[MRRiley]

Why should you have to lie about or hide the fact that MPix does your printing? They are a reputable lab and make excellent prints (in my experience). Frankly, if the prospective client complains about your $15 8x10s because they know you get them for $3 then lower your print prices to $5 and then explain that your sitting fee has now gone up 500%.

Most photographers barely break even on expenses from their sitting fees and depend on the print profits to make the job worth doing. If they don't understand that then walk away and let them find another photographer...

Mike

---

Last edited by MRRiley; 11-24-2009 at 10:40 AM. Reason: damned typos

[George Lama]

I just tell my clients I do all my printing at a professional lab in the Mid-West who only services professional photographers and that their print quality and professionalism can't be beat. Since all this is true, I have no worries.

Besides, I've never had anyone inquire further once I mention pro-lab far away from home.

How about if I tell them I do my prints at Rite-Aid because it's easier to pick up my milk and meds while I'm there. Would that be wrong?

[Yonnie]

A simple, "I'm sorry. My list of vendors is proprietary information," or if you are a less formal person, "I'm sorry but vendor information is confidential."

If your business model includes selling files, it may behoove you to find local sources where the quality is reliable most of the time (even pro labs have their hiccups) so that you are ready to answer the inevitable "where should...?"

[Lowell Goudge]

When the client asks who I use for prints??? I use mpix so of course if they go online and see their prices they are going to flip at my mark up. What do I say??? I'm just now getting into print sales. I've just been selling the cd up until now.

Also, they want to know what to wear. It's a group of two families and their parents. So six adults and two kids. They want some all together, some of families separate, and just kids.

Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

FIrst of all, what do you do between putting a file on disk and getting prints? How much time do you spend? do you check for quality afterwards and request reprints occasionally? Do you, as a pro get a discount?

Remember when you are handing over prints you are putting your reputation on it, and the quality of the print is your responsibility.

When you hand over a CD, that is all passed on to the client.

[George Lama]

When you hand over a CD, that is all passed on to the client.

And the few times I've done this I include a release which very specifically says:
a) we make sure our equipment is color calibrated to match the print lab we use, and as such all our files follow very specific standards best suited to our desired output,
b) we cannot in any way, shape, or form guarantee the results obtained if our images are print at home or at other commercial labs as we cannot control the quality of the output or the color accuracy of other equipment, particularly when certain labs apply auto-correction to images, resulting in overly bright, pink, or yellow/blue images.

I also explain this to them verbally before they sign the form so it's absolutely clear.

And the few times I've done this I include a release which very specifically says:
a) we make sure our equipment is color calibrated to match the print lab we use, and as such all our files follow very specific standards best suited to our desired output,
b) we cannot in any way, shape, or form guarantee the results obtained if our images are print at home or at other commercial labs as we cannot control the quality of the output or the color accuracy of other equipment, particularly when certain labs apply auto-correction to images, resulting in overly bright, pink, or yellow/blue images.

I also explain this to them verbally before they sign the form so it's absolutely clear.

All well and good but when they have it printed and it looks like, well you know, their guest looking at it thinks you're a terrible photog.

[George Lama]

Absolutely agree, which is why I don't push it. Plus, it's priced well above the average photo order we usually receive.

Twice I've done it, both weddings, and in both instances they ended up spending hundreds of dollars on the CD/DVD, plus the press-printed wedding album, plus prints family wanted, all above the cost of their wedding package.

What I did learn was that for the most part they didn't care about doing their own prints - they wanted images they can put on their websites, facebook, and email to their friends and family.

That said - how is this any different from me sending a politician or real estate agent's photo to the local newspaper, only to have it mangled and stretched once their design geniuses get done with it? I'm sure no one thinks the newspaper killed the photo