My Experience with Sears Portrait Studio (Vent)
Sharon Barbour
Do you have an Expressly Portraits studio in New Jersey? If so, you can still
get portraits of Ryan done, and redone if necessary. Their sitting fee is
reasonable and the pictures are ready in an hour. They're a little more
expensive than Sears, but the quality is far better. And, they don't use the
best background for pictures they'll charge you more for (my personal gripe
about Sears).
Good luck! Oh, and I don't work for Expressly Portraits and all that
disclaimer stuff...
Sharon Barbour
sha...@srdo.mayfield.hp.com
naomi pardue
> Well, it's time again to do the Christmas Photos, and this year
> I thought I'd stay ahead of the game by getting to Sears early
> in the year before the crowds showed up. Last year, due to a long
> wait and many children, the portraits weren't the greatest. How
> can you expect a one-year old to be all smiley with a two-hour wait?
> the girl obviously didn't know what she was doing, she was of no
> help whatsoever. At one point another photographer was standing at
> the door and kept shouting "take it, take it" but the girl seemed
> paralyzed. I wanted to grab the clicker out of her hand.
> She kept missing some *great* photos.
(most of horror story at Sears snipped)
We've been taking Shaina to Penny's Portrait studio since she was 3
months old. While I'm certain that diffrent branches have different
photographesr, we've always been very happy with them. The only problem
is that all the pictures come out SOOOO cute that it's hard to pick JUST
ONE for the $7.95 package special. (I also just noted in the coupon
that just came in the mail, that the sitting fee has increased from $2
to $5, so not the increadible bargain that it once was, but still good.)
Reminds me... gotta get her an appointment for her 4 year picture.
Naomi
pe...@fred.net
I think it cost me 25.00 or so, you don't pay sitting fees and get a 10%
discount for 2 years.
Jamie
: We've been taking Shaina to Penny's Portrait studio since she was 3
Kathy Pauley
: I've been pretty happy with Penney's too. If you join the portrait club,
: discount for 2 years.
: Jamie
We've used Penney's for four years now and are quite happy. The portrait
club also allows you 2 free 8x10's over the 2 year period. Sometime the
portrait club is "on Sale" for 12.95.
Kathy
cfel...@skatter.usask.ca
>
> Also, the quality of picture you get has everything to do with the experience
> of the photographer taking the portraits. Timing is everything in this job
> and a photo sitting with a cooperative happy child should take no more than
> about 10 minutes from first to last photo. The person who started this
> thread obviously (to me) had a new photographer, probably still in training.
>There is no prior experience neccesary to get a job like this at these studios
> and like other things you don't always get a good one. We probably get one
> keeper for every 15 employees we train and the turn over rate is awful.
>
I'll say. This is why I think if I'm going to do portraits again of my
daughter, I'm going to do a little more research than I did.
You go into these studios connected with a department store and see the
lovliest pictures on the walls and think to yourself "my child will look
like this, too". And then when the actual sitting happens, you can get
an apathetic clod with poor reflexes who keeps missing the good shots,
even the ones that last for more than a few seconds, and end up with
a collection of pics with poor expressions, badly centered (a little body
at the bottom and a whole picture of background on top), and then you
are given the hard sell by yet a different person, well trained in such
matters when the disappointing results are lovingly spread before you.
Then again, you can get lucky, and get a great person who knows just
what they're doing. I wish there were some way to know in advance
how to differentiate the chaff from the bran.
Caren Feldman
Tracy L. Carter
Perhaps I've just been lucky for the last 2 1/2 years, but our Sears
studio has (with the exception of one time) done wonderful pictures for
us.
The one time was a high school student who no longer works there. The
studio lost money on him since they retook all of the pictures he did for
free. When we saw the proofs we had them call the manager in and she
agreed that the pictures were not good and she personally reshot our
pictures. She has done every set of our picture except that one time.
Fortunately, that one set was just a spur of the moment set and not
something special like Easter or Christmas.
Granted, they don't have the props that other studios have, but with our
large family, we need big batches of pictures for special occasions. You
know how it goes, everyone wants a couple of wallet shots (even the
teenage cousins) and the numbers add up!
The best pictures we ever had of Kaitlyn is when we "entered" her (my
MIL saw it in the mall and wanted her picture up on the board so all
her friends could see it!) in one of those "cute baby contests" that they
hold as a fundraiser for our local children's hospital. The photographer
was from a small family studio in North Carolina, and one member of the
family traveled for this fundraiser company. The pictures were out of
this world and relatively cheap. We spent $35 and got enough 5x7s to
give one to each of our family and still have one copy of each pose (5 of
them) left for ourselves.
--
***Standard disclaimers apply.***
Tracy L. Carter tlca...@utk.edu
Computer Programmer Technician/System Administrator
Univ. of Tennessee College of Social Work
Krista Zeidler
started a bit of a tradition, getting Colin's picture taken on his
birthday, and would like to keep that up. When #2 arrives in May, do
I start doing 2 sets - 1 for each kid on their birthday? What about
combined shots? Maybe I should do individual for the birthdays, and
a "group" shot for Christmas. Any opinions?
By the way, I have had good experiences with Sears for Colin's photos.
Of course, I got lucky and the first shot was really good (since you
don't get a choice of picture for the package).
Krista (Mommy to Colin 9-Aug-94 and ??? May-96)
Christi Farinelli
>In article <tjalbertD...@netcom.com>, <tjal...@netcom.com> writes:
>
>> We weren't too happy with Sears, either.
>
> We walked into a Sears studio once and walked back out! The place was a zoo,
>kids and parents both looked miserable. I know some folks have been really
>happy with what they got from Sears, but MHO is that a lot of the portraits
>look a lot alike, the backgrounds are BORING, and the photographers are
>impatient and unimaginative, and RUSHED.
>I have heard more bad things about Sears than good.
Last year when we went to get Xmas pictures of our son he was only 2 months.
We first tried Sears and got there about 10 minutes after they openned on a
Sunday. The wait at that point was *3* hours!!!!! We didn't wait. They
said that it was just busy because it was a weekend. Since I was home anyway,
I decided to try again during the week (but called first). The first day I
called (around noon) the wait was 3 hours again. The second I called (earlier
this time) it was again around 3 hours! I tried to see if they could put my
name on the list and I would come down later, but nooo, they said I had to
come down just to put my name on the list and then I could go home and come
back later. Not an appealing idea with a 2 month old baby!
>> The thing I'm wondering is if you all have any good ideas about tiny
>> infants and portraits. Boo's going to be almost the same age for this
>> Xmas, and we want to get her portraits done of course.
We ended up getting the pictures done at Walmart. You can call for an
appointment so you know when you get there that you will have the pictures
taken right away. With an infant, that is VERY important. I could also
schedule the appointment at a time when my son was most likely to be in a
good mood. They were really good with him (of course he really didn't
start smiling until about a week after we had the pictures taken - figures!)
and the pictures came out good. The only problem at that time was that
they picked which ones got made into the package and I would not have picked
one of them (they gave us two poses in our package). Since then they have
changed and have you come in to look at the proofs and pick which one you
like for your package.
I think the important thing is to make sure that the place takes appointments
and has some experience with small children. Any of the department store
studios (Sears, Walmart, K-Mart, etc) should have experience.
- christi
Terrie Linker
Zeidler) writes:
|>I am just wondering what people with 2 kids do about photos. I have
|>started a bit of a tradition, getting Colin's picture taken on his
|>birthday, and would like to keep that up. When #2 arrives in May, do
|>I start doing 2 sets - 1 for each kid on their birthday? What about
|>combined shots? Maybe I should do individual for the birthdays, and
|>a "group" shot for Christmas. Any opinions?
My #2 (actually #3) arrived in August, and I'm planning on doing a "group"
shot with him and Katelyn (almost 2.5) at the beginning of November. Adam
will be 3MO and Katelyn will be exactly 2.5. Since Katelyn turned 1, I've been
having hers made every six months. She'll turn 3 in May, and Adam will be
9MO then, so I'll probably have them made together again then, and maybe
do a set just of Adam in August when he turns 1. I plan to have some shots
of them together this time and also at least one of each alone. For Katelyn,
I had pics done at 3MO, 6MO, 9MO, 12MO, 18MO, and 2YO. That's a lot,
but I'm a picture-hound. :-)
|>By the way, I have had good experiences with Sears for Colin's photos.
|>Of course, I got lucky and the first shot was really good (since you
|>don't get a choice of picture for the package).
I've also had good experiences with Sears, but it *does* depend on
getting a good photographer. There's one woman who's done all of
Katelyn's pics and she's really good. I like the large packages for a
reasonable price at Sears. I like to give away a lot of pics, so I need the
large packages.
Terrie Linker
Mama to Aaron Keith (6/29/91-6/3/93)
and Katelyn Suzanne (5/4/93)
and Adam Kenneth (8/3/95)
Trish Jalbert
They didn't want us to tell, or let other people know, but Sears did make
an appt with us. When we called and told them that Miranda had been home
from a 7 week NICU stay for just days, and that she was not allowed to be
around other kids, they made an appt. I was very impressed with the boss
person who was on duty that day. What they did was put us on the list,
and then when we got there, it should have been our turn. Then we got
stuck in traffic...and then it was time for Miranda to eat, and she was
telling us all about that. So we fed her. Then we whipped her in there
for pics. We got about 2, and she started to fall asleep, as of course
she had a good meal in her....but some of the prob was the photographer,
who kept trying to squeak this thing that Miranda was supposed to look
at. We explained to the photographer than she might have a severe hearing
loss, and that she was a little young to be much interested, anyway, but
she didn't get it. I don't think she had much experience with kids as
young as Miranda. She was not too sympathetic that Miranda couldn't hold
her head, for example. Had it been a real photographer who had a camera
that moved, the pics could have been really cute. As it was, I had to
get in there pretty close to get Miranda to see me and thus look in any
particular direction, and the photog didn't like what it did to the
light. Sigh. The whole project was doomed, I guess! :-)
We'll see what her little sis does this year.
Trish
Mommy to Miranda, 10/13/94-1/13/95 and to Boo, due 10/27
Marion Baumgarten
> We weren't too happy with Sears, either. We took Miranda there because
> we were broke, and she kinda looks like a zombie in the photos. It's ok,
> because we have lots of great snapshots of her, but it would be nice to
> have a good portrait, because there won't be any more....
>
> The thing I'm wondering is if you all have any good ideas about tiny
> infants and portraits. Boo's going to be almost the same age for this
> Xmas, and we want to get her portraits done of course. (A friend gave us
> a certificate to Expressly Portraits, so we will try them.) Miranda
> couldn't hold her head up and Boo won't be able to either, unless she
> makes some Olympic records for baby development. (she's due in 4
> weeks.) We think part of the prob was that Miranda had *just* come home
> from the NICU and was still really sick, which won't be a prob with Boo.
> But I can't imagine how they wil get a good pic. We kinda sat Miranda up
> with this "saddle" thing and then Al put his hand under the cloth,
> crouched down behind, and held her head. She was pretty bored and tired,
> though, so she didn't even want to look at the camera. Ideas? If we go
> right after Tgiving, Boo will only be about 5 weeks old. (I'm prob going
> to have a c-section by the 20th of October...long story.)
>
The best ones I have seen (this is hard to explain) have the baby lying
down in a kind of carpeted trough which is at an angle. I have a real
cute one (from Penney's) of my son at about 3 months that way.
Marion Baumgarten mari...@ripco.com
"There are days and weeks as, as we all have learned,when
only sex and good manners hold a marriage together. With a child
there is only good manners." Mother's Almanac
MDurning
Krista Zeidler <kri...@bcarh50d.bnr.ca> wrote:
>I am just wondering what people with 2 kids do about photos. I have
>started a bit of a tradition, getting Colin's picture taken on his
>birthday, and would like to keep that up. When #2 arrives in May, do
>I start doing 2 sets - 1 for each kid on their birthday? What about
>combined shots? Maybe I should do individual for the birthdays, and
>a "group" shot for Christmas. Any opinions?
>
I didn't want to fall into the "lots of the first, not so much of
the next two kids" picture syndrome so this is how I did it:
Matthew had pictures of him alone at newborn and 1 year old, then
Anne came along.
Anne had pictures of her alone at newborn and when she was one,
we brought just her for her portrait, then we went as a family and had
extra one done fo the two kids. This worked for another year and then
Kevin came along.
Kevin, as well, got him alone at newborn, when he turned one, we
did him alone again *and* a family portrait which included a shot of just
the three kids. By this point, Matthew ws in Kindergarten and was
getting school pictures and Anne was getting pictures at pre-school so I
got an extra one of Kevin. Now, all three are in school and it is no
longer a problem!
My point was not to make sure that each child gets everything
that everyone else get 'cause that gets too out of hand, but I was
conscious of the fact that Matthew, in particular, had tons of pictures
of just him and the other two were less likely to be alone in the
photos. so, i really made an effort to take solo shots of each child.
Speaking of photographers: I remember our school pictures as
being horrendous but the pictures my kids have been coming home with are
wonderful!!! :-) (so far anyway....)
--
Marijke ==============================================================
|| Since I am my own boss, I can safely say that the opinions ||
|| expressed here *do* adequately reflect those of my employer! ||
==============================================================
Mary Anne Walters
HA! 2 kids?!? Last Christmas we got 6 kids taken in one photo. That was 4
kids under 2 and a 3YO and a 5YO And Sears did an admirable job.
We had my son, my brother's 3 kids, and my sister's daughter and my
brother's nephew. We carefully selected all the backgrounds, and in the
end were thankful we got one good shot with none of the drooling, crying,
making faces or trying to crawl off the table. Being able to see the shots
right away was perfect (we could decide if the one shot was ok then go
with that and not deal with any other attempts) and the total price for a
decent group photo, with sitting fees and all, was under $20. With one of
the coupon-from-the-paper deals, it was cheap for all the photos we got.
It was a funny experience too -- picture us three moms, all lined up like
a totem pole under the camers, singing the "I Love You" song from Barney,
as the tear-stained faces of our offspring turned towards us and lit up
enough for the single decent shot. Barney comes thru in the clutch!
Granted the photographer was a bit thick, and even after all the work it
took us to get the one photo she *still* wanted to go on and get the other
background shots (to assure we would be tempted to order more than the
basic package) but all in all I have few complaints.
A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
Just wondering....
Mary Anne
--
Mary Anne
"What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for
all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." Helen Keller
gena
Mary Anne Walters <m...@corndog.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
>Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
>Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
>photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
>of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
yes, i felt very weird about that. i wanted to ask what they did with
them, but felt like i was being a paranoid mommy. my guess is that they
probably throw them away at the store. the lab doesn't want them back
for any good reason i know of. it is very bizarre to think that they
have my sons picture somewhere......
gena
p.s. i thought it was only me!
Chirlian Lisa E
>A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
>Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
>Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
>photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
>of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
>
I admit, I am a little wary of this, but, at JC Penney's they
use the fact that they keep the pictures as a sort of hard sell tactic.
Salesperson: "Oh what cute pictures! You know if you don't buy them,
we are just going to _throw them away_!"
Me: (to myself) Thank you very much!
So I don't know for a fact that they are discarded, but at
least that is what we are told.
Lisa
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lisa Chirlian lchi...@cc.brynmawr.edu
Department of Chemistry, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kelli Sperry
On 3 Oct 1995, Krista Zeidler wrote:
> I am just wondering what people with 2 kids do about photos. I have
> started a bit of a tradition, getting Colin's picture taken on his
> birthday, and would like to keep that up. When #2 arrives in May, do
> I start doing 2 sets - 1 for each kid on their birthday? What about
> combined shots? Maybe I should do individual for the birthdays, and
> a "group" shot for Christmas. Any opinions?
>
> By the way, I have had good experiences with Sears for Colin's photos.
> Of course, I got lucky and the first shot was really good (since you
> don't get a choice of picture for the package).
>
> Krista (Mommy to Colin 9-Aug-94 and ??? May-96)
>
>
Since both boys' birthdays are in December, we get individual pictures
taken in December for the birthday, then a picture together in June or
July; kind of a "midway" pictures.
I have another question about kids photos. This last June we took
the boys in for their combined shot and Michael (2.5 yrs then) totally
freaked. He wouldn't even walk back to the room where they took the
pictures. So we weren't able to have them done this last summer. :( I'm
afraid the same thing is going to happen this December. Any
suggestions? We took pictures at home a few days before we went in, and
showed him the pictures on Mama's keychain of him and his brother, but it
didn't help.
Kelli
Mama to Michael (12/21/92) and David (12/16/93)
Patty Studebaker Brach
>
>For Xmas photos we're going to use the Olan Mills Watch Me Grow
>package we got for $20.00. No sitting fee, 4 free 8x10s (1 from
>each sitting). We'll see how much the other stuff costs though.
>We need a total of 4 8x10s; 4 5x7s; and at least 20 wallet photos
>for the family. We're planning on having the family portrait done
>this time when Kaitlyn is 5 months (10.24.95) so that the final
>order will be back in time for us to frame and wrap them for the
>family. :)
>
We were given an Olan Mills Watch Me Grow package as a gift. The no
sitting fee and the free 8x10's are great! But we were shocked by the
expense of purchasing additional photos. We have always had excellent
photographers. The problem comes in (for us) when we go to view the
proofs. Of course, they're all adorable :) :) but the salespeople are on
*commission* and the packages are expensive!
The "half-price" packages that are offered with the Watch Me Grow
package range from $94.95 to $150.95. I don't remember what comes with
these. I do know that there is another package that they don't tell you
about that is $44.95. With it you can choose any combination of 3 from 1
-8x10,1-5x7, 12 wallets (so you can get 2 5x7's and 12 wallets or 1 8x10
and 2 5x7's, etc.) and you get the "memory set" (all of your proofs).
If you purchase individual photos, each 8x10, 5x7 or 12 wallets are
$25 at the time you view your proofs. It goes up to $50 if you wait.
So, for what you want to order, it would cost $250!
I'm not sure if these are standard Olan Mills prices or if they vary
from place to place. So far, we've only been able to afford the free
8x10's :) YMMV.
Patty, mom to Christopher-1/31/95
>
>Susan Martin
>srma...@latexsun.tamu.edu
>
>Mama to Kaitlyn Mary Ann (5.24.95)
Sally Fay
>
>For Xmas photos we're going to use the Olan Mills Watch Me Grow
>package we got for $20.00. No sitting fee, 4 free 8x10s (1 from
>each sitting). We'll see how much the other stuff costs though.
>We need a total of 4 8x10s; 4 5x7s; and at least 20 wallet photos
>for the family. We're planning on having the family portrait done
>this time when Kaitlyn is 5 months (10.24.95) so that the final
>order will be back in time for us to frame and wrap them for the
>family. :)
>
We did the Olan Mills Watch Me Grow program and I thought it
was pretty expensive. I liked being able to make an appointment,
but they tend to schedule them knowing you will wait 15-30 minutes.
(They don't want you to be late!). This irritated me because the
kids no longer looked fresh after crawling all over us for a 1/2 hr
in the waiting room.
Then they schedule you to come back in 1 week to look at the
proofs. Another appointment we had to sit and wait for. I agree
with another poster that said the sales people there are definitely
on commission. The pictures were great -- the photographers worked
well with the kids, but the prices were high. We found that a 5x7 was
the same cost as an 8x10. Sometimes they had a special deal,
like another free 8x10 for Mother's Day. We usually spent at least
$55 dollars and got 3 8x10s (1 was the free one), billfolds (16 I think) and
the proofs. I gave a proof to each of my grandparents. The kids
grandparents got an 8x10, and one for us. The other packages
were very expensive and we didn't buy them.
Sally - mom to Sarah 6/8/88 and Robert 12/25/90
Michal Peri
: My hope is that with Olan Mills we'll get a good photographer who
: work with us.
We've had portraits of Tobin done 3 times:
The first time was one of these come-into-your-home companies.
The sitting fee was a gift from the hospital (free to us), we
got one free proof, and the "packages" of photos were incredibly
expensive. The pictures didn't turn out well (this was during
Tobin's feeding problems, and the images of that time aren't
ones I particularly want to be reminded of). We kept the free
proof (my husband has it hidden away somewhere so that I won't
accidently come across it) but didn't order any other photos.
The second time was a sitting at Olan Mills when Tobin was 3mo.
The photos turned out very well, except that they didn't put
much thought into the arrangement of her clothes (there's a
big gap in her outfit could easily have been re-arranged to
look nicer). But Tobin came out very well, looking right at
the camera and even smiling a little. I am very pleased with
the pix and ordered lots (including a 14" framed print that
hangs in our bedroom).
My only complaint with Olan Mills is that ever since then
they've been calling us almost constantly (sometimes more
than once a month) with "special offers". These marketing
calls always come at dinnertime and they *really* bother me.
The third portrait, for Tobin's first birthday, was at Sears.
They don't take appointments, so I went early (got there
before the portrait studio opened) in hopes of being first
in line. Unfortunately, someone else beat me there, so we
had to wait, and the session ran into Tobin's naptime and
she got grumpy. The result was well-composed and technically
adequate portraits of a rather tired-looking little girl.
She liked the feather boa props, so we used them to get a
couple of shots with little wan smiles. Not exactly the
beaming smiles one hopes for, but they set me giggling every
time I look at them (glamour shots of a 1yo? not exactly!)
And you can't beat the price.
I'd like to find an alternative to Sears (cheap, but no
appointments) and Olan Mills (takes appointments, but then bugs
you with marketing calls) for those gotta-get-something-to-keep
-the-grandparents-content annual shots. My real goal, though,
is to save up my money and take Tobin for a "real" professional
photo session sometime in the next year or so. (Maybe do some
whole-family pix?)
-- Michal
Michal Peri
: In article <44u7h1$708...@development.nd.edu>,
: <patricia.l....@nd.edu> writes:
: > If you purchase individual photos, each 8x10, 5x7 or 12 wallets are
: > So, for what you want to order, it would cost $250!
: >
: > I'm not sure if these are standard Olan Mills prices or if they vary
: > from place to place. So far, we've only been able to afford the free
: > 8x10's :) YMMV.
: This is were a color copier saves your life! In most places an 8 1/2 X 11
: sheet costs $2.50. It's not as good as a print, but good enough to send to
: grandparents and friends.
: It's also a good way to make a 'proof sheet' of home snaps of birthday
: pictures, the latest roll, whatever.
By all means do this with your home snapshots. But prints by Olan
Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
intact.
-- Michal
Donna L. Snyder (FSS)
my son is 5 y.o. I got them taken separately, together and then
all of us together as a family.
Donna
aki...@cris.com
In article <44u7h1$708...@development.nd.edu>,
<patricia.l....@nd.edu> writes:
> If you purchase individual photos, each 8x10, 5x7 or 12 wallets are
> $25 at the time you view your proofs. It goes up to $50 if you wait.
> So, for what you want to order, it would cost $250!
>
> I'm not sure if these are standard Olan Mills prices or if they vary
> from place to place. So far, we've only been able to afford the free
> 8x10's :) YMMV.
This is were a color copier saves your life! In most places an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet
costs $2.50. It's not as good as a print, but good enough to send to
grandparents and friends.
It's also a good way to make a 'proof sheet' of home snaps of birthday
pictures, the latest roll, whatever. Our local store has customers who do this
so often that when I came in with my packet of prints, she handed me a blank
sheet and a roll of lo-tack tape without me saying anything.
We're always pretty brutal when we choose our photo sets, just because they can
be hideously expensive.
naomi pardue
> In article <1995Oct4.0...@corndog.demon.co.uk>,
> Mary Anne Walters <m...@corndog.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> >A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
> >Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
> >Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
> >photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
> >of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
> yes, i felt very weird about that. i wanted to ask what they did with
> them, but felt like i was being a paranoid mommy. my guess is that they
> probably throw them away at the store. the lab doesn't want them back
> for any good reason i know of. it is very bizarre to think that they
> have my sons picture somewhere......
Penny's sometimes contacts me several months later and offers me the
left-over pictures at a discount. I'm assuming that if I don't buy them,
they just pitch them out. (What I DON"T understand is why they develop
and print ALL the photos. Surely it's cheaper to just print up a proof
sheet, let me pick what I want, and then make enlargements of those. I
guess it's easier to be tempted to make spur-of-the-moment splurges when
your beautiful child is smiling out at you in all of her 8x10 glory...)
Naomi
Trish Jalbert
from Sears. It was a feeling of not wanting to let go of any possible
link to her. Then we realized we didn't particularly like those photos
the best, and so we should just get our favorite shapshot (which is
delightful!) made into a big print. We haven't done it yet, but we will...
So the fact that they keep them isn't always bad, folks!
Terry Sabean
same way, the pictures (and film) of your children will be destroyed about
six months after they were taken.
In article <44uo8u$9...@parsifal.nando.net>, ge...@nando.net (gena) wrote:
> In article <1995Oct4.0...@corndog.demon.co.uk>,
> Mary Anne Walters <m...@corndog.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
> >Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
> >Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
> >photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
> >of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
>
> yes, i felt very weird about that. i wanted to ask what they did with
> them, but felt like i was being a paranoid mommy. my guess is that they
> probably throw them away at the store. the lab doesn't want them back
> for any good reason i know of. it is very bizarre to think that they
> have my sons picture somewhere......
>
Cindy Kandolf
writes:
> In article <1995Oct4.0...@corndog.demon.co.uk>,
> Mary Anne Walters <m...@corndog.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
> >Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
> >Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
> >photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
> >of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
>
> yes, i felt very weird about that. i wanted to ask what they did with
> them, but felt like i was being a paranoid mommy. my guess is that they
> probably throw them away at the store. the lab doesn't want them back
> for any good reason i know of. it is very bizarre to think that they
> have my sons picture somewhere......
The studio is betting that enough people will discover they want extra
prints later that it's worth keeping them around.
We really splurged last year and had photos of Kenneth and of the
three of us taken at a professional studio. It was worth it to us,
the pictures are gorgeous. A few months later we got a letter saying
that since we hadn't ordered any "wall portraits" maybe we would be
interested in their special offer etc. etc. This studio does not
consider what would be the equivalent of an 8x10 to be a wall
portrait! You're supposed to have photos that size sitting on the
piano i guess. I wouldn't know, we don't have a piano just yet ;-).
I suspected at the time we'd be hearing from them again, but so far we
haven't. This year we'll probably get a photo of Kenneth for the
Christmas cards, but most likely one of those photo shop 10 cards for
a set price deals.
Anyway we got all the proofs, mounted in an album even. And the
photographer had labeled the ones she thought would look best for
large portraits. But the studio kept the negatives. I must disagree
and say this doesn't bother me. First off i really can't think of
what they would use them for that's so terrible, and secondly these
are professionals with a hard-earned reputation to protect.
-Cindy Kandolf mamma to Kenneth, the gold medal boy
ci...@nvg.unit.no (born 12 February 1994)
Trondheim, Norway Photoalbum page 82
Bilingual Families Mailing List owner - e-mail for details
aki...@cris.com
In article <DFy5...@gordian.com>, <mic...@gordian.com> writes:
> : This is were a color copier saves your life! In most places an 8 1/2 X 11
> : grandparents and friends.
> : It's also a good way to make a 'proof sheet' of home snaps of birthday
> : pictures, the latest roll, whatever.
>
> Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
> intact.
She's right, of course.
naomi pardue
> Susan R. Martin (srma...@latexsun.latexsun.tamu.edu) wrote:
> My only complaint with Olan Mills is that ever since then
> they've been calling us almost constantly (sometimes more
> than once a month) with "special offers". These marketing
> calls always come at dinnertime and they *really* bother me.
I've NEVER gotten a picture from Olan Mills, and they call constnatly.
(And this has been going on since long before Shaina was even born, so
it is obvious that Penny's didn't sell their mailing list!)
Naomi
Pamela Walden
u> <44u7h1$708...@development.nd.edu> <DFy5w...@lcpd2.SanDiegoCA.ATTGIS.COM>
Organization: Illinois State University
Distribution:
: We did the Olan Mills Watch Me Grow program and I thought it
: was pretty expensive. I liked being able to make an appointment,
: but they tend to schedule them knowing you will wait 15-30 minutes.
: (They don't want you to be late!). This irritated me because the
: kids no longer looked fresh after crawling all over us for a 1/2 hr
: in the waiting room.
I totally agree with you. We got suckered into this package so we spent a lot
of time at Olan Mills between taking pictures, viewing proofs, and WAITING! Of
all the times we entered their studio, I don't think we ever had to wait less
than 30 minutes...and I don't think they did all that great of a job, either.
One time we had been waiting for proofs for *over 45 minutes*. I asked the
lady if we could just have them to look at while we waited for the official
"proof lady" to get to us. She politely said no, that we were next anyway.
Well, I got tired of chasing Mikey all over their waiting room so I finally
decided to let him go (he really just wanted to get behind their counter).
I made some comment to my husband about how tired I was of running after him
and trying to keep him under control for almost an hour. I said it pretty loud
so she could hear me and so she then offered us 8 free wallets because we had
to wait so long. That certainly wasn't what I was after, but I'm sorry folks,
there's no excuse for making customers wait that long when they have
appointments scheduled...and 2-3 employees who appear to be doing nothing
standing around!
One other thing about them that really bothered me was that throughout the time
we were in their package, they kept calling us to offer us the *exact* same
package. And sometimes they quoted me a price of a few dollars *cheaper* than
what I had bought the package for in the first place. After a few of these
phone calls, I finally went off on one of their salespeople about how stupid
these calls were and that they obviously didn't consider me a valuable customer
as I was *already in their program*, yada yada yada. I don't chew on too many
people, but I had totally had it with them. Funny, no one ever called after
that.
And no, they wouldn't refund me any $ when they offered me the package at a
cheaper rate, either. I had a fun time responding to that one, too. ;-)
Nope, I won't be setting foot in that place again.
--
--
Pam Walden
I never met a chocolate I didn't like
I've been really happy with JC Penney's photo studio. Most of the times
I've gone I've gotten in right at the scheduled time. They recently added a
system where you can preview the photos on a TV screen right away. They asked
me which I liked best, second best, etc, and printed more of my favorites.
You can also join their portrait club and get package discounts, free sheets
of pictures, etc. No, I'm not affiliated with them in any way, but compared
to some experiences I've had with these sort of places (don't even get me
started on KMart's photo studio!), JC Penney's has been the best.
Debbie
Fred Read
> In article <1995Oct4.0...@corndog.demon.co.uk>,
> Mary Anne Walters <m...@corndog.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >A question -- did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that
> >Sears got to keep the photos of your child if you did not purchase them?
> >Does anyone feel uncomfortable with the fact they now could keep the
> >photos stored digitally as well? I'm usually not to bothered by this kind
> >of thing, but I guess I am getting more wary every year.
>
> yes, i felt very weird about that. i wanted to ask what they did with
> them, but felt like i was being a paranoid mommy. my guess is that they
> probably throw them away at the store. the lab doesn't want them back
> for any good reason i know of. it is very bizarre to think that they
> have my sons picture somewhere......
Helen used to be in the photographic business and tells me that
when a photographer takes pictures of your children they retain
the negatives AND the copyright.
Whereas no reputable advertising agency would consider using such
photos commercially without a properly signed "model release form"
you should be aware that if they were to be used for "nefarious
purposes" they would most likely be sent abroad and you wouldn't
get to see the results...
You should also be aware that if your children's photograph is taken
for use in a competition that the competion organisers always reserve
the right to use the winning photographs for publicity purposes. Some
entry forms may even include "model release forms" where entry to the
competition implies acceptance of the terms.
As beautiful as our daughters are, we make sure we know who is taking
their photograph and always keep the negatives...
--
Fred Read
How many people do *you* know with a C function named after them ?
Richard P Cornwell
: freaked. He wouldn't even walk back to the room where they took the
: pictures. So we weren't able to have them done this last summer. :( I'm
: afraid the same thing is going to happen this December. Any
: suggestions? We took pictures at home a few days before we went in, and
: showed him the pictures on Mama's keychain of him and his brother, but it
: didn't help.
This is not unusual at 2.5 yrs old. I have worked as a photographer for
Kinderfoto for almost 5 years now and many times have had to have kids this
age brought back repeatedly until they agree to sit and take the picture,
From my experience they usually come out of it around three.
As for the multiple kid problem, I took all three of mine alone every two
months fo the first year (Julianne is still doing this). Then at Xmas I
get a group picture and family pictures done. Also I do a group at Easter
time. I have two kids with b-days around holiday time so the group photo
works out well for this and the third is close enough to Easter to work then
too. Now that Beth is in school I will have school pictures of her. The
important thing for me was that they all get individuals when small so that
the younger ones don't always have their siblings present.
I also have some suggestions as a photographer to make those photo sessions
run a little smoother for the holidays. Take pictures early, the closer to
Xmas it gets the longer the lines and waits get. If you're doing two or
more kids make sure that the older ones will support the little ones (if they
don't yet sit alone). It makes for much better pictures than trying to pose
around these baby poser seats and boards. Make sure everyone is fed and
well rested. Bring special props for in your portraits, this makes them really
personal to your family. And most of all realize that sometimes the
photographer gets flustered from they busy, noisy days that surround the
holidays and most times are doing their very best for you.
Also, if you find someone who takes really great pictures for you , find out
when they are available and stick with them. Good luck on all the
holiday portraits for everyone. i know I'm all ready gearing up for what is
definitely our most stressful time of year.
Kim
(pg36, mommy to Beth 12/21/89, Matt 11/12/92 and Julianne 5/4/95)
==========================================================================
Richard & Kim Cornwell sky...@shell.portal.com
Sky Vision Kites http://www.portal.com/~skyvis
415-112 No. Mary Av. Suite 111, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 733-9313
New Web pages, check out our new products and Fall Sale
==========================================================================
Lisa Senner
]
] I'm not sure if these are standard Olan Mills prices or if they vary
]8x10's :) YMMV.
I never got out of there for less than $75. I thought they were _very_
expensive, but the quality of the photos was usually outstanding.
Laura Gompertz
We get Alex's pictures at Walmart - when we first got them he was 3months - and they
printed the entire package -every picture they took. Now, they print up individual proofs -
4x5 size and show you those - you pick which ones and then pick the sheets of photos
(like one 8x10, or a 5x7 and 5 wallets, etc) and each sheet cost about the same - so it is
much more customized than those 100 photo offers. Who needs 48 miniportraits to fit
in lockets? And, after you order the sheets you want they GIVE you all the proofs. I think
that is a great deal - you get a pic even of the ones you don't buy. We just did the one year
pics, and took six shots of Alex and one of Alex and his Grandad. They had several props
that we used, and looked so adorable! And we had several serious portraits done. So far
I'm very pleased with the quality - every one who sees them asks if Olan Mills did them and
is surprised when I tell them it was Walmart.
Laura (mom to Alex, 1yr)
Hollis Jo Bischoff
> From article <44o48m$o...@news1.shell>, by sky...@shell.portal.com
(Richard P Cornwell):
> >
> > Also, the quality of picture you get has everything to do with the
experience
> > of the photographer taking the portraits.
snip for bandwidth
> You go into these studios connected with a department store and see the
> lovliest pictures on the walls and think to yourself "my child will look
> like this, too". And then when the actual sitting happens, you can get
> an apathetic clod with poor reflexes who keeps missing the good shots,
> even the ones that last for more than a few seconds, and end up with
> a collection of pics with poor expressions, badly centered (a little body
> at the bottom and a whole picture of background on top), and then you
> are given the hard sell by yet a different person, well trained in such
> matters when the disappointing results are lovingly spread before you.
>
> Then again, you can get lucky, and get a great person who knows just
> what they're doing. I wish there were some way to know in advance
> how to differentiate the chaff from the bran.
Yep, expertise has everything to do with the studio, no matter which one
you go to.
I am one of those that has had terrific experiences at Sears Studios. The
first time we went we had a 4 generation, 7 person portrait, plus shots of
Nathaniel by himself, with Daddy & Mommy, and then of my parents alone,
and my grandparents alone.
This meant that Nathaniel had 15 shots taken of him at 4 months old! We
had over 30 poses with all the combinations and everyone of them turned
out perfect!!! The photographer spent all the necessary time needed, and
really knew how to get the most out of an infant, and out of a large
multigenerational pix.
Ever since those 1st pictures, we've always made sure that the same
photographer is available for Nathaniel's shots. As a result, with the
exception of one time, every shot has been a winner. The one time they
didn't work, the photographer suggested that maybe Nathaniel wasn't
feeling well and we should reschedule. She was right and we've learned to
only take his pic in the am, he just doesn't do well in the evenings, we
also make sure that he doesn't get them done right before his nap, since
he just doesn't cooperate.
YMMV. But we always use Sears
HoJo..Mommy to Nathaniel 6-4-94 (poster boy for Sears, since everyone who
sees his pic wants to go there too) & Cubit II (aka Jordana TBD) due
1-30-96
VSedgwick
ourselves). Initially, our wedding photographer took some individual
pictures of Emily and family pictures of all of us, but that got VERY
expensive. The photos were wonderful, but way too expensive.
We get Emily's picture taken with "live" bunnies and chicks every Easter.
The pictures are great, but once again the place that does them is pretty
expensive.
Once a year, we get a portrait done around Emily's birthday and a family
portrait done at Christmas time. I keep hunting for a place I like. We
seem to be having good luck at JC Penney lately. I like their backgrounds
and they do take appointments. I've never had to wait more than 10-15
minutes and the photographers have been good. The packages have way too
many of the mini portraits but they're cheap (especially if you have a
coupon) so we don't care if we end up with lots of extra tiny pictures.
Just my 2 cents.
Vicky Sedgwick (mom to Emily, 3 yrs)
naomi pardue
> We've been very picture crazy with our little guy. He is now 7 months old and
> has had his picture taken 4 times at Walmart, 2 times at Olan MIlls, and
> 1 time by a photographer not affiliated with any studio. The have all
> been wonderful pictures and we could have spent a lot of money on them,
> but we usually try to just buy the special packages and stop at that.
> The only real complaint I have is that it takes so long to get back the
> pictures after viewing the proofs (4-5 weeks at Walmart, 4-6 weeks at
> Olan Mills) and by the time we get them back our son looks completely
> different. Are there any studios out there that are any quicker?
Penny's has a 3 week turnover from the time they take the pictures until
the 8x10 glossies are in your hot little hands.
(Or at least they used to. Now that Shaina is 3, we've been doing
pictures only once a year, and we were last there last November.)
Naomi
Marion Baumgarten
>
> By all means do this with your home snapshots. But prints by Olan
> Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
> intact.
>
>
> -- Michal
--
I've never gotten any copyright notice. They own the negatives, but my
understanding is this is my picture to do with as I see fit.
Any copyright lawyers out there?
Marion Baumgarten mari...@ripco.com
"There are days and weeks as, as we all have learned,when
only sex and good manners hold a marriage together. With a child
there is only good manners." Mother's Almanac
Ariel Shattan
Chicago has skyrocketed. We had *major* family photos done this summer,
20 people, with 9 (yes, 9) kids ranging in age from 10 down to 4 months.
At one point he chased all the parents out of the studio and got a
picture of all the kids. The mothers were poised at the door, waiting to
rush in at the first sign of trouble. Not only no trouble, but all the
kids were smiling afterward, even the two 4-month-old babies.
While I haven't seen the results yet, reports from those who have
indicate that the photos are great.
Yes, the session and photos cost a fortune, but let me tell you, this
photographer earned it!
We usually get our pictures taken at Yuen Lui, which is I think a West
Coast operation (I know they're in Portland and Seattle). They have a
very nice package of an 8x10, 2 5x7s, and 8 wallets for about $30.00,
including sitting fees. So far, all the photographers have been very
good with my son (now 2.75). And, they're rarely more than 5 minutes
behind schedule. We tried Olan Mills once, but after the hard sell we got
in the office, we didn't go back (even though we had 3 more 8x10s
coming).
--Ariel Shattan
ar...@littlei.intel.com
Disclaimer: I don't speak for Intel!
Skyler's Parent
has had his picture taken 4 times at Walmart, 2 times at Olan MIlls, and
1 time by a photographer not affiliated with any studio. The have all
been wonderful pictures and we could have spent a lot of money on them,
but we usually try to just buy the special packages and stop at that.
The only real complaint I have is that it takes so long to get back the
pictures after viewing the proofs (4-5 weeks at Walmart, 4-6 weeks at
Olan Mills) and by the time we get them back our son looks completely
different. Are there any studios out there that are any quicker?
Jen Mom to Skyler 2/15/95
Lisa Senner (li...@mpd.tandem.com) wrote:
Glenn Mr. X Austin
Baumgarten) wrote:
>> By all means do this with your home snapshots. But prints by Olan
>> Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
>> intact.
>
>I've never gotten any copyright notice. They own the negatives, but my
>understanding is this is my picture to do with as I see fit.
>Any copyright lawyers out there?
Well, as a computer sci guy and a professional photographer, I have a
fairly good working knowledge of copyright issues, and I'm afraid that
Michal is probably right. In the United States, under currently law,
copyright notice, or registration of copyright is not necessary to
guarantee intellectual property under the law. It makes things easier when
you go to court, but isn't actually necessary.
The purpose of copyright, as an intellectual property issue, is to
guarantee that the creators of a work receive due recompense, recognition,
and control over their work/creation. The pictures created by a photo
studio are intellectual property in that they require artistic work, (i.e.
posing, studio design, developing and printing decisions) to execute.
Duplication and distribution of that work without their approval (for
purposes not exempted as fair use) would be a violation of their
copyright, and thus illegal.
As far as your family photos are concerned, yes, they are yours and
you can do with them what you see fit, in a similiar sense to that of a
book you buy, which is also yours to do with. But copyright law does not
allow for duplication and distribution of the photo any more than it does
for the book.
Some clarifications, and related issues.
I'm shaky on this, but it is possible that duplication of photos for
archival purposes, i.e. making copies to keep in a vault in case the first
set was destroyed, may be fair use. But making a second set to keep at
grandma's house in case the first set was destroyed is fairly shaky
ground, as your actual intent can be questioned.
Because the photos are of _your_ family, you also have certain rights
as to how the photos are distributed by Olan Mills. This does not in any
way infringe upon or overshadow Olan Mills copyright. It is of note that
many studios contracts require you to sign away, or partially sign away,
your rights to any photos, so that the studio can use them promotionally
without special permission.
Sometimes a photo is commisioned for the specific purposes of
reproduction. Examples would be engagement photos for the newspaper, or
high school photos for the yearbook. If a specific relase from copyright
for this purpose is not in the studio's contract, the exemption is
implicit in the stated nature of the photo. I am not sure what impact this
has on the remainder of the studios copyright privledges.
Finally, allow me to state that in most cases, studios are not going
to exercise their copyrights in any fashion other than holding onto the
negatives. This is for the most part a practical issue, but I personally
feel that telling my customers what they can and can't do with their
personal photos is bad business. As technology shifts, however, and
duplication becomes easier, the money that studios are losing in lost
reprint sales will cause them to reexamine this issue, and either act to
enforce their copyrights, or raise their initial studio charges.
--
Later days...
Glenn "Mr. X" Austin
aus...@doit.wisc.edu
Diane Reese
We have gotten into the habit of taking a "group shot" in the fall
before the holidays, and letting preschool/school individual shots be
enough for each boy alone. When they were smaller, though, I was
able to convince a Sears photo person to take a couple shots of each
of them instead of both of them together during one photo session, so
we had some earlier individual portraits, too.
>By the way, I have had good experiences with Sears for Colin's photos.
>Of course, I got lucky and the first shot was really good (since you
>don't get a choice of picture for the package).
Not true anymore in our area: they have the immediate-viewing
equipment so you can peek at the shot right after it's taken and
decide immediately if you like it or not; if not, they'll redo it, up
to 10 shots. A real benefit in that you know when you leave after
the session EXACTLY what you'll be getting and what your photos will
look like: no extra wasteful prints that we really don't want, no
agonizing over how many sheets to buy later... it's all done right on
the day of posing and you just come back a few weeks later to pick
up your finished package.
I, too, have had nothing but good experiences with our local Sears
photo studio. After all these years of being spoiled, there is no way
I would ever want to pay the outrageous prices of the "higher quality"
outfits for pictures that aren't that much better. (I even balk at the
cost of school portraits these days, but some things just must be
done.) Our lone experience with Olan Mills was awful, so I guess it
just depends where you go, who you work with, and what you'll be
happy with in the end.
Diane Reese (who wants dozens of wallet size for Christmas cards)
re...@watson.ibm.com
aki...@cris.com
In article <453qjv$m...@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, <wd...@ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
> We've been very picture crazy with our little guy. <snip>
> pictures after viewing the proofs (4-5 weeks at Walmart, 4-6 weeks at
> Olan Mills) and by the time we get them back our son looks completely
> different. Are there any studios out there that are any quicker?
Heard that! We had a 'pony picture' taken and it took four weeks for the
proofs, then another two weeks (read 14 working days==three weeks) to ge our.
pictures.
Expressly Portraits delivers your photos in an hour. These are the -photos-,
not proofs. The do give a pitch, but it's not a hard one. I noticed because I
HATE pressure pitches.
aki...@cris.com
In article <DG1qB...@rci.ripco.com>, <mari...@ripco.com> writes:
> > By all means do this with your home snapshots. But prints by Olan
> > Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
> > intact.
> >
> >
>
> --
> understanding is this is my picture to do with as I see fit.
> Any copyright lawyers out there?
I could be wrong, BT I believe the same laws apply to pictures taken by someone
else as they do to home taping, or copying a page from a book fpr files or
research: as long as it's for your personal use, it's okay. If you were to take
the same picture and use it for an ad or send it in to a parent's magazine,
you'd be violating copyright.
aki...@cris.com
In article <austin-0610...@f181-208.net.wisc.edu>,
In the United States, under currently law,
> copyright notice, or registration of copyright is not necessary to
> guarantee intellectual property under the law. It makes things easier when
> you go to court, but isn't actually necessary.
This is true. I know this as an artist. Register the work. Better for peace of
mind!
It is of note that
> many studios contracts require you to sign away, or partially sign away,
> your rights to any photos, so that the studio can use them promotionally
> without special permission.
This is something I would not do, personally. You have as much right to be
compensated for the use of your family's and child's faces as they do to
protect their work. I dislike the contracts that require signing away of rights
without compensation because I think it's a big fat free ride for the studio.
And since compensation was brought up, I'll say this is the reason I've never
entered a photgraphy contest. The entries become property of the contest when
you send them in. Think about this! Just by -sending your picture in-, you
given up the rights to it! You no longer have the right to your own work, and
the contest has paid you -nothing- for those rights!
There's a [arent's magazine here that encourages parents to send in
pictures,and offer a piddly compensation if they use it, but they also operate
under the 'you send it in, we own it' premise. They get ALL rights, which means
after that compensation, they owe you nothign, and they can use as many times
as they wish, forever.
NOw, for parents who get a kick out of a $200. check and a high from seeing
their name in Parade or whatever, this is fine. BUt me, I think anyone's photos
are worth more than that, and I rather keep the rights to my work.
This is the artist in me speaking up for the value of mine and others' work.
YMMV
Teri
: In article <austin-0610...@f181-208.net.wisc.edu>,
: <aus...@doit.wisc.edu> writes:
: In the United States, under currently law,
: > copyright notice, or registration of copyright is not necessary to
: > guarantee intellectual property under the law. It makes things easier when
: > you go to court, but isn't actually necessary.
: This is true. I know this as an artist. Register the work. Better for peace of
: mind!
Yikes!
I have a question.
What about the photoalbum? The pictures were not taken expressly for the
photoalbum. Could we (misc.kids in general) have a problem with that?
Teri
Glenn Mr. X Austin
>Yikes!
>
>I have a question.
>
>What about the photoalbum? The pictures were not taken expressly for the
>photoalbum. Could we (misc.kids in general) have a problem with that?
Sorry, I didn't mean to start a panic here or anything. You're not likely
to have a _problem_ with any of this stuff. The question of whether or not
a certain kind of duplication is legal under copyright law is a fairly
technical one that has very little real-world application. In fact,
current copyright law is very problematic with existing technologies, and
is becoming more so as new technologies become available, such as color
photocopiers.
Other examples of things that are violations of copyright, and thus
illegal, but which people do all the time are: videotaping a show off of
television, and then showing it at a party, or loaning the tape to a
friend. Making a tape copy of a record or CD and giving that to a friend.
Xeroxing an entire newspaper or magazine article, and giving it to your
friends. Some of these are more obviously illegal than others, and some
are more morally questionable than others.
And there are issues where the jury (so to speak) is still out. In other
words, there have not been any court cases that seem to resolve the
question. For example, printing out and distributing someone's usenet
newsgroup posting _may_ be a violation of their copyright. At some point a
judge will have to decide whether or not its reasonable to assume that
posts are implicitly freely distributable in any form, or implicitly
freely distributable via usenet only.
In any case, if I understand your question, you are wondering whether it's
OK to arrange your purchased studio photos in a photo album, and I would
say that it almost certainly is. Those photos are _yours_ to do with as
you please, and its only if you attempt to duplicate them without
permission that the whole copyright issue even comes up.
Final note (and probably the last thing I will say on the subject) is that
copyright, though it _can_ be punished criminally, rarely is so. The FBI,
to be honest, has better things to do. Most people that do get in trouble
for copyright violations do so because they start costing the copyright
holder revenue, and the copyright holder initiates a civil suit to get
damages. As long as your copyright violation doesn't start costing someone
a lot of money, you're pretty safe from this. In other words, if you color
photocopy a few of your photos, the studio's out <$100, and isn't likely
to take you to court. If you start a business that copies their photos for
others, the studio could be out thousands of dollors or more, and may
begin considering legal action.
Hope this helps you to navigate the murky world of intellectual property. 8^)
Glenn Mr. X Austin
>No, the question was about the misc.kids photoalbum. Misc.kidders send
>photos and blurbs about their families to a group which makes the photos
>and blurbs into a photoalbum. The photoalbum is then distributed to the
>participating misc.kidders.
Ah. Sorry, I was betrayed by my inadequate knowledge of misc.kids.
Hm...
Not a clear enough case for my arm-chair legal skills, I'm afraid. 8^( I
would think that a fairly good case could be made for this (a collabrative
photoalbum) being the sort of thing that people might reasonably be
expected to do with their photos, and thus implicitly released from
restriction for this purpose. But for a confident answer, you'd probably
need to speak with a real copyright lawyer.
>Would we be better off requesting only snapshots to be printed in the
>photoalbum and staying away from studio shots?
If it's a for-profit enterprise for somebody, I would almost certainly
take this course, or speak with lawyer. The profitabilty has no actual
affect on whether or not its a copyright violation, but it has a fairly
direct effect on your chances of getting sued, and having to defend the
practice in court.
If it's not-for-profit, I probably wouldn't worry about it. The chances of
the FBI getting involved are vanishingly small.
You could also have people with such prints phone up the photo studio and
ask permission, of course. A few of them may be anal about it, but I
imagine that most of them will say "that'd be fine". Quite a few of them
will probably be confused why you even call to ask the question. ("Boss, I
just had a lady call with the strangest question...")
Sorry I misunderstood your question.
Keith E Gatling
naomi pardue <npa...@ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu> wrote:
> Penny's sometimes contacts me several months later and offers me
> the left-over pictures at a discount. I'm assuming that if I
> don't buy them, they just pitch them out. (What I DON"T
> understand is why they develop and print ALL the photos. Surely
> it's cheaper to just print up a proof sheet, let me pick what I
> want, and then make enlargements of those. I guess it's easier
> to be tempted to make spur-of-the-moment splurges when your
> beautiful child is smiling out at you in all of her 8x10
> glory...)
Possibly not. There are probably some economies of scale involved here. I
knw that we found it that when we had film developed at K-Mart, it was much
cheaper to just have them make up 4 copies of everything in the first place
than it was to go back and have quads made of the ones we really wanted to
send to people.
The same is probably true for studio film processing too...it's much easier
and cheaper to make all the prints at once, even if you end up not taking
them all, than it is to make them to order...and if they *did* make them to
order, you can bet that the increased price would be passed along to you.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Keith E Gatling kgat...@mailbox.syr.edu *
* Opinions? I've got plenty of them. Just ask my wife! *
* *
* "Dadee" to Devra Marie, the Bunhead 2.3.93 Posting since 1992 *
* Photoalbum Page 56 *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Teri
: >Yikes!
: >
: >I have a question.
: >
: >What about the photoalbum? The pictures were not taken expressly for the
: >photoalbum. Could we (misc.kids in general) have a problem with that?
: In any case, if I understand your question, you are wondering whether it's
: OK to arrange your purchased studio photos in a photo album, and I would
: say that it almost certainly is. Those photos are _yours_ to do with as
: you please, and its only if you attempt to duplicate them without
: permission that the whole copyright issue even comes up.
No, the question was about the misc.kids photoalbum. Misc.kidders send
photos and blurbs about their families to a group which makes the photos
and blurbs into a photoalbum. The photoalbum is then distributed to the
participating misc.kidders.
Would we be better off requesting only snapshots to be printed in the
photoalbum and staying away from studio shots?
Teri
Barb Luongo
-=> Kathleen Manz said this to All on 10-06-95 12:24<=-
KM> From: ma...@nevada.edu (KATHLEEN MANZ)
KM> Subject: Re: Studios keeping photos-Was:6 kids at Sears Portrait
KM>
KM>
KM> I was told, I think by someone at Sears, that they take the photo off
KM> the paper and re-use the paper.
That is a really cool idea!
I was tempted to go to Sears, even though I went there years ago, and
just didn't like the choices for the portraits. But, with the new
system of seeing the pictures first, I thought it would come in handy.
Having all 3 kids pictures taken can be a challenge, because they all
react so differently - Willy gets goofy, Mary gets broody, and Laury
just looks around curiously.
But, JC Penney had sent me coupons for $4 a sheet - unlimited, so I
decided to stick with them.
I was surprised to find that they had a new setup - with the computer
showing the pictures.
But, I thought the photographer was not very patient with the kids, and
they weren't all that responsive, so I wasn't thrilled with some of the
pictures. After she was done, she told me to pick 3 that I like the
best, so I did. She said that these would have the miniatures, the big
one, etc. I told her it didn't matter, all I ever get are the 5"x7"'s
and wallets. She said, "That's just the way they do it."
I then said to not to even bother with #6, which looked really awful of
all 3, and she said that they print them all up anyway.
So, I wonder WHY the big deal of letting me select, when they don't
really care what I want anyway?!?
I go get them Wednesday... I plan to be very picky. If I don't like
them, the kids will dress up again, and we'll go back - hopefully with
a more patient photographer.
--- just venting---
**************************************************************
* Barb (pg 100) *
* Mama to Willy (9-23-82), Mary (10-08-85) & Laury (2-23-93) *
* barbl...@aol.com or barb....@wolverine.com *
**************************************************************
... The Surgeon General Has Determined That Life Causes Death
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
Dawn Zimmerman
> But, I thought the photographer was not very patient with the kids, and
> they weren't all that responsive, so I wasn't thrilled with some of the
> pictures. After she was done, she told me to pick 3 that I like the
> best, so I did. She said that these would have the miniatures, the big
> one, etc. I told her it didn't matter, all I ever get are the 5"x7"'s
> and wallets. She said, "That's just the way they do it."
>
> I then said to not to even bother with #6, which looked really awful of
> all 3, and she said that they print them all up anyway.
>
> So, I wonder WHY the big deal of letting me select, when they don't
> really care what I want anyway?!?
>
> I go get them Wednesday... I plan to be very picky. If I don't like
> them, the kids will dress up again, and we'll go back - hopefully with
> a more patient photographer.
>
I take my son to Kinderfoto. While I have been very pleased with the
quality of the photos, there are a few things that bug me.
One is no appointments. Trying to keep a young child amused for a couple
of hours can wear you both down.
The other is printing up the pictures before hand. It bothers me that a
computer judges which poses are the best of my child. Anyway, they pick
the three 'best' poses, print up a mega load of pictures, then try to
sell you the package deals. As much as I love my son, I don't need 2
12x16's or whatever the huge size is.
Now, the idea of printing up the pictures before hand is pretty ingenous
on the photographers part. They know the parents are suckers who can't
stand the idea that pictures of their beautiful children being thrown
away. In fact, some photographers make a big deal out of it. "For just
$15.00 more dollars you can have all these pictures, after all they are
just going to be thrown away." The problem is these packages rarely give
me what I need. I end up spending more money to order more wallets and
5x7s.
Excuse me, I think I'm venting also.
With all that said, I will say again that the pictures of my son from
Kinderphoto have been great or I wouldn't put up with the other garbage.
Elizabeth Theesfeld #1
> has had his picture taken 4 times at Walmart, 2 times at Olan MIlls, and
> 1 time by a photographer not affiliated with any studio. The have all
> been wonderful pictures and we could have spent a lot of money on them,
> but we usually try to just buy the special packages and stop at that.
> pictures after viewing the proofs (4-5 weeks at Walmart, 4-6 weeks at
> Olan Mills) and by the time we get them back our son looks completely
> different. Are there any studios out there that are any quicker?
I have always used a photo studio here in Mpls called PROEX. You get the
proofs within an hour and finished photes in 2 days. The sitting fee is
$20 ($15 with a discount card) and finished photes are $6.00 a sheet.
(1 8x10, 2 5x7's, 4 4x6's etc.) If you spend more than $24 on photos they
throw in the negatives. If you do not like any of the proofs, they will
re-schedule a sitting for free. They take appointments and I have never waited
more than 5 minutes.
--
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
/ \
\ Elizabeth Theesfeld /
/ email : bi...@cfsmo.honeywell.com \
\ /
/ The views expressed are my own, and do not represent those of Honeywell \
\ /
Donna Mettler
> In article <459205$2b...@hopi.gate.net>, te...@news.gate.net (Teri) wrote:
> >photos and blurbs about their families to a group which makes the photos
> >and blurbs into a photoalbum. The photoalbum is then distributed to the
> >participating misc.kidders.
>
>
> Hm...
>
> Not a clear enough case for my arm-chair legal skills, I'm afraid. 8^( I
> would think that a fairly good case could be made for this (a collabrative
> photoalbum) being the sort of thing that people might reasonably be
> expected to do with their photos, and thus implicitly released from
> restriction for this purpose. But for a confident answer, you'd probably
> need to speak with a real copyright lawyer.
>
> >photoalbum and staying away from studio shots?
>
> take this course, or speak with lawyer. The profitabilty has no actual
> affect on whether or not its a copyright violation, but it has a fairly
> direct effect on your chances of getting sued, and having to defend the
> practice in court.
>
> If it's not-for-profit, I probably wouldn't worry about it. The chances of
> the FBI getting involved are vanishingly small.
>
> You could also have people with such prints phone up the photo studio and
> ask permission, of course. A few of them may be anal about it, but I
> imagine that most of them will say "that'd be fine". Quite a few of them
> will probably be confused why you even call to ask the question. ("Boss, I
> just had a lady call with the strangest question...")
>
> Sorry I misunderstood your question.
>
> --
> Later days...
> Glenn "Mr. X" Austin
> aus...@doit.wisc.edu
I'd think that this would kind of fall under the same area as yearbook
photos-and it's expected that a studio shot will be used for those.
Ofcourse, maybe if the misc.kids perople would call up and ask,
we'd start to see special misc.kids package deals!:-)
D2M
--
Donna DeVore Mettler
dmet...@ttmath.ttu.edu
I regret to say that before people can be reformed they must be sinners
And before you can have pianists in the family you must have beginners!
Ogden Nash
Joyce Manna Janto
>>
>> By all means do this with your home snapshots. But prints by Olan
>> Mills and other studios are copyrighted and should not be photocopied
>> intact.
>>
>>
>> -- Michal
Marion Baumgarten replied:
>I've never gotten any copyright notice. They own the negatives, but my
>understanding is this is my picture to do with as I see fit.
>Any copyright lawyers out there?
I'm not a copyright lawyer, but as a law librarian I have some knowledge of
the copyright law. Since 1978 copyrighted works do NOT have to carry a
notice of copyright. Olan Mills, in particular, puts their name and logo on
each picture they print as a means of copyright notification, but most
portrait studios do not.
As with any copyrighted work, you may not make copies without somehow
compensating the copyright owner. It doesn't matter if the thing you are
copying is a picture, a book or a magazine article. There are exceptions
(known as "fair use") but these usually apply only to criticism, comment, news
reporting, teaching, research, or scholarship. So you can give your baby's
picture to the local paper to reproduce when they win a beautiful baby
contest, but you can't make 50 gazillion copies to send to all the relatives.
A related note, that popped up on this thread. What does the store do with
the pictures you don't buy. Look at what they give you to sign when you have
the picutres taken. If it doesn't include a "model's release" the only thing
they can do with the pictures is destroy them. They can not use them in any
way without your permission.
Joyce Manna Janto, mom to Emily(8-11-90)
ja...@uofrlaw.urich.edu
Harolynn Younger
got a "ditz". What you can do if you don't like the pictures is tell them that
they are not acceptable and that you want to retake them but NOT with the same
girl. Then I would let the manager know what a horrible job she did. If it
seems that the manager doesn't do anything go and see Sears customer service
desk and complain. The portrait studio is a consignment store(sp) And the name
of the company is CPI CORPORATION and they also have there own customer service
numbers.
All I can say is that it really depends on the photographer you get. I still
get all my photos through Sears and I know that some of the people they seem to
hire now days are worthless, just be picky. And once you find a photographer
you like you can ask for her/him by name or refuse to let a certain person take
your pictures.
By the way I no longer work for Sear's and am in no way endorsing there
products.
Christina Jensen (st...@mti.sgi.com)
mommy to Tyler age 4 and Zachary due 12/8
CAStdm
had some good/bad experiences, but the photos themselves have always been
nice. The last time we went (2 weeks ago) they had installed a computer
system that takes alot of the guessing and waiting out of the experience.
As soon as the photo is taken the shot appears on a computer screen in the
studio and you have the option of keeping it or killing it right there.
This is especially helpful if you are using their coupon specials that
limit you to the first shot for your pictures. After all the photos are
complete you can view all the poses and order what you want right away. It
really is a lot better than the old wait of three weeks to see what you
get! Now if they could only do something about the l-o-n-g waits and the
b*tchy sales staff...
Christi Farinelli
KM> From: ma...@nevada.edu (KATHLEEN MANZ)
KM> Subject: Re: Studios keeping photos-Was:6 kids at Sears Portrait
KM>
KM>
KM> I was told, I think by someone at Sears, that they take the photo off
KM> the paper and re-use the paper.
Now it's been awhile since I did much developing of pictures (I just take
them now and let someone else do the developing), but I think someone was
pulling your leg on this one! The picture on the paper is the result of
a reaction to the light by the chemicals coating the paper. I really don't
see how they could "take the photo off" the paper and leave the paper in
any state where it could be re-used.
Mary Conner
>I've never gotten any copyright notice. They own the negatives, but my
>understanding is this is my picture to do with as I see fit.
>Any copyright lawyers out there?
Have a look at the back of the picture. The paper they use usually
has a warning to the effect that professional pictures are
copyrighted, and some studios will actually put a copyright notice on
the back too.
--
Mary Conner tr...@serv.net
Mom to Amanda, who will be 13 months old on Oct. 19th
Wits4golf
Just thought I'd tell you about a GREAT experience we had with photos for
our son at 3 weeks. He couldn't hold his head up either and was crying
the ENTIRE time. The company, called "Little Darlings" came to OUR house
and got some GREAT shots!! We would up buying the entire package that
they came back with. No need to take the baby anywhere at that young age!
I'll be calling them shortly to set up an appointment for #2, who was
born on 10/5/95!!
BTW, Expressly Portraits has been our photographer for the 6, 12, 18 & 24
Month old pictures. They are indeed GREAT also!
Good luck!
Mona
Mom to Robbie (7/19/93) & CJ (10/5/95)