mffox Loc: Avon, CT

Adorama, NYC. Excellent products, excellent service, excellent pricing.

Mark

ejpeters Loc: New Jersey, USA

Nations Photo Lab has always done excellent work for me.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

I have used Costco and the comments are right, they do a pretty good job and I have been satisfied, but the comment about not doing a professional job has some merit too. I could be wrong, but I don't think they do any custom work to the photo like a professional lab would. It depends on how much you want to spend. This looks like the kind of photo where you may want the pros to do it. Costco also prints on metal, a 16 x 20 is $53. You can download the photo from home and they will deliver it. Just a thought, whatever you do I hope you are happy with the results, beautiful dog.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...I tried Costco awhile back and could never get the results I was after. I think those who swear by Costco have simply not tried a dedicated lab...I've been a Bay Photo guy for years, for anything I can't print myself.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I have used both Costco and Bay Photo for prints and Costco was far superior. All of my photos (11x14s) from Bay Photo came with a crease in the upper corner (it looked like someone used their fingernail to pickup the photo); the crease was visible even when matted. I phoned Bay Photo and complained; they said they would send a new batch of photos. They never did.

The only problem I had at Costco was that their machine malfunctioned while printing my photos. I showed the problem to the tech; he apologized and asked I would would wait for an hour while he ran the photos through again. This time they came out perfect; he gave me multiple copies AND refunded my original money because of the inconvenience they caused.

Costco is my go-to place for printing.

greekd214

Printique.com

wcsungod Loc: Walnut Creek California

Bay Photo is suggested by many here, and I agree.
Have it done by Bay Photo and by Costco. Then get a good magnifying glass and in good, non-glare outdoor light study the two photos. Then you can make up your own mind about which one is better, deciding also based on cost, and use them in the future.
You will also have an extra print that you can find a use for.

Diane58

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I wrote this as a former portrait lab digital products manager:

mPix/Miller's is a great lab. Have you been disappointed with their work in the past?

Others here mentioned White House Custom Color and Bay Photo. They are two more of the dozen or so favorite professional color labs on my list. I won't list them all, here, because on a good day, any of them can make an excellent print. Policies, products, prices, services, shipping, and rapport may vary, and only you can choose those qualities.

Actually, nearly all of the professional color labs that have been around for a few decades are excellent. In Kodak's heydays, I used to attend conferences and seminars with reps from about 100 of the best labs in the country. We all had access to the same tools, supplies, and information.

The challenge to getting great output from any lab is in two things:

First, are your monitor, calibration, and custom monitor profile qualities. (Are you using a monitor suitable for 100% of the sRGB color gamut reproduction? Better, still, would be a monitor capable of 99% of the Adobe RGB color gamut reproduction. Are you using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer and its accompanying software from Datacolor or X-Rite to calibrate it monthly and create a new custom ICC monitor profile at the same time?) If you rely on your monitor to evaluate changes to color or brightness of images, the monitor has to be calibrated and profiled to the standard — IF you want prints that match the monitor.

Second, think about the entire digital reproduction system from camera to file. If you rely on the camera to save JPEGs, are you optimizing camera exposure, white balance, and the various camera JPEG processor menu settings for the scenes you photograph? If you save raw files and process them after photography, are you taking advantage of the additional six to eight stops of dynamic range and full control over all image parameters? IF you have the time and knowledge and experience, you most probably can create a better JPEG for your lab, and take advantage of "soft proofing" via the lab's printer profile for "What I See Is What the Lab Prints" color.

Finally, there's a lot more to working with a good lab than just choosing one. Both photographer and lab technicians have to hold up their ends of the deal. GIGO or QIQO... To achieve the latter, talk to the lab's technical service representative to be sure you are getting the most from them. They can guide you.

maryo Loc: Santa fe

are millers and mpix the same?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Same company. Miller's is the professional division serving high volume commercial clients. mpix is typically used by enthusiasts and low volume users. The Miller's business started first, and they branded mpix to segregate the different types of typical orders and the different types of clients.

The lab I worked for did essentially the same thing, but we used the same name. We just had two different price structures... The 20 guys who bought $500,000 to $3,000,000 worth of finishing per year obviously got better pricing than the many small studios who bought under $10,000/year.

maryo Loc: Santa fe

makes sense. thanks

maryo Loc: Santa fe

Is this any better? Which size?
Thanks everyone.
- mary

wcsungod Loc: Walnut Creek California

The larger one (the first one) on UHH.
Look at the dog's right eye eye.

maryo Loc: Santa fe

Couldn't do anything with it. Just in a shadow.