You just invested a good amount of your hard earned money on getting your photos done by a professional photographer...now what?
In an effort to help my budget conscious clients, my session packages include a print release to print wherever they like, without requiring the obligation to purchase product from myself. BUT, one of the perks of ordering your photo gifts through your photographer is that you receive top of the line materials, quality control and correct colors than other local places such as Costco, Walgreens, Target, etc! I'll be honest and tell you I used to only use Costco and truly believed they offered the best deal and good quality photo products...until Christmas 2016. I ordered photos I had taken as gifts. I was very disappointed in the wacky color variations and lack of clarity. I started panicking, wondering if this was what all my clients saw when they ordered prints through local consumer labs! At that moment I went in search of a professional print lab that provided reliable, quality products I could offer my clients at a reasonable price. Not only did I just research, but I also ordered test products to see & feel...to compare against each other....and against Costco! The truth is, you get what you pay for, and if you are investing your money in having a professional photographer preserve your memories, you're also going to want to invest in quality products to display those sweet memories.
I still offer my clients the same option...the print release to order prints wherever they'd like without the obligations, but now I have them sign a disclaimer, so that they acknowledge there is a real quality difference, but let them make the choice there after.
Below is an example of the difference in color between the original image, a pro lab & multiple local consumer labs. Photo Credit: Amanda Jackson Photography.
** This is post is not intended to bash consumer photo labs (such as Costco, Target, Walgreens, etc). It is intended to educate clients of the difference when looking to order prints to display professional photographs - I highly recommend local labs for everyday amateur photos. **
