Walgreens would not print this photo !

OK, for everyone reading this thread, see if you can take a photo that looks professsional enough that your local drug store will refuse to print it.
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Jeff Peterman

Any insults, implied anger, bad grammar and bad spelling, are entirely unintentionalal. Sorry.
http://www.pbase.com/jeffp25
http://www.jeffp25.smugmug.com discount code: rLhBMD1iJah9w

I've never run into this problem. My pictures must not be good enough. lol.

Personally, I don't see how the lab can be responsible and not the person buying prints. If someone were to say scan pro shots that they had no rights to reprint that would be wrong. But the lab should not be responsible. It would be impossible for the lab to determine rights ownership.

I remember in the early days of Kinkos. They used to make you sign stuff just to make photocopies. Same reasoning. Thankfully, that has fallen to the wayside.

I suggest a more photo friendly lab. There are many to choose from where you will probably not run into this problem.

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Jonathan

As somebody else stated, I have never had a problem printing my yacht racing shots at Costco.

The technician even stood there while I proofed them, looking over my shoulder the whole time saying, "Wow, that's a really good shot! Hey Jim, come over and look at this."

I'm not saying I'm a pro, but I do take a good picture once in a while.

I printed 25 Copies of this photo at Costco for Philippe Kahn (founder of Borland) after the Big Boat Series last September:

will probably do just that. They are just located more conveniently than other stores so pickup is easier than say costco or walmart or something ...

Tario said:

Just take a wide photo of your setup -showing obviously the home
environment..
I doubt a photo studio would have a fridge and a bunch of toys
lying around etc etc..
and then tell themn you're going elsewhere from now on.

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Canon 20D

Click to expand...

The Wolf Camera store near my house simply has me electronically sign a release each time I load digital photos to their computer for printing stating the photo is my property and is not copyright protected.
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Don A.

Use Costco instead.

First Walmart, now Walgreen's, I guess these companies don't understand what can be accomplished with a digital camera.

jerry

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jerryk.smugmug.com

Here is what I would do...I would first of all thank them for protecting your interests because someone could bring in one of your images to copy one day! Second...you should not try to convince them that the image was not captured by a pro...you should convince them that you are the photographer that owns the picture. Take a picture with your kids holding up a sign that says "My daddy is the photographer, Walgreens! and then submit it to the same store for printing along with the first one. You also could join FujiFilm ProNet. It is free, you will receive a membership card that when shown to the clerk at walgreens will give you some validity with them. It worked for me when I was just starting out! You also can get free info etc from Fujifilm...they also sponsor neat seminars and classes that are sometimes free to members.

That guy is a real hero of mine - I credit him and Anders Hejlsberg for sparking the software Industry in the 1980s.

I bought Turbo Pascal 1.0 for $49.99 from them (still have my boxed copy in mint shape on my shelf!) which allowed me to start my own software company at a the age of 16 - and it has turned into a nice business that has allowed me to pursue my dreams and give me financial independance. My career and the quality of the life I live is directly attributable to Mr. Khan.

At the time - a developement system could cost thousands of dollars - with the release of Turbo Pascal, anyone with time, determination, and motivation could write professional quality code.

If you see him again tell him thanks for me - and the thousands of programmers he helped along the way!

Whats he up to these days?

Vijay

1000Words said:

Had an annoying experience at a Walgreens photo center today. I
uploaded a picture of my kids to the Walgreens website I took at
home using a new background I bought. It was just using a single
bounced flash (Canon 20D + 580EX + Stofen Omnibounce) as you can
tell by the shadow on the background. I got to the store to pick up
the 8x10 print and they said they cancelled the order because they
are not allowed to print professional photos ! I tried convincing
them that it's just at my home using a make shift studio but they
wouldn't listen. They said some other stores like Walmart and
Kinkos have been sued by studios for printing their photos.
They said if I proved to them that it's not a professional photo
they'll print it.
Here is the picture I was trying to print:

Click to expand...

Buy your own printer and print at home then or turn yourself into a professional

Anyway, you can print online.

I have a home studio and have taken portraits of friends that they have subsequently been unable to get reprints of - despite my having given them carte blanche to do with them as they would. Same problem - the local Wal Mart refused to do it. Ultimately I printed out a formal letter stating that they had permission and signed it. I also stapled to the letter a contact sheet with thumbnails of the images, which I also signed at the bottom. I give one of these to friends whenever I do portraits, and since doing so they have had no difficulties.
-R

1000Words said:

I did offer to show them the whole gallery with over 40 shots but
they didn't have access to a browser!

Click to expand...

...hmmm.. I can give them your web page or anyone else web page

David Giacomini said:

I've never run into this problem. My pictures must not be good
enough. lol.

Personally, I don't see how the lab can be responsible and not the
person buying prints. If someone were to say scan pro shots that
they had no rights to reprint that would be wrong. But the lab
should not be responsible. It would be impossible for the lab to
determine rights ownership.

I remember in the early days of Kinkos. They used to make you sign
stuff just to make photocopies. Same reasoning. Thankfully, that
has fallen to the wayside.

I suggest a more photo friendly lab. There are many to choose from
where you will probably not run into this problem.

Click to expand...

You don't need to be good l) but just put a backdrop behind the photo and they will turn you into professional.

Whats he up to these days?

vijayparikh said:

Vijay

Click to expand...

Vijay, I wouldn't say I know him well enough to be a friend of mine, but he is certainly an aquaintance.

Last thing I heard, he and his wife were starting a new organization, Full Power (www.fullpower.com). The details are pretty scarce.

If I remember correctly, he was/is involved with LightSurf (www.lightsurf.com)

And, of course, racing his multitude of sail boats. I think he's probably up to about 15 or so by now. He operates under Pegasus Racing (www.pegasus.com) The photo I included before is actually in his gallery there under 2005 Big Boat Series.

Hope this was helpful.

Sean

I've had great luck with Costco - custom profiles, specific data on printer models, resolution, etc., allow me to do soft-proofing, intent rendering, black-point simulation, tweaking, optimizing, etc., and get exactly what I see on my monitor.

And it's $2.99 for an 18x12. You check a box that you have the rights to the photos you are printing - no demand to "prove" it to them. I'm not even sure how you would do that.

Fortunately one of the other folks behind the counter knew me from previous visits and let the ignorant one know that I do better than average photos. It helps to go in person a few times, bringing along a CF (or whatever) card with some shots you want printed. I have had to have the files on at least two different type of cards if their computer/card reader is having fits that day.

I have also found when using their setup, there are twice as many files as actual photos! I have learned to skip over the ones that start with a period (i.e. .barn.jpg) and use the one further on that looks normal (barn.jpg).

I have found the Walgreens I go to (Los Lunas, NM) to do a pretty good job with 4x6s & 5x7s.

michael

http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/home?userid= {8E963407-DDD0-4A34-8879-738E6BC48566}&tio=0

I think they're saying your photos have such a professional quality .... and the employees aren't professional enough to know how to cope with that. They don't seem to realize that individuals are capable of photography that leaves WalMart in the dust ...

Great job!
--
http://www.pbase.com/bullpooches

Set the self timer and crawl up onto the same backdrop and take a shot of yourself mooning the camera, but with your face also clearly visible.

Then ask them if they'll print that one

If they will, then maybe they'll take your word for the other shots too.

Seriously, though, Wal-Mart has been sued over this and so have other photo processing outfits.

Pros do not want them to print their work and they've probably been instructed to be very careful.

However, they are off the hook completely if you give them a signed statement saying that you have full copyright rights to the shots. At that point, it doesn't matter whether or not you are lying. Their butts are covered so they can print them. They have excercised "due diligence" and are off the hook.

I've seen another thread about all of this on here before. I think someone posted a legal form that you could simply sign and give to them that was sufficient to get them off the hook and thus allow them to print whatever you want them to print. They're just looking out for themselves.

By the way, that IS a very professional photo! I don't blame them for being suspicious and, of course, it's a nice compliment for you

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Jim H.

This has happened with the digital age. Way back when I did studio work we gave proofs with a watermark across the picture saying PROOF. We also used something called P.O.P. which was a special paper that faded away when exposed to light too long. This was all before scanners which changed the whole situation. I still think it's not Walgreens responsibility to worry where you got the picture from unless they have an agreement with pros not to reprint there pics.
Bill
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For every idiot proof system devised, a new and improved idiot will arise to overcome it.

Just print with an inkjet printer and matching photopaper, why go to walgreens or costco? Inkjet has better print quality anyways nowadays and its cost effective for a few copies. If you need 10s of prints then go to a big photo place.