Wedding photos possibly ruined - can photoshop or genuine fractals help?

I am so sorry if I am posting this in an improper area. I am not a photographer, but

I have a question about my wedding photos I just received. I am posting because I

am seeking out as much advice as possible. I appreciate any insight anyone can

provide.

 

I am going to remove all the detail of the nightmare i have experience with this

photographer and get right ro my question.

 

I was supposed to get a "high res" CD. The images on the CD are only about

500KB and they have resolution of 800x1200! The photographer told me that I

need to educate myself as to what interpolation is and that I can make 16x20

prints from those images with proper interpolation.

 

Please advise me on this and tell me how large you think I can print my images.

Will photoshop work? Do I need to buy Genuine Fractals?

 

Thank you so much for your time.

 

Toni (& Brendan) Eberenz

Hmmm. Does the photographer actually HAVE higher-resolution files? Those sound like files set up for on-screen viewing, not printing.

"I was supposed to get a "high res" CD."

 

If you were supposed to get high rez files, then I'd ask for them. Why don't you have them? Many photographers do not hand out the high rez originals or if they do, it's an option and usually after an extended period of time and are certain on-line sales/orders have finished. So, I'm kind of suspicious in cases like this until I've heard the photographers side of the story.

 

To answer your question, no. You can not make 16x20 prints from such a small file. You can barely make a low quality 4x6 with what you have.

 

Genuine Fractals is hardly used any more as the math in Photoshop today is much superior.

If the photographer's contract with you specified "high res. files" then, IMO, you should

be receiving high resolution image files suitable for printing. We provide our clients

with the full resolution image files which is what I would define as "high res."

 

Best of luck in resolving this.

 

Rick

Including high resolution files as part of a package is a lot more common than Garrison K realizes. Every photographer is different, if the agreement was to get high resolution files then you should get high resolution files. You should not get low resolutions files and instructions on interpolation. High resolution files should have be larger in file size (MB), have a higher resolution, and higher dpi.

"...more common than Garrison K realizes."

 

You've read me incorrectly. I know it's common, that's why I'm curious and suspicious to why the OP doesn't have them and is stuck trying to make enlargements out of email sized files.

I will fill in more of the story.

 

My original contract with my wedding photographer stated that I will get a proof CD (that's all - no specs written). The photographer told me that with this CD I can print out images up to 11x14 no problem.

 

When it was FINALLY time to get my pictures (he was really dragging his feet) I noticed over 100 pictures were missing in the proofs. He said to compensate for this he will provide a high res CD (the e-mail actually states that he will provide raw images right from the camera with no editing).

 

He became very irrate multiple time that I have dealth with him. To give you an idea of his character he first of all said that all photographers in our county and stupid and wouldn't understand so I can't ask them any questions. I informed him that I called to photographers in Ohio as well as PA, and he said that they just don't know and he used to be stupid like them.

 

The final step, after he screamed at my father because my father said "you promised to give us a CD with images that we can print even larger than 16x20 images from", I was also told that I must sign paperwork saying I will not sue him and that I am perfectly happy with all the services or he will not give me anything. He was screaming and yelling at me so I said to everyone there (my family and the photographers son) that I don't want to sign the paperwok and it's not true but that I will to get my wedding photos. I added this part in because talking to him will do nothing. He refused to do anything else for us and told us that we better sign the papers and walk out with a smile.

 

Toni Eberenz

So what does "high-rez" file mean? I always give 8x12 at 250 dpi when I give my clients their cd of images. However, I was looking through some high-rez files from another photographer recently that were all sized 5x7 at 250 dpi. Is there a standard high-rez file size?

 

Toni - Genuine Fractals may help al little, but that file size is hardly a decent 4x6. Alien Skin makes a program called Blowup that is similar to GF. They both should have demo versions so you can see what the finished product will look like. If you have Photoshop it works well also and you may not need GF or Blowup. You can uprez the file and then view at 50% on your monitor to get an idea of what the finished print will look like at that size. How big do you want to go? If you are just looking for 4x6 and maybe a 5x7 it would probably work to some extent. If you are looking for 8x10 or larger, you may be in trouble. Was the wedding shot with digital or was it film and then scanned?

 

JT

a nikon d1 makes 2000x1300 pixel files. That camera in digital terms is very old. Any

file smaller than that has been reduced. Or not from an acceptable camera.

"(the e-mail actually states that he will provide raw images right from the camera with no editing)."

 

Then I wouldn't settle for anything less. It's just a waste of your time and money trying to make prints from these small web based files.

 

Did you sign a contract before the wedding?

Thank you all for your comments so far.

 

I asked him multiple times how he shot our wedding. He told Brendan (myhusband and I) that he shoots in raw when we met with him. He told my parents he shoots in raw. I have emails saying I will get raw files. Yet when I saw him this weekend to get my pictures he said he never tells anybody what camera he uses or what he shoots with.

 

He said he never told us that he shoots in raw because he doesn't do that anymore. He said he didn't remember what he shot our wedding with.

 

He kept talking down to me and saying that he just takes the pictures then when he puts the memory card into his computer the images come out in that 800x1200 format and that is how he makes ALL of his prints (he has 20x30s in his studio and says they come from that).

 

Even I know that you have a choice as to what size you want to import your files from your camera if you use raw. And if he did it in jpg then they have to be larger than that usless he used a terrible camera, and I really don't think he did.

"He said he never told us that he shoots in raw because he doesn't do that anymore. He said he didn't remember what he shot our wedding with."

 

He's just plain lying to you. You should consider legal action because it sounds like you're not going to get anything from him.

 

Maybe he shot your wedding with a piece-of-crap camera instead of whatever he normally uses and he doesn't want to tell you that. Unless he went to the trouble of stripping out the metadata from the image file, it should tell you what model camera was used and much more about how the images were captured.

"High res" is a vague term, and specifics obviously would have been better. But I would not begin to consider a file "high res" unless it was at least 2x the size you mentioned in each dimension, i.e. 1600x2400. That would print 8x12 at 200 dpi, and is an absolute bare minimum, IMO.

James Taylor - Photos were shot in digital and I would like to be able to print up to 11x14.

 

Garrison K. - yes, we did sign a contract before the wedding. That contract was for the proof CD with no specifications written down, but he told us we could easily print 11x14s with that. Then after he lost some of our pictures we corresponded through phone and email about how to compensate for the loss, which is when he said he would give the high res, telling us in email it would be raw from the camera.

 

I don't want to release his name until I know what my plan is to get the high resolution files. I am just gathered facts right now, and trying to educate myself as to what people consider "high res" and if the interpolation would even work (although he never said we would get a CD of images that we have to buy a problem and learn how to maniopulate them properly to get good prints - so believe me, I'm really sad and upset).

 

I will release all information after I gather facts about wedding photography typical policies and digital images.

 

Thank you all so much.

Toni, you can download a free utility called Opanda and then open one of your jpg's to find out what kind of camera he used to make the jpg. But if he used the "save for web" method, that strips the exif data, then you're out of luck. Chances are though that exif data is still intact and you can find out.

Why not send some files to a good lab and have them make a few 4x6 (should look good) and a few larger formats. I think you can do 8x12" that looks good but it depends on the image subject.

 

Peter

"...Genuine Fractals is hardly used any more as the math in Photoshop today is much superior."

 

Garrison, this is incorrect. Genuine Fractals 5 is amazing compared to the interpolation tools in PS. PS's interpolation is pretty primitive.

I would sue if he did not perform to contract. Problem is before the suit is settled, his computer will crash and all work will be lost. You will end up with nothing but appologies.

 

So order the prints you want from him and eat the loss.

 

Next time beware of whom you make contracts.

Do not give any more money to this jerk and do not eat any losses. Sue for either the original raw files as promised, or sue for your money back.

First and foremost, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. It doesn't matter if he's a member, or if he has an existing file with them. Just file a complaint and that will start the ball rolling -- having the BBB on your side can work wonders, trust me.

 

Do NOT pay him a penny more, regardless of what he promises.

 

Schedule a consultation with an attorney to see what your options are -- and what things may cost should you take this to court.

 

Keep a file of all the communication you've had with this photographer -- and take notes after any phone calls.

 

Bottom line, you COULD print a 16x20 from an 800x1200ppi image, but it would look horrible. It's possible that this guy just has pretty low standards.

 

I'm so sorry for what you're going through.

An attorney might be in order now. Make sure you keep copies of all documentation you have received from him.

It always amazes me when I hear stories like this. Do these kinds of professionals (people who take pictures with cameras and call themselves professionals) actually exist? It blows my mind that anyone who is dumb enough to try and make a living doing this (kidding) would be further stupid enough to act in this manner.

 

The first rule of customer service is that a bad reputation spreads much faster than a good one. That's not even considering any legal action.

 

Another good rule is don't underestimate the intelligence of your client... in other words, don't lie to them.

 

I think Anne has offered the best advice. I don't know the law well enough to say whether you would be successful in legal action, but it certainly doesn't hurt to find out what your options are.

Toni,

 

You have consulted with photographers here on photo.net and you know that you can't get large prints with the files you have. Now, consult with a lawyer, whom you have to select carefully. A lawyer may be able to get you the files simply with a letter to the photographer, and if that doesn't work will know what further steps to take. Good luck.

very sorry toni.

 

i will be blunt.

you had better be thinking of getting a lawyer and soon before anything happens to the original files that he has. an 800 by 1200 pixel camera is a 1meg camera. right now you would find a hard time even finding a true 1mb camera. the only way you could get a 800x1200 from a camera is that you set it that way on purpose. which for your sake i hope he did not do. if he did have the resolution set for 800x1200 then that would explain a lot about his behavior. the better pics of a higher resolution simply are not there, and he does not have them. I HOPE NOT.

 

also, you mentioned emails. you had better have them available. that seems to be the only place that states that you would be getting good high resolution pics.

 

by way of comparison my own dslr is a 2000X3000 dslr and this gives a 6mp image. it is possible to enlarge to 20x30inches at that size. i have done this with no problems many times.

 

you said that you have a contract that states that you would get a proof cd. unfortuneately that is what you now have. normally at this point you would tell him which pics you want and he would make enlargements of them at whatever size you state. from what you are saying is that your disc is the final one and that is all you get. i would get out the contract and read it very carefully to find out exactly what he is contracted to provide. then compare it with his emails to see if there are differences, especially any emails that he wrote after the signing of the contract. is he refering to the contract in any way after signing emails and with what specs in what he will provide.

 

above all do not pay him any more money. take the contract and the printed emails to a lawyer as ask what moves are available to you. also check with the BBB. frankly it just does not sound like he know what he is doing, and has the technical information that he should have.

 

with what you have now, the 800x1200 images you can probably get 4x6 and 5x7 out of them. maybe 8x10, you could run a test print to find out. but beyond 8x10(maybe) is just not possible with what you have.

Thank you all so much. I am in the process of printing all my e-mails, and finding all material related to the contract that I have. I am also organizing a time line of how everything happened then I will contact a lawyer. Even if lawyer doesn't want to get involved I may still try to take him to small claims court. I have evidence and I have the simple facts about digital images.