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portrait quality photo

Rose Pink

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I have wedding pix on my computer that I'd like to make into professional quality prints for framing but I'm not sure who/how/where to go about getting them printed. Obviously, I don't want an 8x10 glossy from WalMart. I want what you'd get if you'd had them taken at a professional studio.

Suggestions, please? TIA
 

dioxide45

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I have wedding pix on my computer that I'd like to make into professional quality prints for framing but I'm not sure who/how/where to go about getting them printed. Obviously, I don't want an 8x10 glossy from WalMart. I want what you'd get if you'd had them taken at a professional studio.

Suggestions, please? TIA


I would suggest a quality one hour development studio. In our area we use MotoPhoto. Not sure if there is one close to you or not. You want a place that uses quality paper and does color corrections. Also look up custom photo printing in your yellow pages. These may be more expensive but you will get the best print from them. Wal-mart and places like Walgreens won't give you the quality you are looking for. My wife is a professional photographer and if you put the two up side by side you will see a huge difference between Wal-mart/Walgreens and MotoPhoto. For people who have only seen Wal-mart/Walgreens prints, you may not know better. I have no experience with online places like Snapfish and such, but for 10 cents a print, I wouldn't expect much.
 
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stonebroke

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You might try Winkflash

You might check out www.winkflash.com they say they have printers that print at a higher dpi (dots per inch) than most standard photo processors. I had used them in the past and they did good work.
 

Kal

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The first thing you need to do is to evaluate the quality of the image file on your computer. You'll only get a quality (professional level) image IF the image has good quality. Otherwise, you can't make a silk purse from....

Let us know the parameters of the computer image and we'll give you an idea of its quality. One parameter is file size. If the file size is anything less than 2,000 KB, WalMart is your best bet. If the file size is 900 KB or less, there is no hope.

A very good quality 8" x 10" image will have a file size of 7,200 KB.
 

Rose Pink

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Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I'll have DD or DH help me check on the file size. I am so computer illiterate. :eek:
 

Patri

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How about an 8x10 matte from Walmart?
 

dioxide45

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How about an 8x10 matte from Walmart?

I would suggest a matte print. However the prints at Wal-Mart don't tend to be the best quality. Little color if any color correction. Printing is more than feeding the digital files in to the printer and letting the roll out. A good printer will spend a few seconds to analyze each photo for proper color and exposure and make any corrections they can. My wife has a specific person she asks to print the photos as prints from others are note always up to her standards. The person who take portraits in the photo studio does her prints. You need someone with a good eye for color.
 

Brett

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I would suggest a matte print. However the prints at Wal-Mart don't tend to be the best quality. Little color if any color correction. Printing is more than feeding the digital files in to the printer and letting the roll out. A good printer will spend a few seconds to analyze each photo for proper color and exposure and make any corrections they can. My wife has a specific person she asks to print the photos as prints from others are note always up to her standards. The person who take portraits in the photo studio does her prints. You need someone with a good eye for color.

I've had some pretty good 4x6 prints done by Walmart, I agree it would probably take at least a 7 MB file for a decent 8x10 print. - it would interesting to compare a Walmart print and the same file printed by a professional photo lab.
 
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sfwilshire

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Do you own the rights to the photo? Is it one you took personally?

A lot of places will ask before they agree to print it. They want to make sure they don't violate any copyright laws.

Sheila
 

Rose Pink

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Do you own the rights to the photo? Is it one you took personally?

A lot of places will ask before they agree to print it. They want to make sure they don't violate any copyright laws.

Sheila

We do. The photographer at my son's wedding took the pix digitally and then handed them the disc (or whatever it was) to do with as they pleased. DH put it on our computers so we can look at the pix but I want something to hang on the wall. My other son's wedding pix were taken by a professional studio and we have very nice photos. I wanted something comparable.
 

falmouth3

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You could call a local camera shop and ask if they do prints. If they don't, ask who they would recommend.

Sue
 

RDB

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We do. The photographer at my son's wedding took the pix digitally and then handed them the disc (or whatever it was) to do with as they pleased. DH put it on our computers so we can look at the pix but I want something to hang on the wall. My other son's wedding pix were taken by a professional studio and we have very nice photos. I wanted something comparable.

Our son is getting into that business. I'll let you in contact so the two of you can work out something. I'll email you tonight.

At least let him tell you what he can do.

Robert
 

pjrose

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Another possibility is to pick a really special photo and have an artist create a painting or watercolor of it. This is not a pseudo painting that is basically just a computerized brushstroke version of the print, but an original artwork.

I know someone who does this kind of thing - PM me for the website.
 
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LUVourMarriotts

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Is there a Ritz Camera in your local mall. They can do professional quality prints. But again, you have to own the image. Are all of the images digital? No film? We have both from our wedding. We received the film after 1 year and now we own the rights to them. We can take them wherever we want to have developed. But maybe everything is digital now.
 

dioxide45

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Is there a Ritz Camera in your local mall. They can do professional quality prints. But again, you have to own the image. Are all of the images digital? No film? We have both from our wedding. We received the film after 1 year and now we own the rights to them. We can take them wherever we want to have developed. But maybe everything is digital now.

Basically now if you have a digital copy of the photo you own the rights to it just like you had the film. The only exception may be if there is a watermark or other text on the photo that indicates otherwise.
 

stmartinfan

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Many places that print photos will not print a digital image if it appears to be professionally shot unless you have a release from the photographer. My niece has been taking high school grad photos for her kids and other relatives and friends for several years. She's just an amatuer but has gotten good enough that photo places like Wal-Mart and Target see her shots and have refused to print them for the people she's given the CD of images to. She had to get something from the stores that she signs to register and verify that she has given ownership of the images to the person she photographed.

I think the photo places can be liable if they reprint for someone an image that they don't own.
 

Rose Pink

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My son and his wife got married in one of the marriage mills in Vegas. It was still very nice, though. Anyway, part of the package deal included a photographer who snapped the pictures and then handed them the disc to do with has they pleased. My husband loaded them onto my computer but I have very nice photos from another son's wedding who did have a studio do their pictures. I'd like them to be "equal" when I hang them on the wall.

Now that my husband is home from his business trip, I'll have him help me with the computer stuff to see if they have an adequate file size as mentioned earlier in this thread.
 

Gordo1111

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I have used Winkflash and Walmart and have been satisfied with pricing points as well as service.
Walgreens - no so much
Snapfish - just ordered and have not rec'd, not sure on quality. Service so far was just so-so.
 
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