In my case, the tripod was rated for 40 pounds. I think my entire setup adds up to around 14. That being said, the tripod is metal and is very heavy which is why I've been thinking about CF now that I'm getting older. I'm not worried about it falling over. It's stood tall through quite a bit of wind. You can get a stable metal tripod for less money, but you're going to pay for it with your back.

There are plenty of Tripods that are inexpensive and do a good job. I bought a SILK heavy duty aluminum tripod about 10 year ago and a generic gimbal head (those I replace every 3 years, but at $100/ea it will take me 18 years to make the difference for a wimberly) and I've used it through 3 1 Series cameras and 2 different 500mm primes. So for me, my 1DX and 500F4L IS is around $12,000 in gear and a ton of weight, but it still sits fine on top of $220 worth of tripod and head. I've been tempted to get a new set of carbon fiber legs and maybe one day buy a Wimberly but there's always a new lens or body I want more and the setup I have does the job.

In case like this, I typically will just send the prints over to Sams club or the like. The 8x10's will run you around $1.00/ea. Maybe not the highest quality, but in the end free is free. Better yet, you could just put the files in the cloud for them to download and print for themselves. If this could lead to additional work, I might push the cost and print my own but it doesn't sound like this was going to be an opportunity for ongoing sales.

I would agree that asking for compensation after the fact would be inappropriate. If the original agreement with your son was as a volunteer, then that's what you signed up for when you stood in.

You can also check out the buy&sell forum on FredMiranda.com. I have bought and sold gear on there for years with no issues. Just photographers like us, not commercial enterprises.

For those of us who grew up in the Darkroom, we all know that post-processing is nothing new. Very few of Ansel Adam's famous prints were of the "actual" scene but rather a combination of multiple negatives dodged and burned into place. Photography is an art. Part of art is imposing your creativity on the images you're producing. The level of this imposition is clearly up the artist, and like all art is a matter of taste. I can assure you there are audiences for all types of work.