Where/How do you print the wedding photos?

[marieD]

Once you are done with the post processing- where/ how do you get the photos printed (esp larger sizes-16x20). How do you give B & G your digital files?

I have a very very very small wedding that I am doing for my brother,(20 people total- 4 in the wedding party incl B&G) in Lake Tahoe. It both his and his fiance's 2nd wedding. Both of them love the pictures that I did of my 2 month old (I know it is COMPLETLY different) so they are under the impression that I have a good eye for thier day (YIKES!!).

**sorry for the ramble**

So yes, I know I am stupid for taking this on (is there a CHANCE that I can learn about RAW post processing, and using a flash by June?) I tried to say 'no' but my brother got really hurt that I did not want to. Can anyone tell I am scared as s**t?

[ricohcam01]

Hi Marie:

As someone who learned about Post Processing basicly by myself I would be glad to help you in anyway. What software are you using for PP? What camera are you shoot with and do you have a portable hard drive?

[marieD]

I only have PS 7. I am interested in RAW (esp since they will be important pics) so I am going to look at the RAW conversion program that came with the camera (read a post that there is one- have to look when I get home) or maybe Rawshooter. I have a 20D. NO to the portable hard drive.


I took a few digital design classes in college (3 ys ago) and have taught myself a lot on PS, but never even thought about RAW. Seems like it is a whole new beast.

[CyberPet]

Marie (great name, btw, it's my middle name),

I use a professional lab where I do all my prints, both enlargements and smaller copies. Many photographers use them and they've been around for 20 years (it's here in Sweden, sorry).

I don't offer the B/G my digital images, it's my originals. If they want, they can after a year buy the edited (processed) originals I used to make photo copies of, after a year after the wedding. And that for a fee - about $500 USD actually.

You have ample time to learn about RAW processing and using a flash by June. Just pick up some good books - a great book to start with is "Photoshop CS2 for Digital photographers" by Scott Kelby, but there's others as well. Also, there's a DVD/video out called "Blue Crane Digital DVD: Understanding the Canon Speedlite 580EX/430EX" about the Canon flashes available that's supposed to be great.

Good luck!!

[kawter2]

White house custom color Rocks!!
http://whcc.com !!!


you can use mpix.com as well, they are a lab of millers, but you donthave to sign up for a photographers account like whcc and millers

[tim]

Pro labs are worth what they charge. If you've not calibrated your monitor their color correction service might be worthwhile. I prefer to do it myself so I can make sure the print is what I saw.

[ricohcam01]

Wow all great ideas here. Sometimes you really don't know how much you don't know until you talk to other people. Another thing I have been doing is just doing my PP with the software that came with my 5D. I don't have a portable hard drive yet but I am going to get one. The Raw shooting is the best but you need lots of space to store the 11 to 13MB full frame files.

I would rather carry 10, 512MB memory cards then carry 5, 1GB cards. I get about 33 shots with a 512 card so really that is like carring 10 rolls of 36 for my 35mil.

[PIXI_666]

I have been practising with a place in Victoria (AUS), it is online, and prints are REALLY cheap, BUT i know people say "U get what u pay for" their prints are bloody good considering they are so cheap! SO i go there, because then i can put 100% on top and make my money that way

If your in Aus i can give you the link, if not, id suggest doing a search for places in your area?

Del

[tim]

100% on top of not much is not much. My markup is much higher than that, because it has to pay for my time, and I have minimum orders too.

[cmM]

WHCC

[cdifoto]

I have approximately 500% markup on my photos. It's not worth it to scrape by with minimal profits. AND my prints are actually cheap compared to some other photographers around here.

I have a rather small printer so I can only do up to 8x10s. If they order all prints of that size and smaller, I do it all here for faster turnaround time and complete control. If they order anything containing at least one 11x14 or bigger, I send them all to El-Co labs in New Jersey for consistency...even if there are smaller prints in the order that I can do myself. This way if the color's a bit off for some reason, at least it's off in ALL the photos and not obvious.

[PIXI_666]

I guess...well said....i do play around with prices quite a bit, and considering i also have an on site fee too, i find it easier to get people to buy more prints from me if they are cheaper if you get what i mean??

[Harry Settle]

Originally Posted by ricohcam01

Wow all great ideas here. Sometimes you really don't know how much you don't know until you talk to other people. Another thing I have been doing is just doing my PP with the software that came with my 5D. I don't have a portable hard drive yet but I am going to get one. The Raw shooting is the best but you need lots of space to store the 11 to 13MB full frame files.

I would rather carry 10, 512MB memory cards then carry 5, 1GB cards. I get about 33 shots with a 512 card so really that is like carring 10 rolls of 36 for my 35mil.

The software that came with your 5D is more than adequate for the post processing that you will be doing. My 5D shows about 29 shots per 512 card, I'd bump up to 1gig cards for sure, especially with the low prices, you're going to eat up 512's and possibly miss a shot. Practice direct flash for a while, then bounce flash.

Make sure that you save a master file on your computer of your wedding shots, then don't touch those. Edit from a seperate file, then save your edited photos to another file.

[Actionphotog]

www.Mpix.com
I have all my printing and proof books done here

[ricohcam01]

Originally Posted by tim

Pro labs are worth what they charge. If you've not calibrated your monitor their color correction service might be worthwhile. I prefer to do it myself so I can make sure the print is what I saw.

Yeah Tim:

I use two pro labs here in town. I will also use a department store when I do my color proofing for myself. Sometimes I will pick about 10 to 20 images from differant stages of the shoot and use the department store images to let the Pro lab know I am not happy with the images. My insurance!