Did you get a raw deal when you bought your wedding photos?
I hate to put it that baldly, but that's exactly what
happened to one of our customers.
She hired a professional photographer to capture the
biggest day in her life and all she got for her trouble was
a CD full of photo images. OK, that's a legitimate choice.
Not one that I'd recommend, but a legitimate choice.
The photos look great on a computer monitor or on a TV
screen, but we can't make good prints from them.
All that is on the CD is a set of low-resolution
copies of the original, high quality photographs. That
means the photographer did one of three things:
- In editing the photographs, accidentally changed the
picture size to a low resolution image good only for
electronic viewing
- Intentionally changed the picture size to prevent
the customer from buying good prints anywhere else.
- Sold the CD as a low resolution set of pictures
intended to be used as "electronic proofs"
Don't misunderstand me: Options #2 and #3
are legal and are effective ways to protect "artists'
rights." By copyright law, the photographer is the owner of
reproduction rights to any photo he makes unless he grants
(sells) those rights to somebody else. But he or she should
certainly tell you so! And not just in the fine print of a
contract.
This is my belief: The photographer/studio owner has
an absolute obligation to tell the client exactly what she
is buying!
This is my belief: The photographer who sells images
on a CD or DVD should include an additional file on that
disk clearing explaining what's on the CD, and whether or
not permission is conveyed to make copies and prints.
This
is my belief: If your wedding photos only exist on a CD
or a DVD, they might as well be on the moon!
We will be happy to make the very best prints or photo
books possible from your CD or DVD.
