Giving photo disc to friends for printing: As I was reading a post where the posting person mentioned taking photos of friends and giving them the photos without charge, it brought to...

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

As I was reading a post where the posting person mentioned taking photos of friends and giving them the photos without charge, it brought to my mind a few times i have done this by giving the photos on a disc so the friend can have them printed as they wish. A few times the friend/customer has come back and said a local printer (usually WalMart) refused to print the photos because "they were taken by a professional." I resolved it by giving the people a typed and signed note or letter stating that they have full rights to those photos and they can be printed as they wish.

Anyone else had this issue? Is it because I embed my name as photographer and copyright holder in the EXIF data?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

PhotogHobbyist wrote:

As I was reading a post where the posting person m... (show quote)

The all-powerful & all-knowing clerk at Walmart is probably the best source of the reasons for their arbitrary decision. The likelihood the EXIF data being inspected is probably on the low-end of possible reasons.

Today in March 2020, the process is nearly universally all-digital. The images are uploaded to the printer's website and printed (and shipped) with the customer never physically visiting the printer. Or, visiting only for the final onsite pick-up. The extinction of the all-powerful & all-knowing clerk at the print station is pretty well complete.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You also might put a simple .txt or .pdf document copy of your licensing agreement on the disk.... that way when they lose the printed one, they can just print out another copy of it or they can tell the Walmart clerk to look at it on the disk itself.

I do that and have never had a customer come back with a problem getting it printed. When I provide them a digital file over the Internet I embed the license information in the image EXIF. The clerk at Walmart can look that up too, if necessary.

But I also don't give away images for free! People doing that are ruining the photo industry for everyone else... for the people who are actually trying to make a living at it. How would you like it if I started giving away whatever it is that you do at your job, you lost all your customers and didn't get paid?

BebuLamar

amfoto1 wrote:

But I also don't give away images for free! People doing that are ruining the photo industry for everyone else... for the people who are actually trying to make a living at it. How would you like it if I started giving away whatever it is that you do at your job, you lost all your customers and didn't get paid?

OK so I shouldn't donate food to the pantry because the food industries will lose their jobs. If someone else giving away pictures that hurts your business means your business doesn't provide a better value than the person who is giving his pictures away.

Bill_de Loc: US

amfoto1 wrote:

You also might put a simple .txt or .pdf document ... (show quote)

And the person who does a brake job for a neighbor is hurting the professional mechanic.

If you can't compete with amateurs you may need to up your game and offer something unique.

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PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

amfoto1 wrote:

You also might put a simple .txt or .pdf document ... (show quote)

Well my job was providing medical care to convicted felons while they were incarcerated. Now I am retired. It may be difficult to provide the services I performed without a college degree in the medical field so it also would be a very different concept than giving someone a few free photos.

As for “giving away” photos it is not a frequent or even consistent occurrence. Someone with limited low income wanting a few photos, not from a cell phone, of their new baby. If they ask me to use my background and monolights, I see that as a little charity, not even starting to affect the photography industry for everyone else.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

PhotogHobbyist wrote:

As I was reading a post where the posting person m... (show quote)

NO. I put mine on a flash drive and have never had an issue.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

PhotogHobbyist wrote:

As I was reading a post where the posting person m... (show quote)

Were they watermarked?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

BebuLamar wrote:

OK so I shouldn't donate food to the pantry because the food industries will lose their jobs. If someone else giving away pictures that hurts your business means your business doesn't provide a better value than the person who is giving his pictures away.

Not the same thing. Don't stop donating to food pantries. The corps will continue to do just fine. But don't advocate for giving away photos, which does diminish the public's perception of value of professional photographic services. It has nothing to do with the quality of services being offered, it has to do with the public's perception. They think they can get high quality work, and a professional experience - for free or next to nothing.

BebuLamar

Gene51 wrote:

Not the same thing. Don't stop donating to food pantries. The corps will continue to do just fine. But don't advocate for giving away photos, which does diminish the public's perception of value of professional photographic services. It has nothing to do with the quality of services being offered, it has to do with the public's perception. They think they can get high quality work, and a professional experience - for free or next to nothing.

If I give away my pictures I am sure the public would not mistaken my pictures for yours. I don't think they would change their mind.
(and if they do I would like that).

traderjohn Loc: New York City

amfoto1 wrote:

You also might put a simple .txt or .pdf document ... (show quote)

"But I also don't give away images for free! People doing that are ruining the photo industry for everyone else."
Yeah...that's what it is.. I did just recently, give some pictures of my grandchildren to their parents. Next week my nephew is christening his son. I do plan on also giving the parents some pictures. Dare I say it for....free. Maybe you should look for another area f employment.

blackest Loc: Ireland

If you want a problem try unsplash.com

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I never charge for photos but the things I shoot would not get done if it required hiring a professional. I don't want to hurt any industry but don't want anyone telling me I can't be generous with friends and family because that is part of why I pay for equipment which by the way helps keep the industry going.

Stephan G

Gene51 wrote:

Not the same thing. Don't stop donating to food pantries. The corps will continue to do just fine. But don't advocate for giving away photos, which does diminish the public's perception of value of professional photographic services. It has nothing to do with the quality of services being offered, it has to do with the public's perception. They think they can get high quality work, and a professional experience - for free or next to nothing.

Sadly, the concept of free samples did away with so many industries.

Who is this "public" whose perception diminish anything? It does diminish, perhaps, the freeloaders who take up the time of the professional. Individuals are free to do what they want. This includes their skilled products, if any.

FWIW, the adage that "you get what you pay for" still holds very strongly even today. In the *marketplace*!

"Professional photographic services". That's what places like Walmart provide. It's on their promo billboards.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Country Boy wrote:

I never charge for photos but the things I shoot would not get done if it required hiring a professional. I don't want to hurt any industry but don't want anyone telling me I can't be generous with friends and family because that is part of why I pay for equipment which by the way helps keep the industry going.

I never charge family and very close friends other than what it costs me to print, mat and frame. I get great joy at sharing with friends. Those outside the boundaries I will charge. I don't buy, pun intended, the never do it for free. If somehow this takes from a professionals coffers, tough sh*t! My work, my choice! :)