Photographer only offering digital files at extremely high price

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the outlier. I’m surprised you don’t get the digital file of any picture you bought a print of. I’ve never heard of that before.

I hire photographers - THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I feel like the photographers on this thread are upset that business is having trouble and frustrated that this is the direction people are going and that it is upsetting that a lot of people feel this way.

Be upset at modern technology not people who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for family photos on the regular. That is just cost prohibitive to most families.

In demand photogs charge a LOT. They just do. And they are worth it. Which is why they are in demand. You are free to take them yourself or to go to some sub-par photographer or to your hobbyist friend to take them. That may be good enough for you. And that's fine. But this is their livelihood and they are good at it. They charge what the market will permit. Someone is buying from them. They need not accept less just b/c you can't or don't want to pay their prices. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the outlier. I’m surprised you don’t get the digital file of any picture you bought a print of. I’ve never heard of that before.

I hire photographers - THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I feel like the photographers on this thread are upset that business is having trouble and frustrated that this is the direction people are going and that it is upsetting that a lot of people feel this way.

Be upset at modern technology not people who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for family photos on the regular. That is just cost prohibitive to most families.

In demand photogs charge a LOT. They just do. And they are worth it. Which is why they are in demand. You are free to take them yourself or to go to some sub-par photographer or to your hobbyist friend to take them. That may be good enough for you. And that's fine. But this is their livelihood and they are good at it. They charge what the market will permit. Someone is buying from them. They need not accept less just b/c you can't or don't want to pay their prices. Done.

Ok. I just think if you're donating something and you know you are at the top of the price range you should be transparent up front.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the outlier. I’m surprised you don’t get the digital file of any picture you bought a print of. I’ve never heard of that before.

I hire photographers - THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I feel like the photographers on this thread are upset that business is having trouble and frustrated that this is the direction people are going and that it is upsetting that a lot of people feel this way.

Be upset at modern technology not people who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for family photos on the regular. That is just cost prohibitive to most families.

In demand photogs charge a LOT. They just do. And they are worth it. Which is why they are in demand. You are free to take them yourself or to go to some sub-par photographer or to your hobbyist friend to take them. That may be good enough for you. And that's fine. But this is their livelihood and they are good at it. They charge what the market will permit. Someone is buying from them. They need not accept less just b/c you can't or don't want to pay their prices. Done.

Ok. I just think if you're donating something and you know you are at the top of the price range you should be transparent up front.

I’m not a photographer, but I’ve been defending photogs on this thread. It’s a lot of work, it’s intellectual property. If you want it for free, go to the Walmart photo area.

I’m guessing most people here can “afford” a real photographer, and their cleaned up images, but what they want is the starving artist type, who will give their art up for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally normal. It was most likely all spelled out in the contract you signed or their price list. Why are you expecting to get something for free?

I'm not expecting anything for free. I spent 2k on prints.

I bought the session at a charity event via a fundraiser and it wasn't spelled out at the time. I wasn't informed actually until AFTER we had done the shoot about this or any pricing.

Well then, lesson learned. Read the fine print!

Photographers spend hours that you do not see working on your photos. They make their money selling the photos in all formats after the shoot. Good, high end photographers do the pricing the way you see it.

There was no fine print to have read at the time and she doesn't post any of this on her website. I think had she told me in the first phone conversation or had it on her website I wouldn't be so annoyed.

Had I bought the 5k package I would have gotten all the digital files. I just feel like that seems a little OOTT. Like I said I bought a lot in prints, I'm not being stingy, I get that is their livelihood but 5k so I can have backups in case of a fire or whatever?

Ripoff. I would leave a negative review for not being forthcoming (take that! ha!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the outlier. I’m surprised you don’t get the digital file of any picture you bought a print of. I’ve never heard of that before.

I hire photographers - THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I feel like the photographers on this thread are upset that business is having trouble and frustrated that this is the direction people are going and that it is upsetting that a lot of people feel this way.

Be upset at modern technology not people who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for family photos on the regular. That is just cost prohibitive to most families.

In demand photogs charge a LOT. They just do. And they are worth it. Which is why they are in demand. You are free to take them yourself or to go to some sub-par photographer or to your hobbyist friend to take them. That may be good enough for you. And that's fine. But this is their livelihood and they are good at it. They charge what the market will permit. Someone is buying from them. They need not accept less just b/c you can't or don't want to pay their prices. Done.

Ok. I just think if you're donating something and you know you are at the top of the price range you should be transparent up front.

I’m not a photographer, but I’ve been defending photogs on this thread. It’s a lot of work, it’s intellectual property. If you want it for free, go to the Walmart photo area.

I’m guessing most people here can “afford” a real photographer, and their cleaned up images, but what they want is the starving artist type, who will give their art up for free.

So what I take umbrage with with you is that I (OP) have literally not once said i wanted anything for free. My proposal was that there should be a fee tacked on to the purchase of a print to acquire the digital image, that is not free.

I dont want anyone to starve and I just refuse to accept that spending 2k on family photos and questioning it makes me cheap. A very small percentage of the population can drop 2k on family photos once let alone regularly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the outlier. I’m surprised you don’t get the digital file of any picture you bought a print of. I’ve never heard of that before.

I hire photographers - THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I feel like the photographers on this thread are upset that business is having trouble and frustrated that this is the direction people are going and that it is upsetting that a lot of people feel this way.

Be upset at modern technology not people who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for family photos on the regular. That is just cost prohibitive to most families.

In demand photogs charge a LOT. They just do. And they are worth it. Which is why they are in demand. You are free to take them yourself or to go to some sub-par photographer or to your hobbyist friend to take them. That may be good enough for you. And that's fine. But this is their livelihood and they are good at it. They charge what the market will permit. Someone is buying from them. They need not accept less just b/c you can't or don't want to pay their prices. Done.

Ok. I just think if you're donating something and you know you are at the top of the price range you should be transparent up front.

I’m not a photographer, but I’ve been defending photogs on this thread. It’s a lot of work, it’s intellectual property. If you want it for free, go to the Walmart photo area.

I’m guessing most people here can “afford” a real photographer, and their cleaned up images, but what they want is the starving artist type, who will give their art up for free.

So what I take umbrage with with you is that I (OP) have literally not once said i wanted anything for free. My proposal was that there should be a fee tacked on to the purchase of a print to acquire the digital image, that is not free.

I dont want anyone to starve and I just refuse to accept that spending 2k on family photos and questioning it makes me cheap. A very small percentage of the population can drop 2k on family photos once let alone regularly.

THAT IS HOW THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY. If they give you a drive full of the images for you to print for cents on the dollar, using the pics THEY took and touched up, they are not making money. That's why they charge so much for the digital files. Because they know that is exactly what they are going to do. Also keep in mind, you're probably going to Walgreens or Costco to get them developed. Those places are fine for your typical vacation pics but not professional photography. The paper used, the processes, the color . . . professionals use professional labs that make their photos look amazing. So, you get your Walgreens 8x10" and say "Larla Smith" took these. Some folks may think the pics are not as good as they are b/c of the shitty lab you chose. It's about control of their IP and making money to sustain their livelihood. This is not just point and shoot.

How do you all not understand that?

I'm not a professional. I dabble a bit as a hobbyist for my family and other stuff. I have never charged anyone. So, I have no skin in what some photographer charges. But there are reasons why they do it. Good ones. It's not b/c they are just trying to gouge you (Although as with any profession, I'm sure some are). If you don't want to pay those prices, again, get a hobbyist, friend, or someone who is not as good and charges less. Or someone who is just starting out and take your chances.

If you feel this photog was not upfront about her pricing, that's unfortunate. But, that is your beef not the actual pricing. Though I would ask you why you didn't simply ask up front. That works both ways.