Offer CD/DVD of Images for Sale?

[april_hollingsworth]

<p>I used to offer images with printing permission for sale. I then stopped after seeing them printed from Wal-Mart...where the eyes were too dark. I have gone to great work to have my monitor calibrated for the specific lab I use. I want to make sure my prints look the way I intended them to be. But so many times I get asked if I offer the CD for sale, often in regard to weddings. I'm afraid I'm loosing business because I am not. What are your thoughts on this? We are in this to make money, right? Should I sacrifice quality assurance for business? If I did offer the digital images, I would only create them for a 4x6 print quality.</p>

[justin_greene]

<p>"If I did offer the digital images, I would only create them for a 4x6 print quality."<br>

Why? What's the point of that? If I was shopping for a photographer, and I wanted the digital images, I would make sure I would acquire full size to do with as I please, at an appropriate price.<br>

So, not you, then.</p>

[nanc1]

<p>I agree with Justin!<br>

Could you not have a written agreement stating that these photo labs you mentions in the statement are the best ones to go to.<br>

But if they choose to go else where, they cannot come back to you on this because they look bad, and they chose to go to a cheaper place.<br>

I've sold CD's and I told the clients the places they should and should not go and I also have a photo that was printed at wal-mart and one at a very good lab so they can see the difference it makes going to better place and ya paying double or triple in price.<br>

But you get what you pay for.<br>

I know its a catch 22....your damn if you do and damn if you don't :(<br>

Good luck with what you decide.</p>

[mikael_karlsson]

<p>The problem is that if the client decides to get the cheapest print they can find - and they will most likely - the print quality will reflect poorly on the photographer. People tend to be quite cheap and typically have little to no understanding of the simple fact that the same file will look very different if printed at the local WalMart compared to a pro lab that actually know what they're doing. This is especially true if the clients are "ordinary folks" that simply want a ice looking print to hang on the wall but doesn't have much experience of pro labs, which would encompass roughly 99% of the population...<br /> <br /> Personally I use the likes of SmugMug on the very rare occasions when I offer prints. That or run the prints myself and fork them over for cost, but offering prints is not part of my photography business. When I do run prints myself it's generally 8" by 12"s or 13" by 19"s and I charge $10 or $25/print. I, obviously, doesn't make any money off this and see it more as a favor to people that want a print than as a business-transaction.</p>

[pcnilssen]

<p>I'll do my best in taking the photos, and I deliver them on a CD, which the buyer sees togheter with me. She (most often a "she" - a dance mom) gets the CD, and whether she prints them herself, or take them to s minilab, or don't print at all - I really don't care. She has seen them on the monitor, paid me, and know how they should look like.</p>

[justin_greene]

<p>" the print quality will reflect poorly on the photographer." I'm not interested in being an advertising medium for the photographer. He can make his own prints to demo his skills. I'll print the images as I find satisfactory, if that's what I want to do.</p>

[mikael_karlsson]

<p>Justin:<br /> <br /> You're writing from a consumer's point of view while I'm writing from a photographer's point of view. The question was asked by April from her view as a photographer. From the photographer's point of view you would want prints by you displayed by clients to be as nice as possible simply because when other people comment and ask about the prints, the photographer's name will likely be mentioned and hence the nice print will reflect nicely on the photographer.<br /> <br /> On a forum for clients rather than photographers I'm sure it would be the other way around, if it is even thought about at all from a client's point of view.</p>

[david_love2]

<p>I wondered about selling a "print resolution" CD. I knew that it was going to be asked from the client. I include a set of pp 4x5 proofs, printed from the pro lab, with my studio name on the bottom right corner of the proof. I can now sell the CD, and, with the pro lab printed proofs the client knows what they should look like. This gives me at least a little confidence that my name is associated with my product. </p>

[david_love2]

<p>I wondered about selling a "print resolution" CD. I knew that it was going to be asked from the client. I include a set of pp 4x5 proofs, printed from the pro lab, with my studio name on the bottom right corner of the proof. I can now sell the CD, and, with the pro lab printed proofs the client knows what they should look like. This gives me at least a little confidence that my name is associated with my product.</p>

[nanc1]

<p><strong>Mickael</strong> -The problem is that if the client decides to get the cheapest print they can find - and they will most likely - the print quality will reflect poorly on the photographer.<br>

I Agree!<br>

Its a tough one once you hand over that CD you have no Control to where they will go and it sucks.</p>

<p>I like what David says, <strong>he includes a set of pp 4x5 proofs, printed from the pro lab, with my studio name on the bottom right corner of the proof.</strong></p>

[nathan_meador]

<p>I include set quantities of prints from my lab as part of the shoot package, and if they want to buy a cd with high-res images, they can for an additional cost. So if they print them at 'wherever-mart' they will still have the lab quality images, and can see for themselves the difference, which should be noticeable. I also include a low-res cd for facebook/myspace, etc.. I don't price additional lab prints very high, so if they want extras, they won't have to spend a fortune to get good quality prints.</p>

[michelle_hogan]

<p>If I sell the cd of images I include a letter that states that I use professional printing labs and that my prints are of the highest quality, however I take no responsibility for the quality of printing done from the CD as I have no control over the printing process. I make sure the client is aware of this, I also include a few prints with digital packages so the client can see the quality.</p>

[bill_george1]

<p>I don't have a dog in this particular argument but there is a Wal-Mart near me that produces very good quality poster-size semi-matte prints in one-hour from my digital files --- their 4"x6" prints are only so-so but the 11"x14" are very, very good. </p>

[ambur]

<p>Hi April,<br>

I too asked a similar question on here and was frustrated with the whole images on CD situation as well, but here is what I have done to adapt...<br>

1) I give two CD's now, one with high res images with my business name/ logo on them and ask my customers to use these on their social networking sites. Hello! free advertising and it has brought in fresh business!<br>

2) Second CD is a limited copyright disc with a label that I made addressing the photofinisher NO color correction, as a lot of the 1 hr places automatically correct. I just used the sticky return address labels that you can create in word. LOVE it because I also put the CR info on there too.<br>

3) Offer that beautiful proof book! You want those print sales? This is one way to show what you can do, even on a small scale.<br>

Bottom line and I say this with total sincerity, welcome to 2010. Your going to get customers that want this available especially in the digital age. Yeah, give the people what they want, just do it on your terms... ;)<br>

Best Wishes,<br>

Ambur</p>

[bobchaphalkar]

<p>Sams has Fuji printer for 4X6 to 8X10, while their large prints are made by Epson 4800. That is probably why the print quality is much better. Walmart may have a similar setup.</p>