Don't Be Fooled!

Several "photographers" in town are offering "bargain basement" pricing on their portraits. Someone asked me how they can do prints at almost one-third off my price. I will tell you how.... they are cheating you, their customers! That's right, cheating you. They are charging you for professional services, but they are having their printing done at Walmart, Walgreens or HyVee.  Ask any of the employees in the photo developing in these stores and they will tell you that several well known photographers have their prints done there. 
So, what is wrong with that?
The answer to that question is multifaceted.


1) They use a cheaper grade of ink and a cheaper grade and weight of paper which is why these stores can sell their prints so cheaply.


2) With these stores, what goes into the machine is at the mercy of the machine. In a professional color lab, all prints are individually checked for color accuracy and for proper cropping of the photo. Ever get a print from one of these stores where your green grass looked like plastic Easter grass, or a persons face looks pink or red. This is what you get from these photographers who cut corners by using one of the cheap options for printing.

3) That cheap ink and paper might actually look good when you receive your photos. But wait a couple of years and you will see the difference. My professional prints will look as good as they did on day one, while those cut rate prints will have faded drastically and will take on a yellow tint. That cheaper grade of paper will have begun to roll up and eventually crack. Ask yourself then if saving $20-$40 dollars was a good deal!
 If I am investing several hundred dollars for portraits, I want them to last more than a year or two... don't you?

How are they cheating you? They are giving you inferior quality and charging you professional fees!  Think about it... are you getting a good deal? 


If they tell you they can have your prints in 48 hours or less... then they are printing in a local department store, and you are being ripped off!