually the print guys that complain people are stealing their pictures, it's a dying profession, nobody can make money doing this for a living, etc.

[texkam]

Everyone has different business models. One that may be right for you, might stink for me. Just because you do not see the value in one model does not mean it should be done away with.

+1. A lot of good points made both ways, but technology has changed the business. Years ago if a photographer shot your wedding you were sold an album of hand printed silverprints. No copiers, scanners, inkjet, color laser or other printers to make unauthorized DIY copies existed. So a print back then literally had more value. Photographers didn't have to be print police either.

Wally World is watching out for the working photographers???

No, Wally World is watching out for Wally World. "Oh please Olin Mills, Disney et al don't sue US." I just don't like the idea of selective enforcement and random untrained employees making inconsistent case by case judgment calls.

[Some Idiot]

pull out your 70-200 and say "see" ???

[Truckman]

Originally Posted by Some Idiot

pull out your 70-200 and say "see" ???

Using your best Cleavon Little voice from "Blazing Saddles" say, "Pardon me while I whup this out"......Ben

[AndreaCurran]

Our Walmart prints are so bad that I don't want to use them anyway, but when I am going to print something for myself in a one- hour type place, I throw my CF card into my purse with the images on them.

[Colyn]

Originally Posted by AndreaCurran

Our Walmart prints are so bad that I don't want to use them anyway, but when I am going to print something for myself in a one- hour type place, I throw my CF card into my purse with the images on them.

I've yet to find a Wally World store that can even print properly so like you I won't use them.

I do most of my printing where I work on properly calibrated machines. I have an account so I get discounts..

[Gambit]

Originally Posted by texkam

no, wally world is watching out for wally world. ... I just don't like the idea of selective enforcement and random untrained employees making inconsistent case by case judgment calls.

+1 !!

[MRCPix]

well maybe they should look at the exif info and see if you are the owner or not. I have my exif set-up so it shows it copywritted with my name on the image file.